Feminist media studies

• Published in: Journal of Media Research Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 128 - 130
• Main Author: Voina, Andreea
• Format: Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj-Napoca Accent Publisher 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Anthropology; Communication; Culture; Feminism; Gender; Human rights; Intersectionality; Media; Media studies; Social networks; Sociology; Women
• ISSN: 1844-8887; 2559-1983

Harvey orchestrates a rigorous and powerful discussion surrounding current concepts and issues taking an interdisciplinary and multi-method approach, providing "a sense of the value of this approach for readers interested in media, communication, and cultural studies as well as those who increasingly need to engage with media in a range of social and humanities-focused fields, including hut not limited to anthropology, education, sociology, politics, criminology, and law" (p. 2). A crucial contribution is brought by the centrality of intersectionality within the fabric of the book, favoring an approach that analyzes the mosaic of identity layers in the subjects' lived experiences, thus addressing "the interconnected and inseparable character of oppression based on gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ability, religion, nationality, and other social stratification" (p. 3). While there has been irrefutable progress in recognizing the utter importance of feminist research in and of the media industry, gender-based divides based on culture have also emerged and deepened: the expansion of media sexism, the global digital divide, the underestimation of feminist research as less impactful for communication and more for women's studies, anti-gender campaigns shaping public discourse (Sosa, 2021).