Keywords
fourth-wave
collective identity
intersectionality
connective mobilization
How to Cite
Abstract
This study argues that digital-era feminism has reconfigured the foundations of political mobilization by transforming collective identity into a fluid, intersectional, and networked phenomenon. The fourth wave’s most notable aspect is its ability to increase participation while also challenging the unity of feminist identity. This research engages a theory-driven, interpretive approach through a three-part analytical framework, examining theoretical mapping of social movement theories like Melucci’s (1995) notion of collective identity and McCarthy and Zald’s (1977) Resource Mobilization Theory, in addition to increasingly digital approaches like Bennett and Segerberg’s (2012) connective action. While examining the transformation of feminist collective identity, the paper also looks at some cases, such as #MeToo and #NiUnaMenos, FEMEN, SlutWalk, to show that emotional and personal connections exist in the digital feminist movement. By redefining collective identity through the perspectives of intersectionality, resource mobilization, and connective action, this study adds to the understanding of how feminist agency is transformed in the digital era, where visibility and solidarity exist in tension, and the ongoing challenge is to turn emotional connections into real political power.
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