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Feminist Studies

Feminist Rhetoric in the Digital Sphere: Digital Interventions & the Subversion of Gendered Cultural Scripts

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Firstly, I define feminist rhetoric as any written or spoken act about feminisms[5] within the context of feminist inteFirstly, I define feminist rhetoric as any written or spoken act about feminisms[5] within the context of feminist interventions online, for the purpose of this essay (specifically hashtags, which I explore below). Vicki Collins calls upon the Greek roots of rhetoric, asserting, “‘the word rhetoric can be traced back ultimately to the simple assertion I say (eiro in Greek)’” (Young, Becker, and Pike qtd. in Collins, 1999: 148). Secondly, the public sphere can take on many meanings, and I argue the Internet and face-to-face society both function as “the public” in that most rhetorical acts are available publicly. Yet, these spheres function upon authority, meaning that who is speaking must first have the authorization to speak within the public—a status that is not bestowed on every rhetorician (Collins). In regard to feminist rhetoric in traditionally male spaces, the model of authority is built upon a rhetorician being male. In her work unearthing feminine histories in rhetoric, Glenn likens this reality to an “X + 1” model of shaping feminist rhetoric for recognition in the public sphere: Whenever a woman has accomplished the same goals as her male counterpart (theorizing, public speaking, successful argument, persuasive letter writing, for example), the stakes immediately rise. She may have achieved X, but she needs X plus 1 to earn a place in rhetoric (15).rventions online, for the purpose of this essay (specifically hashtags, which I explore below). Vicki Collins calls upon the Greek roots of rhetoric, asserting, “‘the word rhetoric can be traced back ultimately to the simple assertion I say (eiro in Greek)’” (Young, Becker, and Pike qtd. in Collins, 1999: 148). Secondly, the public sphere can take on many meanings, and I argue the Internet and face-to-face society both function as “the public” in that most rhetorical acts are available publicly. Yet, these spheres function upon authority, meaning that who is speaking must first have the authorization to speak within the public—a status that is not bestowed on every rhetorician (Collins). In regard to feminist rhetoric in traditionally male spaces, the model of authority is built upon a rhetorician being male. In her work unearthing feminine histories in rhetoric, Glenn likens this reality to an “X + 1” model of shaping feminist rhetoric for recognition in the public sphere:

Whenever a woman has accomplished the same goals as her male counterpart (theorizing, public speaking, successful argument, persuasive letter writing, for example), the stakes immediately rise. She may have achieved X, but she needs X plus 1 to earn a place in rhetoric (15).

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: Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media, and Technology.,
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English
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Harrasement
Feminist rhetoric
Social media
Digital sphere
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Article
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