Feminist Concepts Research Articles

Settler militarism: Affective colonial pursuits and the militarized atmosphere of war commemoration

This article examines settler militarism and how it is mobilized through affective practices that ultimately bolster the settler colonial project. With this intent, it develops the concept of ‘militarized atmosphere’ defined as a staged environment where war is positioned outside politics and critical scrutiny through a series of affective manoeuvres and aesthetics. A militarized atmosphere operates through military aesthetics to attune people’s bodies to a position of uncritical validation of a given discourse of war. This article argues that a militarized atmosphere crucially sustains the settler colonial project by removing or reducing contestation around the theme of war, which is a pillar of settler colonialism. In settler societies, numerous Indigenous individuals perceive themselves as embattled and seek acknowledgement of the history and legacy of colonial violence and warfare. In contrast, settler governments have a vested interest in concealing this history and its enduring legacy, and they do so by exalting military warfare as the foundation of the modern nation and creating affective attachments to the military. The article uses the case of Australia to elucidate the argument. It examines how the aesthetics of war commemoration at the Dawn Service, Australia’s major commemorative event, contributes to producing a militarized atmosphere that sustains the Australian settler colonial project. It proposes a framework that links the feminist concept of affective militarism to settler colonialism and contributes to the emerging literature on settler colonialism and militarism.

The value of owning the symbols that orientate us within Subjectivity

Judith Butler contests Ernesto Laclau and Slavoj Žižek's argument that the limits to symbolisation which shape political action are best accounted for through Jacques Lacan's account of the Symbolic, Imaginary and Real. Butler agrees that we each emerge as social subjects on the condition of foreclosures, but disagrees that such foreclosures are prior to the social or explicable through a universal account of kinship. Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyĕwùmí has a somewhat similar critique of the Eurocentric foundations of feminist concepts. She argues that Western hierarchies, organised through ‘bio-logic’ or ‘body-reasoning’ with an emphasis on the sex/gender binary, are culturally particular. Oyĕwùmí distinguishes between relational, dynamic, fluid social hierarchies organised by seniority, and hierarchies organised by body-reasoning which are orientated towards fixity, and certainties. In this article I outline Bracha Ettinger's matrixial theory and argue that while it does not do what either Oyĕwùmí (transcend the terms of the nuclear family) or Butler (divest Lacan's paternal law of its power) advocate, it does provide us with the language to better account for how ‘body-reasoning’ structures our orientations and sets constraints on transformative processes. Through an account of multiple strata of subjectivity, within an expanded Symbolic, inscribed in social life through symbolic filters based on corporeality, matrixial theory enables us to account for the embeddedness of a strong orientation towards constant individuation, alongside a persistent disavowal and fear of processes of co-emergence at a non-cognitive level of subjectivity within Western thought. In their exchange, Laclau theorises social transformation through articulatory logics whereas Butler stresses the need for the work of cultural translation. Drawing on Ettinger’s and Oyĕwùmí's work, I propose that practices of translation must include a rigorous accounting for our orientations and investments within Subjectivity.

Patriarchal backlash: Representations of sexual violence on Uruguayan TV

The article investigates the tensions between feminist conceptualizations of sexual violence and the persistence of patriarchal discourses that challenge it resulting in a justification of violence and misogynistic representations in a Uruguayan TV program. We argue that the return of conservative discourses that question sexual harassment accusations, reinstate gender differences, and gender inequality by installing a new normativity and naturalization of violence against women. Through the analysis of representations, evaluations, and discourse strategies deployed in two episodes of a high rating debate TV show centered on sexual violence, we show the victims are not recognized as such. There is a recontextualization of the sexual violence situation by which participants in the TV show challenge the policies and practices that have been recently established to prevent and sanction sexual violence. The findings evidence certain cultural transformations in the threshold of moral sensibility that define what is acceptable or not and make visible a patriarchal backlash.

Away from Feminist Radicalism

Calixthe Beyala’s creative works and public comments on her artistic productions and her life in general have enjoyed a remarkable attention without any doubt. However, there is a particular aspect of her literary creativity begging for attention. This study, therefore, is set to investigate Beyala’s religious disposition with a view to establishing the fact that African women do not only reject being restricted to the kitchen but also demonstrate that they should be considered when it comes to the matter of exercising their faith. The two novels selected for this study are Calixthe Beyala’s Mama a un amant and La petite fille du réverbère. They can be translated as Mama has a Lover and The little girl under the street lamp. Adopting sociological conceptual framework, data are analyzed using the French explication de texte which can be interpreted as the close reading technique or content analysis of a text, verbal or non-verbal. Findings from the study suggest that the new generation of African female writers focuses on an attempt to establish and reconnect womenfolk with their most fundamental human rights through artistic designs and their creative writings. Besides being a means of socialization, religion is a ritualistic act of worship, and it reflects a significant part of a people’s way of life. The study, however, concludes that there is a need for check and balance between the idea of masculinity and the concept of feminism to curtail the excesses there-in for the progress of human societies.

