To expose a problem is to pose a problem (HB, p. 200)
I am willing to cause unhappiness (HB, p. 200)
As Ahmed starts HB chapter 6, she recognizes how marching, protesting, and demonstrating is the first place our mind goes when we think of activism. But, as she says, we don’t start there, and we don’t limit ourselves to these “big” “visible” modes of activism. While “sometimes we create a spectacle” other forms of activism are efficient & effective. With this badge you become proficient in killjoy activism.
“Book it:” Read HB chapter 6 and describe how the negativity at the core of the killjoy has been so productive as an activist tool. Describe the different activist “tactics” Ahmed discusses and how feminist killjoys can take care of themselves while engaging in activism.
“Live it:” After getting a broader idea of feminist killjoy activism from the chapter, reflect on how you have engaged in these tactics (knowingly or unknowingly) throughout your life. Provide a few examples and discuss the knowing/unknowing angle – did you identify your actions as those of the feminist killjoy in the moment? Explain how the readings impact your understanding of your actions/experiences in real life.
*“Make it:” Even though there are a million small ways we can do killjoy activism every day, I am still drawn to the “sometimes [when] we create a spectacle.” “Make” a spectacle as a feminist killjoy activist around any issue important to you and using whichever mode of “communication” you are most inspired by. You may plan a protest (make a sign! a hashtag campaign!), paint a picture, sketch a comic, perform a monologue, interpretive dance, write a poem, a manifesto, etc…
(^this can be considered a ‘phase one’ for a collaborative final project in which the individual spectacles inform a collective spectacle the class shares with the campus community at the end of the term.)
