Description: In The New Politics of Online Feminism, Akane Kanai argues that for young feminists online culture often poses more dilemmas than it solves. Moving beyond a narrow characterization of online feminism as a site of activism and resistance, Kanai attends to the feminist quandaries of being politically conscientious as life online becomes inseparable from the offline world. Kanai suggests that for online feminists, avoiding complicity with patriarchy, racism, and other oppressions has never been more important, yet the self has remained the central site of agency and transformation--casting politics in terms of individual scrupulousness, diligence, and improvement. Under these circumstances, a feminist lens becomes about benchmarking, comparing, and anxiously avoiding the public mistakes that others make in online life. Kanai foregrounds the importance of moving beyond the polarities of correct and incorrect feeling to enable the everyday practices of listening to and learning about experience and difference.
Review Quotes: "Kanai makes unique contributions to both the theorization of digital feminist knowledge cultures and the experiences of young people interacting with these cultures. Her work is highly nuanced, revealing not only the complexities of these cultures but the varied, and sometimes contradictory, responses of audiences. Beautifully written, The New Politics of Online Feminism, weaves together interviews and theoretical insights in a sophisticated yet accessible way about social media feminisms."--Jessalynn Keller, coauthor of, Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture
"If you have ever found yourself wondering how, if it's even possible, to be a good feminist in the digital age, look no further. Reflective and critical, Akane Kanai deftly examines social media as a new site for activism and organizing, while also acknowledging the challenges of navigating these online spaces."--Ms. Magazine, Karla J. Strand