| Abstract [eng] |
In Spain, feminist themes are politically relevant, but little research has been conducted on contemporary feminist social media movements in light of the four waves. For this reason, it is relevant to examine the latest cases from the perspective of the debated fourth wave in an attempt to verify whether they can be considered representatives of the current wave or any other wave of feminism. This leads us to a better understanding of contemporary feminist movements and adequacy of the wave narrative in general. In this paper, the content analysis is used to analyze three Instagram accounts and speeches of the most successful Spanish social media feminism activists (Moderna de Pueblo (Raquel Córcoles), Feminista Ilustrada (María Murnau) and Devermut (Marta Cillán and Sara Giménez)). The research conceptualizes gender and gender equality and identifies the main themes and expressive features of each wave, as well as of the social media activists. Analysis concludes that contemporary Spanish social media feminists represent the fourth-wave radical feminism. Contemporary Spanish social media feminists use their accounts not only for entertainment purposes, but also to perform an educational, awareness-raising function and to build a feminist identity. They seek to empower women, boost the visibility of the LGBT community, fight against sexism and other ideologies of oppression. The paper also argues that the wave narrative is a useful way to systematize feminist thought and to understand the chronology, ideological development and tensions of the feminist movement. In this way, it helps to understand the historical context, achievements in the field of gender equality and the impact of fundamental political, social, cultural and technological changes on women's lives. It is the combination of these factors that determines the emergence of the fourth-wave feminism. The analysis also reveals that the digital space not only provides a new platform for activism, but also contributes to a significant transformation of the status and role of feminists in the society, as well as to the digitalization, globalization and commercialization of feminism. Therefore, more research on contemporary feminist movements and social media accounts is needed in the future. |
