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Motherhood as resistance : The use of political motherhood in the Armenian Velvet Revolution

Setterquist, Åsa LU (2024) MIDM19 20241
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
Political motherhood, which is the strategic use of patriarchal norms of motherhood for political resistance, is generally understudied in the field of social movements studies. This study explores in depth how political motherhood was utilized during the Velvet Revolution and its effect on other protesters’ activism and patriarchal gender structures. This article develops the theory of political motherhood, building on the works of Schirmer, Mhajne and Whetstone, Butler, and O’Reilly. This qualitative study examines how political motherhood operates and how various actors can use it for conflicting objectives, illustrating it with the material from twelve interviews conducted in Armenia in 2022. This study finds that mothers played a... (More)
Political motherhood, which is the strategic use of patriarchal norms of motherhood for political resistance, is generally understudied in the field of social movements studies. This study explores in depth how political motherhood was utilized during the Velvet Revolution and its effect on other protesters’ activism and patriarchal gender structures. This article develops the theory of political motherhood, building on the works of Schirmer, Mhajne and Whetstone, Butler, and O’Reilly. This qualitative study examines how political motherhood operates and how various actors can use it for conflicting objectives, illustrating it with the material from twelve interviews conducted in Armenia in 2022. This study finds that mothers played a crucial role in the Velvet Revolution by strategically using patriarchal norms of motherhood to claim political space and mobilize political resistance. It also reveals how state authorities and others used political motherhood against mothers’ activism to deter their protest engagement. Additionally, mothers used their traditional respectability to protect other protesters from violence, enabling them to sustain their activism. Mothers’ norm-breaking actions redefined the role of mothers in Armenia and challenged patriarchal gender structures. (Less)
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author
Setterquist, Åsa LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Political motherhood, Armenia, Velvet Revolution, activism
language
English
id
9151703
date added to LUP
2024-07-24 11:41:37
date last changed
2024-07-24 11:41:37
@misc{9151703,
  abstract     = {{Political motherhood, which is the strategic use of patriarchal norms of motherhood for political resistance, is generally understudied in the field of social movements studies. This study explores in depth how political motherhood was utilized during the Velvet Revolution and its effect on other protesters’ activism and patriarchal gender structures. This article develops the theory of political motherhood, building on the works of Schirmer, Mhajne and Whetstone, Butler, and O’Reilly. This qualitative study examines how political motherhood operates and how various actors can use it for conflicting objectives, illustrating it with the material from twelve interviews conducted in Armenia in 2022. This study finds that mothers played a crucial role in the Velvet Revolution by strategically using patriarchal norms of motherhood to claim political space and mobilize political resistance. It also reveals how state authorities and others used political motherhood against mothers’ activism to deter their protest engagement. Additionally, mothers used their traditional respectability to protect other protesters from violence, enabling them to sustain their activism. Mothers’ norm-breaking actions redefined the role of mothers in Armenia and challenged patriarchal gender structures.}},
  author       = {{Setterquist, Åsa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Motherhood as resistance : The use of political motherhood in the Armenian Velvet Revolution}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}