| dc.description.abstract | This thesis critically examines the feminist wave metaphor, the dominant historiographical
framework used to structure the evolution of feminist thought and activism, through a
comparative analysis of two foundational feminist manifestos: A Black Feminist Statement
(1977, second wave) and the Riot Grrrl Manifesto (1991, third wave). While the wave
metaphor has been important for organizing feminist history, it has also been widely critiqued
for oversimplifying feminist discourse, reinforcing generational divides, and creating rigid
distinctions between theory and activism.
This study explores how these manifestos both affirm and traverse the boundaries of
their assigned waves. Drawing on Iris van der Tuin’s concept of “jumping generations” (2009)
and Rosi Braidotti’s text Nomadic Subjects (2011), the thesis critiques the linear, temporally
fixed structure of the wave metaphor and its prescriptive influence on feminist knowledge
production. Further, it employs feminist epistemological frameworks, including, feminist
empiricism, standpoint theory and social constructionism, to analyse how these manifestos
function not only as calls to action, but also as tools of situated knowledge production.
By investigating how A Black Feminist Statement and the Riot Grrrl Manifesto
complicate the assumptions of the wave metaphor, this thesis aims to contribute to a more
dynamic, relational understanding of feminist history, one that emphasizes continuity and
coalition, and strengthens feminism’s ability for activistic political engagement. In doing so, it
challenges the limitations of the wave model and advocates for an alternative framework that
allows feminist theory and activism to evolve without being constrained by fixed
spatiotemporally positions or exclusionary narratives. Ultimately, this research aims to
contribute to ongoing efforts to rethink feminist historiography in ways that are more
inclusive, intersectional, and in line with the complexities of feminist practice. | |
