Pop Feminism(s) Against the Grain: Articulations of Agency, Race, and Class

Abstract

This dissertation delves into the articulations of popular feminist narratives by dissecting their mainstream literary representations, particularly of feminist guidebooks, handbooks and feminist manifestos. Focused on the media landscapes of the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States, the research is grounded in intersectional feminist studies, exploring how these literary expressions address patriarchy, racism, and classism. Specifically, my focus is on how three fundamental themes – agency, race, and class – are addressed in popular feminist literature. These concepts, integral to discussions within feminism, are often transformed and reinterpreted through a postfeminist and neoliberal lens. Whereas feminist media products, such as TV shows, newspaper articles and other forms of digital content, have received considerable scrutiny alongside their engagement with postfeminism and neoliberalism, the same cannot be said for literary works on feminism that engage with popular culture. My study aims to contribute to this research gap. I will examine feminist productions written by influential figures in digital media, particularly on platforms such as Instagram. These figures are known for their activism in promoting feminist ideals online. Despite their primary presence on social media platforms, they have also published feminist guides, which will serve as the main objects of my analysis. By spanning the ‘Anglo-American’ and less-explored Italian contexts, this work enriches the discourse with a cross-cultural perspective. While providing analytical criticism, the aim of the thesis is not to deny the impact of popular feminisms on wide audiences, nor to dismiss their positive influence on some significant issues, particularly in advancing feminism as an empowering resource for young women. Rather, by deconstructing popular feminist narratives, it seeks to elaborate on the risks of their complicity with existing systems of power and on their appropriations of potential spaces of resistance, changing these into mainstream, non-political, and celebrative forms of feminism. This work also presents a counternarrative thread, that opposes the predominant narratives found in the analysed guidebook. This is achieved through the reading of a feminist manifesto from each context. As primary sources, the manifestos directly confront the narratives presented in the guidebooks and offer different feminist perspectives. At the same time, they serve as secondary sources of feminist knowledge, providing critical tools to challenge the dominant narratives perpetuated by the guidebooks. Chapters unfold to scrutinise feminist trajectories in pop culture, methodological perspectives, and critical analyses of agency, race, and class in the UK, Italy, and the U.S., respectively. The findings underscore the need for a collective commitment to disseminate a more inclusive, antiracist, decolonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-capitalist feminism in popular culture globally. The comparative analysis between feminist guides and manifestos highlights the persistence of intersectional feminism in political claims, offering a contrast to mainstream representations.