Abstract
Some of the most powerful writings come from social movements that challenge institutional and governmental authority. This form of the humanities is “constructed by desire, by the aspirations and imaginations of its participants. It posits writing as an action undertaken by motivated individuals who frequently see it as having social and economic consequences, including transformations in personal relationships” (Gere, 1994, p. 80). My paper examines the public-facing writings of the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s. I will unpack how the movement’s written products (pamphlets, flyers, posters, newsletters, etc.) functioned to support and inform the Australian public. My historical study is based on the idea that examining key texts in activist movements is germane in understanding communities and their cultural contexts. In oral histories about the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia, the women noted that writing is powerful in creating awareness and changing ideologies. One activist remembered, “Whatever it was in that [feminist] leaflet, the world changes [and] you actually see something that you haven’t seen before.” The women learned from and found energy in creating and distributing writing. They learned literacy practices through this work, including writing, editing, designing, typesetting, publishing, communicating, distributing, and sustaining, all through activism focused on women’s rights. Such work represents how activist movements use the humanities and literacy skills to spread messages and build a community focused on self-representation and re-imagination through the cultural authority of print.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Archival Research, Historical Research, Feminism, Writing, Communication, Activism, Literacy
