Travel for women rights: social movements and the construction of travel as activism in social media

Papaoikonomou, Eleni; Sánchez-Bergara, Sheila

Abstract:

Globalized social movements often require travel, but travel as a symbolic form of transnational activism has only been examined in certain instances. This paper employs the notion of political travel and, through a qualitative content analysis of social media posts during the 2018 pro-choice Irish referendum campaign, it shows how travel can be approached as a form of activism and resistance from a critical feminist angle in the context of a global campaign mediated by social media. Inspired by assemblage theory [De Landa, M. (2016). Assemblage theory. Edinburgh University Press.], our findings show how different elements; people, spaces, objects are assembled to construct the framing and narrative of a social movement that fights for women rights. The individual accounts of travel experiences in social media contributed to the overall ‘aestheticization’ of the social movement. Also, the study offered insights into the meanings that, predominantly female, travellers, assign to their political travel, which are in turn shaped by personal and historical concerns.

Year:

2024

Type of Publication:

Article

Keywords:

Hashtag activism; abortion; political travel; pro-choice; social media; Irish referendum

Journal:

Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change

Volume:

22

Number:

3

Pages:

292–310

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2024.2387620