Feminist Activism Through the Use of Personal Stories

Feminist Activism Through the Use of

Personal Stories

Dr. Daniel L. Roberts910-690-5964

[email protected]. Army Chaplaincy

Conceptual Framework

The narrative analysis method

Story #1: Hailey Z’s rape story

Evaluations

• Determined that there was a pattern of police inaction in rape cases.

Personal Agency

• Expressed solidarity with the universal collective

• Felt a strong sense of personal agency to be able to bring about change

Problematizing

• Probable cause principle: pattern of police injustice

Story #2: Monica, no interest in motherhood

Evaluations• Women are under social pressure to

have children

• Women who do not want to have children

• Shamed

• Treated as if something was wrong with them

Personal agency

• Monica uses "lets" to appeal to the collective of women to rise up against the "patriarchy"

Problematizing

• The human race cannot survive unless all women have children

• Women are the image of fertility and life

Story #3: Brittany and anorexia

Evaluations

• Criticizes traditional assumptions about anorexia

• Criticizes society for not letting people feel safe to be themselves

Personal Agency

• Brittany: ”We", all humanity, must give people space to be themselves, and stop telling them how they should feel and behave with regards to their bodies.

Problematizing

• Anorexia is a response to the beauty culture

• Anorexia is a woman’s problem

Figurative Language

• "Policing of women and men who don't eat for whatever reason" - Brittany feels that society acts as the arbiters of what is right and wrong for what people to do with their bodies.

Story #4: Maria, a high school feminist

Evaluations

• Social forces: Angered that the boys in the classroom were so negative about the views in the book

• School institution: limited in its view of what books could be read

Personal Agency• High degree of personal agency to choose

book to read, to speak out against oppression

• Expressed solidarity with all women around the world

• The collective attention from other girls to grab onto her beliefs assisted in strengthening and solidified what she felt.

Problematizing

• Criticized the assertion that gender equality exists

• Feminism: “Achieving gender quality by advocating for the rights of the underprivileged gender"

Imagery

Conclusion• The narrative analysis method is useful for

leadership studies because it focuses on participants’ perspectives.

• There is a wide variety of perspectives that surface in social media, but are not discussed in other outlets.

• My recommendation for inclusive leaders: create an environment that honors the perspectives of all team members

References• Bischoping, K., & Gazso, A. (2016). Analyzing talk in the

social sciences: Narrative, conversation & discourse strategies. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

• Dery, M. (2015). Not your mommy. Retrieved from http://www.yesallwomen.club/opinion/not-your-mommy/.

• Jeans, E. L., Knights, D., Martin, P. Y. (Eds.)(2011). Handbook of gender, work, and organization. UK: Wiley.

• Mari (2015). Being a feminist in high school. Retrieved from http://www.yesallwomen.club/personal/being-a-feminist-in-high-school/.

References• Sims, B. (2015). Occupying space: A story about

anorexia. Retrieved from http://www.yesallwomen.club/personal/occupying-space-a-story-about-anorexia/.

• Zorrozua, H. (2015). My story: Hailey Z. Retrieved from http://www.yesallwomen.club/censored/my-story-hailey-z/.