Protoquestion:
To what extent did Punk culture shape feminism today?/ Should we thank women of punk for feminism?
What have I found out so far?
- punk is/was a subculture that largely equalised men and women through its music, clothing choices and general values
- the popularisation of female punk bands like The Runaways made it more widely acceptable for women to choose and represent alternative lifestyles
- the birth of 'the teenager' in the 50's made music, clothes and hairstyles all topics of trend the teens could adopt and change to suit their progressing world views
- those who followed the punk subculture expressed their views and opinions via homemade 'fanzines' which where DIY and easy to make. They actively encouraged people to photocopy these zines themselves and pass them around to spread the message
- Riot Grrrl was just one of these zines which may have been partly responsible for shaping and creating the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90's
My core texts so far:
- Angela McRobbie- Feminism and Youth Culture
- "One of the central tenets of the women's movement has been that the personal is political"
- "The lads may get by with each other alone on the streets but they did not eat, sleep or make love there. Their peer-group consciousness and pleasure frequently seem to hinge on a collective disregard for women and the sexual exploitation of girls"
- Samantha Holland- Alternative femininities: body, age and identity
- " Punk alone was a style equally for both sexes; although Mod girls, teddy girls and other did have special ways of dressing their styles were distinct from and parasitical upon those of their boyfriends"
- "Gottlieb and Wald also point out that girls and women are less likely to participate in youth cultures (so by extension, in band rehearsals and performances) since their lives are more strictly monitored and they are kept closer to the home than their male counterparts, and that new ways have been found to participate in subcultures, which are not as visible because they are conducted in a private sphere"
- "Claudias views are problematic in that her anxiety about being seen as masculine is at odds with feminist sexual politics. Resistance to sexism, a political position, becomes embodied in the 'masculine', 'defeminised' feminist body.
Potential visual paths for this brief:
- hand embroidery: typically 'feminine' vocation, turning it on its head
- protest art, posters and flags etc
- zines and publications
- manifestos, posters
Phenomena to consider:
- The birth of the 'teenager'
- Riot Grrrls
- women of Punk in general, famous and notable women of the subculture
- the popularisation of zines
