‘The Wheat Girl’: Constructions of Gender, Nation and Nature in Nordic Far-Right Ecologism

This article examines the discursive trope of “the wheat girl” in Nordic radical nationalist Telegram channels, exploring how white femininity is constructed within far-right ecologist imaginaries. The wheat girl—typically depicted as a conventionally attractive white woman in grain fields—embodies a paradoxical blend of feminine passivity and political agency. Drawing on feminist theory, affect theory, and scholarship on far-right ecologism, the study situates this trope within broader historical narratives where women symbolize both nation and nature. In the Nordic context, where gender equality is often framed as a cultural value, the wheat girl offers insight into how radical nationalists may mobilize gendered imagery to advance ecofascist ideologies. Through visual analysis and discourse studies, the article contributes empirically by highlighting the role of gender in far-right ecological communication, and theoretically by expanding discussions on affect, ideology, and constructions of white femininity in digital far-right spaces. The findings underscore how seemingly benign representations of women and nature serve exclusionary nationalist agendas, shaping how radical nationalist actors attract and engage audiences through constructions of beauty, spirituality and tradition.