Feminist Vigilance

Patty Sotirin is Professor of Communication in the Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University, USA.

Victoria L. Bergvall is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University, USA.

Diane L. Shoos is Professor of Visual Studies and French in the Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University, USA.

This collection advances vigilance as a critical feminist concept and strategy for addressing contemporary challenges. The assembled chapters develop feminist vigilance by elaborating concrete examples that emphasize action, ethics, and hope. Chapter authors expand on current feminist discussions about such issues as Black women's self-care and anticipatory vigilance; media portrayals of race, gender, and violence; religion and social justice; technofeminist activism; postcolonial feminist critique; research ethics; and collective civic action. The contributions engage with larger discussions of social precarity, public anxiety, post-feminist appeals, and future feminist trajectories. Particular benefits of the collection include relatable content based in contemporary experiences, insightful and pragmatic conceptions of vigilance from feminist perspectives, and critical engagement with issues of intersectionality, agency, embodiment, and care ethics. The collection aims to addressthe need for productive academic responses to contemporary challenges to gendered identities, feminism, and intersectional relations that avoid abstractions or overwhelmingly negative analyses. Instead, this collection invites readers to engage in feminist vigilance as a fresh perspective, commitment, and strategy.

1. Introduction to Feminist Vigilance.- 2. The Informatics of Domination and the Necessity for Feminist Vigilance toward Digital Technology.- 3. Paradoxes of State Feminism in the Postcolony: An Appeal for Feminist Vigilance.- 4. "Watch Night" for Black Women: Reflecting on Vigilance and Repurposing Strength for Self-Care and Survival.- 5. Catholic Women Religious: Discerning Faith-based Vigilance.- 6. Watching with Feminist Vigilance: Media Genres of Male Partner Violence Against Women.- 7. Black Women, Black Panther, and Black Feminist Anticipatory Vigilance.- 8. Vigilance in/as Feminist Research.- 9. Essentialism, Empathy, and Economics in Silicon Valley: A Feminist-Vigilant Critical Discourse Analysis.- 10. Lessons for Feminist Vigilance Against Gun Violence.