To return to the abstract index press the back button on your browser
Cheryl Hercus
School of Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology, James Cook University
'Establishing Feminist Presence in Daily Life'
Dominant definitions of politics have generally obscured and misrepresented women's collective action. What usually count as examples of political action are public forms of activism such as protest marches, or activities linked to movement organisations. In this paper I argue that less visible manifestations and outcomes of feminist collective action are just as important, and attention to these is necessary to balance the usual focus on public activism. I present data from a study of becoming and being feminist that demonstrates the myriad ways in which subjects established feminist presence in daily life. Women in the study mentioned a broad range of actions, beyond participation in movement events and organisations, where they applied a feminist perspective and attempted to bring about social change. These actions took place in a variety of contexts: through their employment; through participation in non-movement organisation (for example, churches, clubs, unions); in interactions with friends and families; and through choices concerning living arrangements, dress and diet. A number of themes emerged from the data, in the form of strategies that were applied across settings. Four main strategies for bringing feminism to bear in daily life were identified: using feminist knowledge for personal empowerment; using feminist knowledge to empower other women; challenging gendered assumptions and ways of acting; and supporting and valuing women. I argue that this action exists in a dynamic relationship with public and organisational forms of activism, whereby knowledge, emotional and identity resources are enhanced through participation in events and organisations, and then deployed in daily life.
Bio: Dr Cheryl Hercus is a Lecturer within Sociology at the James Cook University. She gained her Doctorate of Philosophy, with distinction, within the Department of Sociology in 1999. Her thesis was entitled 'Stepping Out of Line: A Study of Involvement in Feminist Collective Action.' In 1991 she received an Australian Postgraduate Research Award and in 1987 was awarded the Merit Testimonial within the Murdoch University Teacher Education Program.
A book, based on her PhD thesis, with the provisional title Stepping Out of Line: A Study of Involvement in Feminist Collective Action, is currently under contract for publication with Routledge. Journal articles include: 'Emotion, Bewusstsein und Entwicklung feministischer Identität Ein Beispiel aus der australischen Frauenbewegung', Forschungsjournal Neue Soziale Bewegungen, 2001,14 (2), 76-86 . This paper was submitted for inclusion in a special issue on Women's Movements in an International Context of the German journal Forschungsjournal Neue Soziale Bewegungen (Research Journal New Social Movements) at the invitation of the guest editors, Myra Marx Ferree and Silke Roth. The paper was translated by Silke Roth.
<Cheryl.hercus@jcu.edu.au>