Digital feminism and social change

The period from 2010 onwards has been a remarkably prolific time for feminist organising and
campaigns which are conceived of and operate online (Redfern and Aune, 2014), leading some to
describe this current moment as marking a fourth wave of feminism 'defined by digital spaces'
(Guillard, 2015). Feminist activism online, historically referred to as cyberfeminism, like the
technology itself, has developed and transformed since its earliest conception in the early 1990's to
today. As such, it is understood as 'neither a single theory nor a feminist movement with a clearly
articulated political agenda' but rather 'a range of theories, debates, and practices' (Daniels, 2009:
103). There is also huge debate over the efficacy and merit of online activism: some critics have
referred to this as a 'fantasy of activity' (Dean, 2005: 51).
The proposed PhD research will build on a pilot study which linked the profound consequences that
digital activism has on campaign participants to the political significance and adaptability of feminist
activism. It is my contention that the multiple articulations of cyberfeminism, rather than indicating
contradictions, as some have previously suggested (Wilding, 2006), demonstrate feminism's impulse
to remain agile, and thus maintain influence, in the face of pervasive social systems of domination. I
aim to trace the ways in which the digital feminist network evolves and expands - both in its
mechanisms and strategies, and in its aims and targets - in response to changes in contemporary
culture and digital technology, thus producing multiple and intersecting forms of dissent and
transformation.
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The research will be guided by three sets of questions, concerning the nature of cyberfeminism; its
emanicipatory potential for social change; and issues of inclusion/exclusion and 'voice'. It will aim to
answer these questions through a dual focus on the digital archive and through qualitative research
with participants (see 'Methodology'):