RE:Framing Feminism: Narrative, Strategy, and Social Change

This session starts at 11:00 AM and runs 5 hours including lunch. Only $65.

Welfare Queen. Baby Mama. Red Neck Woman. Soccer Mom. Having It All. This workshop will attempt to get inside some of these mythologies, and then step outside of their assumptions to examine how they operate. A process of “Narrative power analysis” gives participants an opportunity to surface and analyze the stories and stereotypes about gender that we confront in our lives and work, and the sexist assumptions that often underpin them. The intersecting narratives of gender, race, and class create a complex mine-field of messages in the dominant culture that all of our work must struggle to re-frame and transform.

Trainers from smartMeme will present the model of “story-based strategy” - an approach that gives activists the tools of storytelling in order to be more effective communicators and organizers. Story-based strategy combines critical media analysis, strategy skills, and messaging—and connects this to organizing and movement building. The session will use images, media, theater techniques, and small group work to have an honest conversation about our successes and what is holding back our efforts to create social change. We focus on framing, messaging, organizing, and strategy tools for intervention in the contemporary media environment. This workshop will invite everyone to re-look at feminist stories with from the outside, and to see some effective campaign strategies from the inside.

Founded in 2002, smartMeme is a non-profit organization and community of practice that combines grassroots movement building with strategies to changethe stories that shape the dominant culture.

Presenters

Doyle Canning, strategist, trainer, co-director SmartMeme strategy & training project.

Shana McDavis-Conway, community organizer, social justice advocate, director of a leadership development program.