Ideology as/of Platform Affordance and Black Feminist Conceptualizations of “Canceling”: Reading Twitter

As Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter highlights, platforms’ affordances extend further than UI choices and content formats emphasized. Extant work addresses that political perspectives are implicated in the affordances of platforms; however, the notion of “ideology as/of affordance” requires more scholarly attention, namely, from a Black feminist position which grapples with the raced and gendered dimensions of how such shaping of affordances is understood and experienced in digital contexts. A Black feminist analysis offers a critical intervention that examines the dynamics between ideology, digital culture, and relational experiences of autonomy. Thus, our article outlines how “ideology as/of affordance” is a helpful intervention for illuminating the power relations by which both “cancel culture” and “platform affordances” are defined. Specifically, we explicate how white supremacist ideology underpins platform affordances, which in turn shape who is “canceled,” and consider the key connections and disconnections between them.

Research on the Cognition of Generation Z University Students on Contemporary Feminist Ideologies in the Context of the Digital Society

This study, set against the backdrop of the digital society, focuses on the cognition of Generation Z university students regarding contemporary feminist ideologies. It aims to understand how these students comprehend, accept, and practice feminist concepts amidst the digital wave, and how these concepts influence their social perspectives and behavioral patterns. Through methods such as surveys, in-depth interviews, and online forum analysis, the research systematically collected cognitive data on Generation Z university students understanding of feminist ideologies. The goal is to deepen the understanding of Generation Zs gender concepts and attitudes towards feminism, offering new perspectives and approaches for promoting gender equality and social justice, as well as providing valuable references and insights for future feminist education and research.

Marginalisation in the name of empowerment: unpacking rural women’s standpoints on female empowerment in Chinese consumer culture

Drawing upon Feminist Standpoint Theory and interviews with 25 rural women from Northwest China, this study explores the standpoints of marginalised rural women on the trendy notion of female empowerment in Chinese consumer culture. The finding reveals that Chinese rural women are no longer excluded from the consumer feminist joy associated primarily with their Western and urban counterparts. While commodified feminist concepts tend to imply liberal ideals, its rural manifestation does not appear to evoke feminist sentiments or knowingness of feminist consciousness among rural women, but rather to collude with local patriarchy. Due to structural inequalities at both global and local levels, the prevalence of ‘female empowerment’ subtly exacerbates bodily distinctions and social stratification among various groups of women through consumer markets and digital media, reflecting the marginalisation of working-class rural women in China.

Collaboratively reimagining higher education: enacting posthuman feminist practices

ABSTRACT Helping people to better understand and respond to the complexities and multiplicities of twenty-first century realities requires higher education systems to break free from persistent hierarchical binaries and knowledge silos. Rosi Braidotti’s posthuman feminist vision, rooted in radically relational ways of being, offers a generative lens for reimagining higher education. As scholar-educators working in academic spaces, we have responded to Braidotti’s call to engage in creative experimentations for disrupting Humanism’s individualistic, competitive, and cogni-centric framings of learning and teaching. In this dialogue, we co-authors share stories about how ruptures in our experiences as educators led to rethinking theories from our field of adult learning through posthuman feminist concepts. We discuss how the theoretical resonances we found inspired us to reimagine our own research and teaching practices in ways that present possibilities for how posthuman feminist lenses can help us collaboratively reimagine higher education.

Valuing freedom of expression at the expense of linguistic aspect: The analysis of Kaur's selected poems

As a well-known poet, Rupi Kaur has written several poems which attract worldwide accolades. The present study explores several important aspects of her selected poems, such as feminism, humor, and irony. It was conducted qualitatively. In this case, the researchers acted to analyze and collected the data consecutively. The findings indicated that the concepts of feminism described in her poems tend to be more liberal and radical. The use of crude language to depict women as "male objects" plainly supports this notion. Furthermore, Kaur employs filthy language to prick the reader's conscience and make them aware of the societal critique offered in her poems. The element of Humor identified in the poems is used to portray the injustice of societal rules that restrict women. Despite showing poor grammatical aspects, such as the use of proper subject, the poem strives to vividly criticize the role of women, which is commonly valued solely on their physical looks, dismissing their worth and complexity as humans.

