Gender, Social Media, and Feminist Reflections in Higher Education: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among social media practices, gendered technology, trust relations, gendered experiences, and feminist reflections among students in higher education in Punjab, Pakistan. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed at a public-sector university. The population comprised male and female students enrolled in BS (4 Year) programs across seven departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Using Yamane’s formula, a sample of 397 students was selected through proportionate random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, social media practices, gendered technology, trust relations, and feminist reflections. A pilot study with 25 students was conducted to assess instrument reliability. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from .708 to .867 across major constructs, whereas the overall instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .911). Data were coded, screened, and analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicated significant direct relationships among gendered impacts, gendered narratives, gendered representations, reflection of gendered norms, gendered concerns, social structures, and language use and technology. The findings demonstrate that feminist reflections are associated with interconnected representational, cultural, structural, and technological dimensions. The study contributes to understanding how gender is constructed and interpreted within contemporary digital and higher education environments and provides a basis for further research across diverse institutional and social contexts.