�I felt like the words became a part of me�: South African feminist live poetry and the affective encounter
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Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Live poetry exists as a powerful channel through which to protest against oppressive mechanisms prevalent in society. The platform � a safe space for the voices that are often silenced in other discursive spaces � has grown in popularity as a powerful avenue for feminists to share personal narratives, provoke discussions on gender-based violence (GBV), discursively resist against dominating patriarchal power, and empower women through the sense of community that is created during, and following, a live poetry event. By sharing deeply personal narratives of lived-experiences, a poet has the power to connect with an audience in profound ways. Therefore, live poetry, due to the compelling discursive mechanisms and embodiment used, has the ability to bring about powerful instances of affect, where audience members feel connected with the poets� narratives. Over time, these affective encounters could result in deeper empathic abilities for understanding the stories of others and could lead to changes in attitudes, with positive implications for the fight for women empowerment.
Description
Magister Artium - MA
Keywords
Gender-based violence, Feminist critical discourse analysis, Live poetry, Affective encounter, Affect theory