Reading Response 10: Digital Economies

In this week’s reading, the topics of Communicative Capitalism and Women’s blogging were interesting to learn about more. Communicative Capitalism was an important topic to learn more about because of how it deals with network connections and how it relates to politics. I think it essential to look at the various ways that the online communities and democratic policies are at a disconnect. It is also fascinating to think about how distant the messages on the two platforms can be. Dean talks about how online communities create areas where vital issues are discussed. However, there is no response from official representatives to communicate with these communities about the problems at hand. Therefore, it feels that there is no relation between the network connections made and democratic policies. Dean also talked about how people are more likely to open up online about personal issues and be truthful regarding the impact. The online community gives them a feeling of satisfaction and the belief that their voice is being heard. However, when there is no response from democratic policies, the sense of achievement is not as fulfilled.

I thought it was interesting to learn more about the blogging world. Also, the perspective that there is not a significant amount of bloggers that are out there. Daniels limits them to the category of fashion blogs and things of that nature. The blogging conferences that are discussed are essential because of the way they bring these leaders together. The meetings give them an even stronger feeling of unity, which can resonate through their work. It is also important to realize that marginalization exists everywhere, even these blogging communities. Therefore, having these conferences bring them together, and they can discuss how to tackle these online communities and build a more feminist network.

Reading Response 9: Hacktivism

After exploring the reading and contemplating the different viewpoints of hacktivism, I cannot see how someone could view it as harmful. I also do not understand the direct comparison to on the ground activism. Hacktivism and on the ground, protesting are two completely different functions to me, and the world is in a dynamic place where both are valuable. I do not think you can compare them to each other due to their difference and impact. I would not even express that one is better than the other. I believe that hacktivism is essential because of how prominent technology and the internet is in our society.

One takeaway I had regarding hacktivism, was how vital the need for the masses was. It was also the need of the masses at one time to flood the internet as Guertin states. Hacktivism focuses on the need for the masses at a particular time is why I think the comparison to on-ground protest is so common.

Within Watson’s reading, I would say the points that are made are valid concerning her definition of hacktivism. Watson discusses the characteristics and how ned modern movements are better than the general idea of hacktivism. Watson uses the example of the #YesAllWomen to explain further what hacktivism os and how these new modern movements are beneficial.

I would say that the movements which expand their reach with the use of hashtags prove to be robust and influential. The way we interact and the use of technology has changed so drastically that the way we influence a movement has adapted with it. The way people interact with hashtags is a meaningful way to share stories that push the movement forward. Hashtags create a movement that is inspiring and influences interaction and change.

Reading Response 8: Feminist Research Methods

This week’s readings seemed to be one of the more challenging texts for me because I struggled to comprehend the way they were presenting the information thoroughly. I also felt as though I struggled to relate the purpose of the readings to previous information in our class. While the feminist research methods started as an exciting topic, I struggled to connect it to other specific discussions. However, through the reading, it was easy to see why these methods are important for inclusion, an essential topic within this class.

With that being said, I thought the readings were necessary because of the way the discussed the discrimination that consistently happens without the realization of others; Feminist research methods offer a solution to that and a proper way to control online data and produce appropriate content. These methods are meant to use the collected data to counter hatred and oppression and instead inspire a more cohesive society. I believe it is essential to be truthful about the collection of online data because of the way if it can impact people in the real world.

The readings did present some different perspectives that I thought were fun to discuss with the class. Especially when it came to online data and the way our information is stored and how that information impacts our online experience. That same online experience can also transition seamlessly into our real-world understanding. There is a lot of false information that is online, and when that information is believed and spread by people in the real world, online data can begin to be a harmful resource.

Reading Response 6: Online Communities

The readings for this week offered an interesting perspective on the different ways that feminism can be presented and discussed. The one that I mainly found interesting was the one that addresses the online communities that are created and how they help and aid feminist topics online. For example, the way that twilight was discussed within the online community provided a forum for several people to explain how and why the film can be seen as anti-feminist. The conference was a resource for people to discuss the movie and values with each other. I think an essential viewpoint that the reading highlights is how women may sometimes feel silenced or ignored in real places. However, with these online forums, they cannot be interrupted, and their points are often acknowledged without being misunderstood or sidelined. These communities have also opened our eyes and provide us with the realistic view that modern-day media lacks strong feminist representations. Especially in material our generation viewed growing up. Looking back, there have been few feminist role models that were correctly presented in the media. These online communities shed light on that and bring the issue to the forefront so we can improve what our children and we are viewing.

