Feminist Communication Studies

Gender

Feminist communication studies defines gender as a socially constructed process or performance. In this way, gender is differentiated from sex, which is a biological classification that defines most individuals as male or female. In contrast, gender is a process that is neither innate nor stable. Individuals learn to perform their gender based on dominant cultural meanings of what it means to be a man or woman. Accordingly, gender reflects broader meanings and expectations of (in)appropriate communicative behaviors, interactions, and performances in a particular culture. Feminist communication studies problematizes the taken-for-granted norms and underlying assumptions of cultural expectations about gender to overcome the oppression of women and to seek out potential points of transformation.

Intersectionality

Feminist communication studies have consistently addressed sexism inherent in research design by promoting the inclusion of gender as a key variable in communication research and strategically looking for ways to include the voices of women. However, it is not enough to focus on gender and sex as key markers of identity. As feminists of color have long theorized, individual identities consist of multiple layers, and individuals can simultaneously experience oppression and privilege. As such, feminist communication studies positions intersectionality as a central component of research by considering other points of identity such as sexuality, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, race, ethnicity, nation, and class, as they intersect with gender. In this way, feminist communication studies embraces the inherent differences of women to advance more complex and nuanced understandings of the social world.

Empowerment

Feminist communication studies includes a focus on empowerment wherein the voices of the marginalized are privileged and incorporated into various aspects of the research process. Empowerment challenges dominant ways of knowing and the privileged position of the researcher by giving voice to women’s experiences and perspectives, including women in the research process, and cultivating a sense of agency for marginalized groups. Feminist communication studies emphasizes empowerment in research design by developing collaborative and participatory studies that encourage the researcher to work with the researched for positive gender and social transformation in processes, practices, and policies at the individual, institutional, and societal levels.

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