“If We Wait, It Is We That Will Be Burned”: Exploring Decolonial Violence in Ursula Le Guin’s The Word for World Is Forest

Abstract What does speculative fiction from the 1970s have to do with contemporary Indigenous and decolonial feminisms? This essay explores what such literature imagines as possible options for and limits to Indigenous resistance to gendered, racialized, and colonial violence. I offer an interpretation of Ursula Le Guin’s novella The Word for World Is Forest (1972) that uses the Indigenous feminist concept of “spatial in/justice.” Many scholars who have critically engaged with the text, throughout the last five decades, have not meaningfully included interconnected violence within their analyses, thus ignoring Indigenous and decolonial feminist considerations. I attempt to rethink violence, resistance, and the problematics of how decolonial violence is constructed through a “politics of respectability” in The Word for World Is Forest and beyond.

KONSEPSI FEMINISME DAN KESETARAAN GENDER DALAM PERSPEKTIF HUKUM ISLAM: ANTARA FENOMENA DAN REALITA

This research examines the conception of feminism and gender equality from an Islamic legal perspective. There are inherent traits in men and women that are constructed socially and culturally, but in reality, women are often placed as optional after men because of patriarchal culture. This research will soon examine the phenomenon and reality of feminism and gender equality in society from an Islamic legal perspective. This research method uses descriptive analysis by collecting primary and supporting data for analysis based on Islamic Law. The research results of this paper confirm that both progressive and traditional thinkers agree that in Islamic law, there is no favoritism towards one group. Men and women have the same position, even though the phenomenon and reality of society are still affected by patriarchal culture and gender discrimination. Gender equality and gender justice are essential for achieving equality between all genders. Gender justice focuses on the fair distribution of opportunities according to the needs of each individual, while gender equality focuses on equal rights and opportunities for all, regardless of gender. Islam teaches the importance of balance and justice and rejects all forms of injustice, emphasizing that both genders have complementary roles in the family and society.

“Nepantla is a Place Just Like the Ocean”: Bilingual Teachers Explore their Identities through Multimodal and Artifactual Testimonio

AbstractBilingual teachers of Color navigate many in‐between spaces as they forge hybrid teacher identities; Chicana feminist scholars have referred to these crossroads between cultural ideologies, values, and beliefs as spaces of nepantla. In this qualitative case study, we analyzed the work of 31 teachers from two cohorts of multilingual educators who participated in a summer bilingual endorsement course and subsequent bilingual teacher induction meetings. These teachers identified as Latine, Asian/Asian American, Native American, or multiracial, and taught in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Japanese, and English‐medium settings. As course instructors and induction facilitators, we engaged participants in a series of multimodal and artifactual testimonio sessions and collected data in the form of multimodal and artifactual testimonios, coursework, interviews, and video recordings of testimonio sessions. Framed by bringing Chicana feminist conceptualizations of testimonio and nepantla into conversation with theories of multimodal and artifactual literacies, we analyzed participants' testimonios and found they used images, voice, video, and artifacts to unearth their histories; to forge resilient identidades nepantleras; and to express connection and solidarity with students that informed their present and future pedagogical practices. This study suggests the potential for researchers and teacher educators to leverage hybrid literacy practices, like multimodal and artifactual testimonio, while creating spaces that facilitate identity exploration and development for multilingual teachers of Color. Significantly, this multilingual teacher identity development allows for articulation of connection and solidarity with multilingual students, which teachers perceive as consequential in shaping their pedagogical and advocacy commitments.

How institutionalisation of a movement fosters protest: The case of student protests in France

ABSTRACT This paper explains how institutionalisation can go hand in hand with the use of more disruptive tactics by social actors. Inspired by a feminist conceptualisation of the social movement institutionalisation process, we adopt a fluid definition of the state-society division and attend to show how institutional actors and groups negotiate their relationships at different scales of protest. To illustrate our argument, we take a closer look at the student movement in France. Based on the analysis of higher education policies between 2005 and 2016, and 16 semi-structured interviews conducted with key actors, we identify a process of partial institutionalisation whereby student organisations are regulated by different material conditions depending on the scale of protest. These material conditions, translated trough institutional arrangements, shape the ways in which student organisations build identity boundaries among them, thereby leading to the use of different tactics of protest.

Siti Walidah's Thoughts on the Concept of Feminism and its Relevance to Islamic Education

Siti Walidah's Thoughts on the Concept of Feminism and its Relevance to Islamic Education

Feminism in Tagore's “Gitanjali”: A Comparative Analysis with Western Feminist Concepts

Rabindranath Tagore's “Gitanjali” is a collection of 103 poems that primarily focuses on the poet's spiritual journey and his relationship with the divine. However, embedded within this spiritual discourse are subtle yet profound feminist themes that critique patriarchal norms and celebrate the intrinsic value of women. This paper explores the feminist elements in “Gitanjali”, illustrating how Tagore's work contributes to feminist literature by advocating for gender equality and recognizing the spiritual and societal importance of women. Additionally, it compares these themes with key concepts in Western feminism to highlight their universal relevance.

