Espace, discours et identité féministes sur Instagram. Modes de construction d’un soi féministe dans les profils Instagram : propositions méthodologiques

Abstract

Drawing on sociocultural linguistics, which considers identity as the result of a discursive process, this paper examines the modes of presentation and construction of a feminist self in the profiles of Instagram feminist accounts. Our aim is as much to question what feminism is and what it covers, as to provide a tool for identifying feminist profiles, tried and tested on numerous occurrences (630 Instagram profiles). After proposing an exploratory definition of feminist discourse, space and identity, the article sets out a method for compiling and building a quantitative corpus of feminist accounts. The article then presents eleven modes of constructing feminist identities in Instagram profiles, discusses some of the methodological challenges in constructing categories and questions the limitations of these categories. These eleven modes of constructing feminist identities highlight the complexity and heterogeneity of identity construction processes in general and feminist identities in particular, which go well beyond notions of engagement and activism, and self-categorisation via the label “feminist”. We present four examples of profiles illustrating a continuum between manifest, latent and uncertain feminist identities. So there are many ways to call yourself a “feminist”.