How the Police and Armed Forces Construct Gender on Social Media: A Comparison of El Salvador and Honduras

Abstract

Although social media is the new frontier for policing, little research has examined how state security forces construct gender online. To address this gap, we analyzed 315 TikTok videos posted by law enforcement agencies in El Salvador and Honduras. We find that gender is constructed by (1) showcasing (or not) female officers; (2) displaying masculinized and feminized policing practices; (3) advancing gendered ideas through editorial additions. We further find that gendered performances by police vary between the “iron-fist” regime of El Salvador and the “soft-touch” regime in Honduras, while the armed forces of both countries adopt more gender-neutral images.