Oppressed Become the Oppressor: Psychoanalytical Intersections of Trauma in Toni Morrison’s the Bluest Eye

This paper explores the intricate interplay of racism, trauma, and identity in Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye. It delves into the challenges faced by African Americans within a predominantly white society by utilizing current trauma theory and Black feminist concepts. The theoretical framework includes cultural trauma theories, including the contributions from scholar Evelyn J. Schreiber, and insights from feminist thinkers like Bell Hooks and Patricia Hill Collins. Moreover, through an intersectional analysis, the study scrutinizes how gender, racial, class, and generational trauma intertwine to mold individuals’ experiences and self-perception. Therefore, by amalgamating trauma theories with feminist perspectives, the research provides valuable insights into the struggles of the characters and the societal dynamics portrayed in Morrison's novel, The Bluest Eye.

Vulnerability and Constructed Precarity in the Canadian Housing Regime

ABSTRACT This article brings together feminist and critical theoretical perspectives on vulnerability to critique normative framing of vulnerability in housing. Vulnerability is often positioned as the problem affordable housing policies and programmes are designed to address). Feminist conceptions of vulnerability, by contrast, consider vulnerability as a universal condition. From a feminist perspective, I explicate the ways in which the Canadian housing regime constructs precarity in three ways: a reliance on precarious employment, positioning vulnerability as an inherent characteristic of populations, and finally through an imagined separation between nonmarket housing and (transnational) market practices. I suggest feminist conceptions of vulnerability offer a potent way forward to rethink the housing system. This recognition of shared vulnerability that is differentially felt might turn us away from targeted and population-specific interventions and instead direct attention to the housing regime itself.

The myth of lesbian generation loss: Finding intergenerational solidarities in digital sexual selfhood projects

The contemporary preoccupation with lesbian’s potential obsolescence relies on implicit assumptions about the (ir)relevance of lesbian feminism to younger generations. In this article, we use the metaphor of “generation loss” to conceptualize the Gordian knot of affective and ideological ties that lie beneath this preoccupation. Contrary to the narrative of generation loss, we show how young people have begun to take up and share lesbian feminist concepts on social media platforms like TikTok. They do so in the name of resituating lesbian as a political project rather than an exclusionary demographic category. Instead of painting over lesbian feminism with the broad brushes of whiteness and trans-exclusivity, some young lesbians seek out other voices in the archive to debate whether and how this history might be recuperated as a challenge to white, cisnormative heteropatriarchy. Far from finding irrelevance, many revisiting lesbian feminism are excited to discover theories of gender, sexuality, and power that can be adapted to relocate lesbian to more durable and less essentializing territory than its current, narrowly biopolitical home. This presents a crucial opportunity to build bridges across generations and collectively resist the cooptation of lesbians as agents of white supremacist and transphobic political agendas.

‘I try to do something a bit different’: exploring fathers’ integration of care ethics in everyday family lives

This article draws on ethnographic research to explore how an ethic of care is incorporated into fathers’ everyday family lives. Drawing on feminist conceptualisations of the ‘components of care’, this research investigates how fathers recognise and interpret care needs, as well as observing how such needs are practically attended to. Central to this article is an exploration of the extent to which men’s integration of care ethics can be seen to consolidate ideals of hegemonic masculinity or whether newly emerging forms of caring masculinities are challenging traditional gendered inequalities in care work. Analysis of fathers’ recognition of care needs and what they care ‘about’ implies a masculinised coding, in which traditional masculine values are recast to align with an ethic of care. It is argued that such framings stand to reaffirm hegemonic processes, with caring forms of masculinity representing a new hegemon. However, observations of fathers’ embodied caregiving arguably demonstrate how caring ‘for’ children can challenge traditional ideals of care labour, with men’s bodies recast within an ethic of care. Ultimately, this article contributes nuanced understandings of how men interpret and practise components of care, offering distinctions in the gendered trajectories of caring ‘for’ and caring ‘about’.

Towards Transversal Housing Solidarities Across Space, Time and Subjects

ABSTRACT The paper documents the emergence of precarious local and migrant tenants as political subjects that build transversal housing solidarities in Greek cities amidst multiple intersecting crises. In doing so, I introduce the feminist concept of transversal solidarities to housing studies and expand it by bringing it in dialogue with debates on housing precarity. Understanding transversal solidarity as an integral part of housing struggles and as an important theoretical concept in debates on housing precarity, I argue, is a crucial step forward to housing theory as it foregrounds transversal housing solidarities as translocal and intersectional processes through which collective political subjects emerge. Drawing from rent struggles in Greece, I demonstrate that transversal housing solidarities are being built across space, time and subjects: they are local and place-based initiatives, embedded in broader networks of trans-local solidarities that are generative of concrete social and political alternatives to the neoliberal housing model.