Modern Feminist Social Movements in Rural America: A Three- Part Study

Modern feminist social movement can be characterized by several distinctive features. The use of social media, the incorporation of intersectionality, and the injection of policy into modern social movements requires a broad approach to these movements that allows for examination from multiple angles. The proposed project allows for a nuanced and thorough look into an existing social movement in rural America as it unfolds and examines that movement through several lenses. Additionally, the project incorporates current social movement and feminist theory and notes the importance of examining these theoretical perspectives through an applied lens: in order for change to occur, the theories must be applicable to modern day movements. The proposed projects will offer critical feedback to modern theoretical perspectives through the lens of a modern rural movement with the intent to incorporate existing theory into social movement practice. This dissertation includes three separate papers examining the application of social movement and feminist theory to a grassroots organization that is part of the social movement following the 2016 United States Presidential election. The project seeks to examine this social movement through the lens of structural barriers to change, the use of social media to propel feminist social movement, and the examination of intersectionality within rural social movements. One paper will be included on each of these topics and will include qualitative and quantitative data from members and leaders of a grassroots organization founded in a rural, conservative state in November 2016 and is written by one of the founders of that organization.