Digital Feminist Activism

de Kaitlynn Mendes, Jessica Ringrose, Jessalynn Keller

" From sites like Hollaback! and Everyday Sexism, which document instances of street harassment and misogyny, to social media-organized movements and communities like #MeToo and #BeenRapedNeverReported, feminists are using participatory digital media as activist tools to speak, network, and organize against sexism, misogyny, and rape culture. As the first book-length study to examine how girls, women, and some men negotiate rape culture through the use of digital platforms, including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and mobile apps, the authors explore four primary questions: What experiences of harassment, misogyny, and rape culture are being responded to? How are participants using digital media technologies to document experiences of sexual violence, harassment, and sexism? Why are girls, women and some men choosing to mobilize digital media technologies in this way? And finally, what are the various experiences of using digital technologies to engage in activism? In order to capture these diverse experiences of doing digital feminist activism, the authors augment their analysis of this media (blog posts, tweets, and selfies) with in-depth interviews and close-observations of several online communities that operate globally. Ultimately, the book demonstrates the nuances within and between digital feminist activism and highlight that, although it may be technologically easy for many groups to engage in digital feminist activism, there remain emotional, mental, or practical barriers which create different experiences, and legitimate some feminist voices, perspectives, and experiences over others. "-- "From sites like Hollaback! and The Everyday Sexism Project, which document instances of street harassment and misogyny against girls and women, to social media-organized movements and communities like SlutWalk and #BeenRapedNeverReported, girls and women are using participatory digital media as activist tools to speak, network and organize in order to challenge contemporary sexism, misogyny and rape culture. This will be the first academic book to examine how girls and women negotiate rape culture through the use of digital platforms, including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and mobile apps. Based on a 21-month study, this book explores four primary questions: What experiences of harassment, misogyny and rape culture are girls and women responding to? How are girls and women using digital media technologies to document experiences of sexual violence, harassment, and sexism? Why are girls and women choosing to mobilize digital media technologies in such a way? And finally, what are their experiences in using digital technologies to engage in activism? In order to capture the experience of doing digital feminist activism, the authors augment their analysis of this media (blog posts, tweets, and selfies) with in-depth interviews and close-observations of online communities in nine countries (Canada, India, Ireland, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, US, UK, and Venezuela)"--