Joint Seminar l Emancipatory discourses in action: A feminist critical discourse analysis of Ghanaian feminist blogs

Even though one of the aims of critical discourse analysis is to demonstrate how social inequality, power abuse and discriminatory practices can be resisted, most studies have centered on the deconstruction of oppression and ideologically driven discrimination rather than the (re)construction of resistance. In this talk, I address this gap by examining the blogposts of Ghanaian feminists using Lazar’s (2007, 2014) feminist critical discourse analysis as an analytic framework. Specifically, I discuss three resistance strategies utilized in the blogposts to criticize systematic gendering of privilege and inequality, and to foreground the voice and agency of Ghanaian/African women: (1) critiquing patriarchy, traditional gender norms and gender oppression, (2) resisting gender stereotypes and rewriting demeaning gender narratives, (3) calling out sexist attitudes and applauding women who resist such behavior. I argue that these strategies contribute to a feminist political critique of gendered social practices and relations aimed at effecting social emancipation and transformation. The talk ends by highlighting how the emancipatory discourse promoted by the blogs can be enhanced as part of a continuous striving for social justice for Ghanaian/African women.