Rachel Thain-Gray
Published: 21 January 2019
Intersectionality in action: Fourth-wave feminist museological practice.
University of Glasgow
Intersectionality in action: Fourth-wave feminist museological practice.
The dominant framework of fourth wave feminism is the ‘action’ of intersectionality. Informed by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) this strategy unites distinct identity-based social movement groups in the pursuit of social justice for all. This trajectory reveals the cyclical nature of feminism’s historical theories converging with technology-driven social conditions. The result is a new wave of feminism with the digital and theoretical assets to reinvigorate and transform theory into action.
My thesis considers how a fourth-wave feminist museological practice could contribute to intersectional inclusion for women and non-binary people who are marginalised by mainstream feminism; why this is a necessary development; and examines what the broad cross-sectoral implications might be; making an original contribution to current academic analysis of fourth wave feminist theory (Rivers, 2017), feminist museological practice (Bergsdóttir, 2016), and social justice (Sandell, 2012) and identity politics (Mills, 2008) in mainstream museums.
First published: 21 January 2019