When it came to the reading of #Feminism, it was interesting to read about the various ways that people are going about being activists for feminism. There have been several hashtags that have been created that support the feminist movement, some more popular than others. #Femfuture created a place for discussion about marginalized people. #MeToo created a campaign that needed to be started and helped build a strong feminist foundation. The reading also discusses the several ways that feminism can be perceived as well. For example, women of color and white women have entirely different experiences. Therefore, you would be doing a disservice trying to group all the experiences merely as the experience of women.

Reading Response 5: Selfies and Virtual Communities

The exciting topics within this week’s reading come from how they discuss the various virtual worlds that we immerse ourselves in and how they contribute to digital feminisms. When we looked specifically at the selfie, it was interesting to take into account the different variations of a selfie. There are stories behind every selfie, and there are often intended audiences and intended purposes for them.

The reading that showed several selfies from various people that expressed the different stories behind them was particularly impressive. For a lot of people, they shared the selfie because they remember how happy they were at that moment. This reading made me realize how empowering a selfie can indeed be and the meaning behind them for so many people. For many of these people, the selfie represented more than just a picture of themselves. It represented a moment in their life, and they were able to remember those specific memories only through a picture of themselves. I think it is essential to focus on the positive impact a selfie has and the empowerment it can contain. With that being said, there are negatives with everything, and selfies do contain negatives as well. For example, there is exploitation that could come along with it. There is also the need that people feel to edit their pictures, which I view as a negative.

The reading by Keller presented the various communities that represent a potential feminist group to communicate and bond with. I thought it was interesting to hear about the multiple feminist communities that are online and how much online feminist communities have grown. I would say that these online communities are essential because of the way that they can support each other. The idea that a number of these online feminists communities can communicate in a way that inspires changes as opposed to conforming to social norms is inspiring. The reading states “By creating public selves through ‘talking back’ and integrating these selves within larger communities and global networks, girl feminist bloggers are reframing what it means to be a feminist activist and in doing so, are becoming role models for other girls” which I believe shows the respect these blogs have and the determination they are fuelled with (444).

Reading Response 4: Embodiment and “Suicide Girls”

This week’s reading was thought-provoking in the way they made us realize the little things we do every day and how they contribute to digital feminisms among several other ideologies. Embodiment makes us think about how we act every day and the stereotypes we carry with us that are inspired by our surroundings and communicate with others. The reading and the discussion for Embodiment revolved around gender, race, and sexuality. The text brought to light how our beliefs must match up with our actions; while it is one thing to believe inequality, it is essential also to embody and promote it. An embodiment can even be seen as your nonverbal actions. However, it is more than that, as well. Embodiment is the way you carry yourself and your beliefs every day without having to think about them. Your implicit biases are what say a lot regarding what you embody.

The discussion in the class had a focus on particularly race, gender, and sexuality. One of the critical centers was how crucial it was to ensure that subconscious feelings or actions can not be recognized or acknowledged as actions or thoughts that promote inequality or hatred. You can have a belief of something, yet still lack the Embodiment or proper promotion of that belief. One example that comes to mind is the expression “that’s gay” as a way of describing something negative. The expression promotes hatred, and it instills the negative annotation that being gay is compared to something negative. This expression needs to be abolished to ensure that people feel safe and loved, no matter what. Even something as small as eliminating that negative expression can make such a big difference.

The “Suicide Girls” reading brought up the debate about privilege. Magnets reading discusses how Suicide Girls sets out to be a website that photographs women in empowering positions. Then the reading states “however, rather than a location of liberation or feminist sexuality, cybersex on Suicide Girls significantly reproduces the commodification of women and reinforces racialized hierarchies of sexual subordination” which emphasizes the lack of diversity and equality that is presented on the site, even though it claims to be a site for empowerment (578). There is a clear representation of privilege, and the fact that it is not acknowledged or moderated on the website is a significant reason why it is not mended. The Suicide Girls site shows how someone can have proper intentions, but if they lack the true Embodiment of those pure intentions, then it can come off as something negative and degrading.

Reading Response 3: Virtual Realities/Cyborgs

The readings and discussions revolving around cyborgs and the virtual world that we submerge ourselves in were entertaining and enlightening. The texts are important because of the way that they focus on moving past the limitations that are considered to be traditional gender stereotypes. Technology has that power to give the proper information that provides the potential for that liberation. It is also essential to realize the world that we are living in today. The world is technologically driven, and the movement would not be as populated or strong if it were not for the technology aspect that has helped inspire it.

