The last of the long takes: feminism, sexual harassment, and the action of change

Craven, Allison

Abstract

The surging activism of #MeToo has expanded discussion of the revival of feminism and the role of digital activism, and raised questions about potential for lasting change. This is approached by comparing the featured politics of naming in two eras of feminism: the naming of alleged harassers in #MeToo which originated with the claims against Harvey Weinstein by Hollywood identities in 2017; and the naming of sexual harassment as a workplace issue by feminist activists in the 1970s. Anita Hill’s testimony to the US Senate against Clarence Thomas in 1991 is a bridging episode between the eras to which Lauren Berlant responded with her theory of Diva Citizenship and her argument that change depends on the action of the body politic in response to the Diva Citizen. I argue that the historical naming of sexual harassment was a crucial first stage in any lasting change.

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M/C Journal

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1441-2616

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Queensland University of Technology

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