Abstract
Social networks act as a metaphor for discussion about many historical and contemporary music worlds. Much of the literature on feminist music movements like riot grrrl, ladyfest and Girls Rock camps conceptualize collective action and participation in network terms. However, in doing so, the approach is almost exclusively qualitative. Individuals tie movements, collectives and organizations together and help their cultural spread across cities and countries. Yet individuals can also cause ruptures in networks that may lead to their collapse or fracturing. This article uses mixed-methods social network analysis (SNA) to unpack the structure, development and impact of a riot grrrl-associated music network across geographical space and time. By investigating the strong ties of shared band membership and playing together, the centrality of key bands and musicians across overlapping music movements associated with riot grrrl are explored at micro, meso and macro levels of network interaction. The ability to visualize music collaboration networks allows us to see patterns and connections that may not have been previously apparent. Whilst there is a small but growing body of work on punk using SNA methods, these have overwhelmingly been male dominated. This is the first formal network application on punk-inspired feminist music worlds that redresses the gender imbalance.
Highlights
Participants in feminist music worlds are a loose collection of self-reflective and collaborative cultural activists, involved in a process of articulating and understanding their activities whilst carrying them out
Within the context of punk cultural studies, the article draws on key concepts from social movements and social network theory to illustrate the riot grrrl movement as a transnational intersection of political motivations and music collaborations
Critical mass is important in social dynamics, representing the point in time where a sufficient number of people subscribe to a social movement ideology so that the movement becomes self-sustaining and growth is possible
Summary
Participants in feminist music worlds are a loose collection of self-reflective and collaborative cultural activists, involved in a process of articulating and understanding their activities whilst carrying them out. Built on the back of a solid 1970s and 1980s punk movement with a small, but highly influential number of punk women, a network of individuals and bands began to emerge from a strongly connected do-it-yourself (DIY) infrastructure in Olympia and Washington, DC, in the United States in the early 1990s This network began to spread to different locations within and beyond the geographical boundaries of North America. The focus moves to the micro level to examine relationships between key players in more detail and the movement of musicians between bands, cities and countries This helps to clarify the role of individuals in the global network. Within the context of punk cultural studies, the article draws on key concepts from social movements and social network theory to illustrate the riot grrrl movement as a transnational intersection of political motivations and music collaborations
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