Stacy Williams’ article accepted for publication in Social Movement Studies

Many congratulations to grad student, Stacy Williams! Her article, “Hiding Spinach in the Brownies: Frame Alignment in Suffrage Community Cookbooks, 1886-1916,” has been accepted for publication in Social Movement Studies.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies have examined how the conventions of cultural genres help advance frames. This line of scholarship can be used to study how activists might popularize radical frames that fundamentally challenge widespread beliefs. In this article, I analyze how the gendered character of suffrage community cookbooks aids in frame alignment. I determine how community cookbooks advance ‘femininity frames’ that draw on widespread beliefs about femininity (and thus are more likely to resonate with a broad audience). I also examine how community cookbooks advance ‘republican citizenship frames’ that argue that women should vote because they can be exemplary republican citizens. Republican citizenship frames challenge widespread beliefs about femininity (and thus are likely to be viewed as more radical). I find that the embrace of domestic femininity in community cookbooks amplifies femininity frames by intensifying traditional beliefs about women. On the other hand, the gendered character of community cookbooks extends republican citizenship frames to the average housewife by proving that women could incorporate new practices into their lives without abandoning their traditional feminine roles. This study enriches our understanding of the role of cultural genres in framing, and it demonstrates how activists may try to popularize radical frames.

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