Full metadata
Title
Being sad online: creating a digital support community informed by feminist affect theory
Description
The secret Facebook group ////sads only/// was formed in October 2015 to provide a safe space for women and trans and nonbinary people to express their emotions, a sort of digital support group. Members can post individually about things happening in their lives, comment on other members’ posts with advice or support, and contribute to discussion threads. Common subject matters include mental health, relationships, sexuality, gender identity, friendships, careers, family, art, education, and body image. The group’s location on Facebook adds to its utility – it can be an alternative site of community-making and communication, away from the often toxic, triggering, or just plain negative posts that clog up social media news feeds and the unsolicited comments that get appended. The group is informed by principles of affect theory, and in particular, sad girl theory, which was developed by the artist Audrey Wollen. She suggests that femme sadness is a site of power and not just vulnerability. In her view, sadness isn’t passive existence, but instead, an act of resistance. Specifically, it uses the body in a way that is crucial to many definitions of activism, incorporating the violence of revolution, protest, and struggle that has historically been gendered as male. This thesis examines the history and future directions of the ///sads only/// group as well as its theoretical underpinnings and the implications of its intervention, considering such perspectives as cultural studies, gender performance, identity formation, digital citizenship, mental health, and feminist activism.
Date Created
2019
Contributors
- Koerth, Kimberly (Author)
- Ward, Mako (Thesis advisor)
- Anderson, Lisa (Thesis advisor)
- McGibbney Vlahoulis, Michelle (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
93 pages
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.55624
Statement of Responsibility
by Kimberly Koerth
Description Source
Viewed on May 14, 2020
Level of coding
full
Note
Partial requirement for: M.A., Arizona State University, 2019
Note type
thesis
Includes bibliographical references (pages 86-89)
Note type
bibliography
Field of study: Women and Gender studies
System Created
- 2020-01-14 09:18:34
System Modified
- 2021-08-26 09:47:01
- 2 years 7 months ago
Additional Formats