Abstract
This thesis explores the concept of discursive politics in relation to an online discursive network, using the case study of Australian feminist blogs. The Australian feminist blogging community is a continually evolving community where activists are exploring feminist ideas and intersecting axes of oppression. Feminist bloggers actively intervene in mainstream discourses that are anti-feminist, and create and identify new projects for feminist discursive activism. In sum, the thesis explores the political effects of feminist blogging.
The thesis engages critically with social movement research into online activism, and existing social movement literature on discursive politics and collective identity. Empirical data was collected through a triangulated qualitative study combining network analysis and iterative navigation, participant observation, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. A grounded theory of the online feminist community was developed using the texts of interviews with community members, and the emerging concepts were applied to selected community texts and discussion threads. Intersectional sub-communities have generated new ideas and impetus for political action, and the thesis includes several case studies including the feminists with disability , feminist motherhood , and fat acceptance sub-communities.
The findings of this research are, firstly, that Australian feminist bloggers maintain a strong ethical relation to the community, and have developed feminist identities and political subjectivities through their commitment. Secondly, the thesis argues that feminist claims are generated within this community, as well as being derived from a variety of past and international feminist and emancipatory discourses. Thirdly, the thesis contends that affect and affective relations have an important role to play in the development and maintenance of this community. Finally, the thesis argues for discursive activism to be given greater value as part of the political.
The thesis argues for discursive networks and their interventions to be understood as online activism. The role of political creativity, affective community-building, and the negotiation of an evolving feminist politics are emphasised as aspects of discursive activism. The thesis argues that the political efficacy of Australian feminist blogs lies in the discursive challenges that they make to mainstream discourses, and the creative negotiation of feminist claims and feminist identity.