I thought y’all might give this young lady some interesting input.
Any replies should go to Heather, whose email address is xgirlwonderx@bust.com . I’m happy to read your replies here, but if you don’t email them to her they won’t do her any good or get into her paper.
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For my senior women’s studies project, I’ve been exploring the recent reclaiming of traditionally female crafts by young feminists, and looking at whether or not there is something feminist about it, or if in actuality it’s hurting the feminist movement & setting it back.
For the second part, I’m looking for people who participate in these traditionally female crafts (ie, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc etc etc) to answer some questions. There aren’t many, and it would be a huge huge help!
these are the questions – please copy them into an email and then email answers and anything else you have to say about the subject to me at xgirlwonderx@bust.com .
Also, if you’d like to read the first part of the paper before answering, email me first.
Thanks!
Heather
Please explain each answer thoroughly!
1) Name/age/gender
2) Do you identify as a feminist?
3) What kinds of typically female domestic crafts do you engage in? (knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc.)
4) What made you take interest in these things?
5) What are your purposes in doing them? (recreation, to be more independent from the mass culture, social activity, etc)
6) Do you consider the reclaiming of these things a feminist act? Why or why not?
–Also, had it ever occurred to you before that doing something like sewing or knitting could be considered a feminist act?
7) Would you say the popular resurgence of these domestic crafts is good for feminists and the feminist movement in general, or bad?
–Also, do you think the new image of young feminists being eager to do both domestic crafts and sometimes even domestic work being put forth by popular feminist magazines like Bust is dangerous?
8) Many critics say that it’s fine and well for young feminists to be interested in these things, but that there is nothing exceptionally feminist about them, as the culture at large really has no problem with women doing these traditionally female things. They also cite calling these things feminist as harmful. What’s your reaction to this?
Please please please add anything you’d like and expand on any idea here. Thank you soooo much!
