Fat as a Feminist Issue: Activism and Agency in the Body Positive Movement

This thesis examines the way hashtag networks impact the expression of contemporary activism and agency, focusing on the #BodyPositive movement (BPM). It investigates the new possibilities for fat identity formation introduced by the Instagram imaging platform. My study historically contextualises the fat female body within Western culture to enable appreciation of the systemic discrimination and policing imposed within a patriarchal society. This retrospective applies an intersectional approach, with particular emphasis on the structural inequalities encountered by black women of colour (BWOC) along the axes of weight, gender and racial identity.The research is based on responses from over five hundred online survey participants. The survey provided an opportunity to critically interrogate Instagrammers about their protest habits and any underlying feminist motivations. Participant observation fieldwork was also undertaken at three offline body positive events. These descriptive accounts advance current debates querying the political inclinations of those engaged in so-called ‘slacktivism.’ Qualitative research is used to challenge traditional conceptualisations of activism and assert the integral role the body occupies in claims-making. A feminist lens is deployed to investigate how hashtaggers use Instagram’s photographic processes to re-represent the fat female body for protest purposes. Analysis is further supported by the application of social movement theory (SMT) to determine whether social media activity can be classified as social movement activity.Feminist debate is taken in a new direction through recognising the camera as a significant campaign instrument and not merely a source of objectification. Content creators are understood as agentic subjects reclaiming their fatness from conventionally derogative discourses. Research found body exhibitionism can be experienced as empowering by fat women occupying femininities associated with stigma and shame. However, it makes an important contribution to feminist scholarship in highlighting the drawbacks to digital activism, such as algorithmic bias, which diminishes the visibility of already marginalised groups

Reading Mediated Identities: Auto/biographical Agency in the Material Book, Museum Space, Social Media Platforms, and Archives

Ph.D

The Beacon, March 7, 2016

Vol. 27 Issue 71,8 pageshttps://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/1877/thumbnail.jp

Vista: December 8, 2016

https://digital.sandiego.edu/vista/1771/thumbnail.jp

Picturing Health; Picturing Life: Visual Illness Narratives of Women with Type 2 Diabetes

The prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. reached 23 million people between 2012 and 2017 and consumed one-quarter of the overall healthcare dollars. Remembering the suffering and pain of individuals behind these numbers becomes difficult and incalculable. Black American women are the most affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D), compared to their white counterparts, as well as twice as likely to be diagnosed with T2D and 2.5 times more likely to die from T2D. Therefore, understanding the problem requires the fundamental consideration of how these women cope daily with this complex illness while often struggling with complex lives. This narrative study provides a framework for 14 women of color to reveal their illness narratives using participant-generated photography, photo-elicitation interviews, and relational map making (relational interviewing tool), which resulted in six findings. These methodologies combine to allow an unframed participant expression of their own experiences. According to Finding One, T2D experience can exacerbate stress in the lives of participants, while others find mastery over the management. In Finding Two, T2D experience influences generalized feelings of control in life or the lack thereof. Finding Three indicates that T2D concern fluctuates in the hierarchy of importance in the lives of participants. Finding Four shows all participants use a variety of stress relievers, (including pets, social activities, exercises) some of which conflict with T2D management which they consider as necessary in their lives. In Finding Five, significant childhood trauma plays a role in coping with T2D experience. Finding Six shows religious beliefs and rituals were invoked by all participants but played varied roles. These findings show the complexity of the lived experience of these women within their social contexts

Voices of USU: An Anthology of Student Writing, 2015

This collection of student writing represents the voices of over 2,000 students who enroll each academic year in Utah State University’s second-year composition course, Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode. Voices of USU celebrates excellence in writing by providing undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds and disciplines the opportunity to have their work published.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/voicesofusu/1006/thumbnail.jp

The Free Press Vol. 49, Issue No. 18, 04-02-2018

Safezone Project identifies support for LGBTQ+ -- Trump’s budget proposal includes cuts to TRIO -- USM provides seniors with a low cost education -- Outdoor spots around campus to soak up some sun -- Meet the newly elected Student Body Presidenthttps://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/free_press/1214/thumbnail.jp

a tumblr book

"This book takes an extensive look at the many different types of users and cultures that comprise the popular social media platform Tumblr. Though it does not receive nearly as much attention as other social media such as Twitter or Facebook, Tumblr and its users have been hugely influential in creating and shifting popular culture, especially progressive youth culture, with the New York Times referring to 2014 as the dawning of the “age of Tumblr activism.”   Perfect for those unfamiliar with the platform as well as those who grew up on it, this volume contains essays and artwork that span many different topics: fandom; platform structure and design; race, gender and sexuality, including queer and trans identities; aesthetics; disability and mental health; and social media privacy and ethics. An entire generation of young people that is now beginning to influence mass culture and politics came of age on Tumblr, and this volume is an indispensable guide to the many ways this platform works.

An Art Museum at the Intersection of Science and Technology: An Anthropological Approach

In recent decades, museums have increasingly implemented technology, both technology to better assist in the visitor experience and technology within the art on display. This research explores the possibility for a university museum and residency program that would exhibit art intersecting with science and technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Framed as an interest study, this thesis is situated in current scholarship pertaining to museum shifts of the 21st century and draws upon my interviews with interlocutors and participant observations. I make the case that community engagement, co-curation practices and residency programs can help museums be accountable and ethical to their publics. I utilize my ethnographic research to outline a proposal for a university museum and residency program at Georgia Tech in Atlanta