Internet Feminism

For my project, I plan on analyzing the portrayal of feminism online, which is sometimes called the Fourth Wave. Although still debated if it is a “new” wave or just a continuation of the Third Wave, the Internet and social media have become a platform through which feminism can actively be promoted.

Feminism online can increase awareness, has the ability to quickly garner support for feminist campaigns and connect women on a global scale as well as provide a forum to discuss and comment on social issues facing women today. Others voice concerns about this recent rise in popularity of feminism and question its effectiveness. Ealasaid Munro, a researcher in the Center for Cultural Policy Research at Glasgow University points out, “There is concern that online discussion and activism is increasingly divorced from real-world conflict.” By looking at a few websites that promote feminism, I want to compare and contrast them and see if they fall into this new category.

I want to look at two websites in particular, Everyday Feminism and Jezebel. I plan on analyzing a few of their articles to see how they promote feminism as well as examine them in light of the criticisms surrounding Internet activism. I think that the promotion of feminism online has brought awareness to many issues and has affected real change in our society already, but I think it needs to be examined in the larger context of the feminist movement.

I think my biggest challenges for this project will be to focus it and take it in one particular direction. There are just too many options!