Gender Matters Symposium, 2023, Postfeminism goes Alt-Right: Trappings, Tropes, and the Implications of the “Tradwife"
One of the highlights of my senior year at The New School has undoubtably been presenting “Postfeminism goes Alt-Right: Trappings, Tropes, and the Implications of the “Tradwife" at the Gender and Sexuality Institute's (GSSI) Gender Matter's Symposium.
The presentation was comprehensive in depicting the phenomenon of the "Tradwife" (traditional wife) on social media through a visual motif analysis, as well as its underpinnings and implications.
It was a true honor to collaborate with such a creative and brilliant team- Sanjana Basker, Rebekah Nathan, Ciela Chavez-Gilbride, Ivol Frasier, and Claire McGinley. This achievement would not have been possible without the supportive leadership of our mentor, Dr. Pani Farvid and the SexTech Lab community.
Through this experience, I have not only gained a wealth of knowledge about current gender discourse, resistance against progressive gender ideas, and the state of feminism in the United States, but I have also come to appreciate the immense value of working in a diverse and open-minded team. Our collective effort elevated the project to new heights that would have been unattainable individually.
Furthermore, this experience has been instrumental in honing my public speaking skills, particularly in crafting engaging and interactive presentations. We aimed to deliver a comprehensive and accessible overview of an abstract and complex phenomenon, and the feedback from our audience members was nothing short of inspiring.
In the next year, our team aims to publish a paper on the phenomenon of Tradwives in the United States and its implications on how gender is conceptualized in the home, public, and political sphere. We are dedicated to theorizing why this trend may be happening, contributing to the discourse surrounding gender roles and societal shifts. This experience at the Gender Matters Symposium has not only expanded my knowledge but has also ignited a passion for continued research and exploration in this area.
