‘Where am I in this story?’–listening to activist women writers *

Yael Levi-Hazan, Ayelet Harel-Shalev

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study discusses the dynamic roles of activist women in militarized societies. It offers an analysis of the perspectives of Israeli activist women regarding their roles as women activists and writers. In their non-fiction writings, these activist women voice their resistance and document both their everyday lives and political perspectives about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and their socio-political activism and resistance to the Israeli occupation. These women were interviewed regarding their perspectives and struggles. The interviews were analysed by applying narrative analysis–the ‘Listening Guide’ methodology–to explore their various voices and narratives. By using this methodology, this study sought to uncover additional knowledge regarding women’s forms of resistance in militarized societies. We emphasize the importance of women citizens’ voices, narratives and points of view by presenting activist women’s critical insights on activism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and literature. Their curiosity, agency, critical perspectives, and resistance can be viewed as counter-narratives that de-centre Israeli hegemonic masculinity and demand a critique of the national and militarized ideology. Our article seeks to demonstrate the importance of women’s perspectives, everyday life experiences, dilemmas and struggles in a reality of conflict and war.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)387-401
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Gender Studies
Volume28
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 May 2019

Keywords

  • I poems
  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • Women activists
  • agency
  • feminism
  • listening guide
  • occupation
  • resistance
  • voice

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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