Identities: Feminism and new/digital media

Case study: Everyday Sexism

1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?

For people to explain and talk about the everyday issues that women face which links to Feminism still being required in today's society. Women and men are both able to talk about the issues that they face on a daily basis giving them a voice to open up about what is happening to them.2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?

It still shows that we need Feminism in today's society because women are still treated unfairly and the UK is positioned low in terms of equality between both sexes which highlights that even in western society and culture still positions women at the bottom which is a reason to still have Feminism.3) How can you apply Judith Butler's theory of gender as a 'performance' to the creation of the Everyday Sexism project?

Women will be talking about the abuse that they receive which men are less likely to talk about or experience which will split both into groups of men and women where men and women are different who experience different things causing the gap between both sexes to grow making it hard to move into a post-feminist society.4) How does Angela McRobbie's work on female empowerment link to the Everyday Sexism project?



Media Magazine: The fourth wave?

Read the article: The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age in MM55 (p64)

1) Summarise the questions in the first two sub-headings: What is networked feminism? Why is it a problem?

The fourth wave of feminism is also known as networked feminism and tackles issues that women face everyday online. This is done with the use of social media websites and user generated content which allows feminists to tackle any issues faced online.

2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave ‘networked feminism’? 

1st wave feminists, the suffragette 
2nd wave feminists, abortion being legal and equal pay between both sexes 
3rd wave, post feminism, empowerment and the reclaiming of femininity
4th wave, technology to help with feminism

3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 100-word summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.

Everyday Sexism - A campaign which started so women are able to express what they've experienced on a day to day basis in terms of sexism.The site was viewed by over thousands of women and they were able to tell people what they experienced and the different actions that they could take in order to feel safe and not objectified.

HeForShe - This was created by Emma Watson and was similar to the Everyday Sexism page but this ran on social media platform (Twitter) so people were able to ask questions about sexism that was faced on a day to day basis.

FCKH8 - All digital, the group focuses on the rights that females have received over the years and allowing women to be able to access what is right and what they're entitled to. It started to sell merchandise over a period of time rather than the whole idea of feminism due to a video of a girl promoting this which had went viral.

4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?

I agree with the 4th wave because feminism is still needed in today's society. Rather than people expressing their views to a small amount of people they're able to do this online targeting a wider range of audience so that now if people who are vulnerable could have their ideology shaped by a few negative comments about women which is why feminism is needed.