An interesting perspective came in what truly makes us a cyborg. The reality is that we are contrasting our self on a day to day basis. In Haraway’s view, we are mostly all truly cyborgs. We construct ourselves every day, and our realities are not as natural as we may like to believe. Instead, we are made up of different aspects that make us somewhat unnatural.

One particular quote that stood out to me was when Haley Mlotek wrote “I am looking for a collection of words that I wear as armor; I want our bodies and identities to be things we are building not because they’re broken, but because we are constantly defining for ourselves what better means” which shows the focus on expansion and improvement. The quote also states how these words and these movements are ways of building strength, not because they feel weak, but because they know they are strong, and the confidence should radiate from the language.

The perspective of the virtual world is fascinating because of the many viewpoints and the long discussion you can have regarding the topic. The new forms of communication and the various communities causes the creation of these virtual realities and virtual bodies. Thus, providing the potential to say what you want, be who you want while having a voice that reaches more and more people with each share. A prime example of these communities is shown in the article that emphasizes the real substantial impact Beyonce and the #Beyhive have and how technology provides that community to thrive.

Reading Response 2: CyberFeminism and TechnoFeminism

I found the readings for this week to be particularly interesting because of the topics they discussed and the different concepts they introduced us to. CyberFeminism focused on some exciting ideas that were important for us to explore as we continue to become more knowledgable about the varying forms of media in which feminism can be discussed. The reading stated how “CyberFeminists believed in the Internet as a tool of feminist liberation,” bringing forward how they saw it as a way of having a voice through different mediums. Cyberfeminists used the various forms of digital media as a way of having a view and presenting a message.

The in-class discussion for cyberfeminisms also brought to light the new perspective of how the digital world affects our view of feminism, specifically within video games. The lack of proper representation that is present within video games is explicitly startling when you take an in-depth look at it. There were several video games that people in the class that people could think of that represented negative connotations of women. However, classmates could only think of the view that presented a strong female lead that was represented appropriately.

I found the reading for technofeminisms to be engaging in the way it discusses the negatives that have come from technology and how we would be naive to not focus on the problems that have come forward because of it. The reading opens up about the various forms of technology and how they affect feminism both purposefully and inadvertently. Technology has given a platform for both positivity and negativity movements that carry important information and varying perspectives. Wajcman talks about the number of aspects in which that have positively empowered women and their bodies. While they also touch on the negative issues that technology has created and brought to out attention.

Reading Response 1: Feminist Rhetorical Studies and Digital Rhetoric

Feminist rhetorical studies and digital rhetoric help inform one another because of the way digital rhetoric helps feminist rhetorical studies become more prevalent and expanded on with several resources. Digital rhetoric provides many platforms for feminist rhetorical studies to reach a wider audience through digital media.

Digital rhetoric also helps the study be presented in different ways that can help grow the audience. Digital rhetoric also helps preserve female rhetoric, ensuring that there work stays within reach and available for research and response. The way that digital rhetoric provides several platforms for female rhetors to present their research in the way that they believe will be most productive has grown the dynamic of feminist rhetorical studies. In “Walking and Talking through the Field of Feminist Rhetorics,” they touch on the “five major strands in the work of feminist rhetorical scholars” these strands can be better discussed and expanded on through digital media.

Digital media also causes these strands to be debated on with people from various upbringings and cultures so they can discuss each of their views. For example, challenging traditional knowledge is shown in several ways through digital media that provide a topic of conversation for feminist rhetorical studies to expand on. “Searching for gender bias” and “Reclaiming forgotten or disparaged women rhetors or rhetoricians and making convincing cases for their contributions and accomplishments” can both warrant themselves to be elaborated on through digital media and the several people that would have access to those discussions would add substance to it.

Digital media has given a bigger group of people to approach feminist rhetorical studies directly and also challenge particular underlying bias and negativity while bringing the current reality to light.

Persuasion can also be used in favor of feminist rhetorical studies as a way of using digital rhetoric to its full potential. Therefore, the productive connections can be referred back to the audience and the method of forming a discussion and creating a platform in which feminist rhetorical studies are appropriately perceived. Douglas Eyman builds upon this in their work “Digital Rhetoric: Theory, Method, Practice” they state “The power of rhetoric, as I see it, is that it can be employed as both analytic method and guide for production of persuasive discourse” This persuasive discourse can be seen as something that helps provide the voice for feminist rhetorical studies.

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