Crafting Protest Craftivism as Soft Feminist Activism

Abstract

The term Craftivism was coined by Betsy Greer in 2003. She defines craftivism as “[…] a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper & your quest for justice more infinite.” [ “Craftivism Definition,” Craftivism, accessed February 2, 2018, http://craftivism.com/definition/.] Craftivism is rising in popularity, because it connects to our highly visual online culture. Unlike online activism (click-tivism), however, it is not an effortless, often short-term and anonymous action. Craftivism takes time and creates personal messages that open up a conversation in contrast to the anonymous criticizing that takes place on the internet. In this thesis, I suggest viewing craftivism as an activist tool which calls for the research of individual cases instead of looking at craftivism as a coherent practice. Not all craft projects are craftivist, they need to be motivated by a long-term goal of structural change. Moreover, since craftivism is a tool for activism it can be used for contradictory purposes, because activism spans a wide range of causes from women’s rights to the ban on abortion. Due to the historic connotations of craft as a demure female pastime, however, I propose that it can be very appropriate for feminist activism as a means to subvert the dominant outlook on femininity. The craftivist movement inverts the meaning of craft, like other social justice movements have done, by appropriating and re-signifying negative and oppressive language as happened, for example, with the word “queer” for the LGBTQI movement who made the term that was once hurtful their own. Kingdom, namely the Pussyhat Project, the Evil Eyes Project and the “Don’t Blow It” campaign. These cases form different types of craftivist protest that cater to varying issues. Within this thesis the connection of craftivism to third wave feminism and postfeminism will be explored. The case-studies are critically examined and pitfalls of postfeminism and neoliberalism are laid bare, since craftivism is influenced by both. The practice of craftivism is still relatively young and in transition. This thesis aims for a deeper understanding but also opens up a plethora of cases to be studied in the future and questions to be asked about craftivism.