#CiteBlackWomen – Citing More Broadly

Now is a good time to take stock of our in-process writing projects and citation practices – especially if, like me, you are wrapping up the fall semester and planning for concerted writing work before the start of the spring semester. Pam Oliver has just published a fabulous “how to” on citing broadly and ensuring that your citation practices – to the extent possible – do not exacerbate gender and racial inequalities in citation. We should be asking ourselves: Who am I citing? What are the demographics of the scholars I am drawing on? What kinds of institutions do they represent? What kinds of journals? Why am I citing the pieces I have chosen? And perhaps most importantly, who am I leaving out?

If this sounds overwhelming, you are not alone. Broadening our citation practices takes effort! But luckily Dr. Oliver is here with a practical and straightforward guide just in time for the winter break. For more elaboration on this topic and invaluable “how to” tips, check out her recent blog post, “Citing More Broadly.”

While you’re at it, check out out her article “The Ethnic Dimensions of Social Movements” and the Informing Activists post on this blog about how to actively work against racism in social movements.

The Role of Women in Mobilizing Participation in Electoral Politics

Although the 2018 midterm elections have not yet been held, it is already clear that one of the biggest stories that will be in the headlines on November 7th will have to do with women’s engagement with the political process.  Voter turnout is expected to be unusually high among women, and the “gender gap” in party preferences—with women being much more likely than men to favor Democratic candidates—seems to be wider than it has ever been.  What’s more, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women running for office. In fact, more than 40 percent of Democratic nominees for seats in the House of Representatives are women (compared to about 10 percent of Republican nominees). The essays in this dialogue offer insight into some aspects of women’s increasing involvement in the political process. What factors led so many women into politics (drawing them to the voting booth as well as leading them to run for office)? How may women’s increasing representation in political office reshape relationships between social movements and institutionalized politics in the years to come?

This month, we have a great assortment of essays and videos from scholars, activists, and scholar-activists.

Thanks to our wonderful group of contributors on this topic:

• Dé Bryant, Indiana University-South Bend, Social Action Project (SOCACT) (video)
• Jorden Giger – South Bend, IN activist (essay)
• April Lidinski, Indiana University-South Bend (essay)
• Deana A. Rohlinger, Florida State University (essay)
• Zakiya Luna, University of California, Santa Barbara (essay)

Editors in Chief,
Grace Yukich, David Ortiz, Rory McVeigh, Guillermo Trejo

 

The Role of Women in Mobilizing Participation in Electoral Politics

Although the 2018 midterm elections have not yet been held, it is already clear that one of the biggest stories that will be in the headlines on November 7th will have to do with women’s engagement with the political process.  Voter turnout is expected to be unusually high among women, and the “gender gap” in party preferences—with women being much more likely than men to favor Democratic candidates—seems to be wider than it has ever been.  What’s more, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women running for office. In fact, more than 40 percent of Democratic nominees for seats in the House of Representatives are women (compared to about 10 percent of Republican nominees). The essays in this dialogue offer insight into some aspects of women’s increasing involvement in the political process. What factors led so many women into politics (drawing them to the voting booth as well as leading them to run for office)? How may women’s increasing representation in political office reshape relationships between social movements and institutionalized politics in the years to come?

Thanks to our wonderful group of contributors on this topic:

• Catherine Bolzendahl, University of California, Irvine (essay)

Editors in Chief,
Grace Yukich, David Ortiz, Rory McVeigh, Guillermo Trejo

 

Feminist Continuity within Institutions of Higher Education

Feminism in the U.S. has endured over dramatic changes in historical, political, and cultural contexts. Although existing scholarship on the modern women’s movement has highlighted variations in mobilizing structures and dynamics, we know little about the characteristics, identities, and tactical repertoires of feminist movements today. My research on young feminists expands the existing theories that have sought to understand social movement continuity (Taylor 1989) and the changing forms and sites of women’s movement mobilization (Ferree and Mueller 2004; Staggenborg and Taylor 2005; Taylor 1996; Reger 2012; Whittier 1996).

I ask larger questions regarding the incorporation of social movements within institutions, the complexities of collective identities given the prominence of coalitions and movement cross-over, the changing dynamics of movements over time, and the multiple dimensions through which context and “place” alter movement culture.