Mind the Gap

Calling Third Wavers February 4, 2007

A group member is looking for self-identified ‘third wave feminists’ to interview for her research:

the interviews will explore the debate around the usefulness of historical categories in relation to the feminist movement – do these categories promote more division than unity? what does history mean to you?

after attending a recent symposium about third wave feminism at swansea university, it was clear to me that an activist voice was being at best, marginalised, at worst, silenced. this has serious implications for eradicating the feminist activism that i participate in and personally define as part of a third wave of feminist activism and theory. it seems another narrative of the third wave is being presented as a truth – of a generation of lazy, individualistic women (and men) who want to cut them self off from the past. i was surprised, because my experience is quite to the contrary of this view.i hope to write a paper that will open up some spaces of dialogue and understanding between activists and academics and to rectify some of these misunderstandings and silences. if you feel like you could help me, i’d love to hear from you.