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Dissertation
De fiets en de emancipatie van vrouwen. Een casestudy van Noord-Amerikaanse girl bike zines
Authors: --- ---
Year: 2016 Publisher: Leuven KU Leuven. Faculteit Letteren

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Abstract

Throughout history, ample evidence can be found on how the bicycle has played a crucial part in the emancipation of women throughout the world. For instance, the coming of the safety bicycle transformed the lives of late-victorian women . All of a sudden women saw a growing independence and mobility in their public lives, as well as decreasing clothing norms. Today, the bicycle seems to have become an everyday object, a thing for everyone and anyone. It's emancipatory qualities have, however, not diminished over the span of the last few decades. This thesis argues that the bicycle is still a valuable means in the struggle for emancipation women experience today. Obvious tracks of the value are present in the so-called girl bike zines, independent magazines made by and for women that cover the bicycle and it's surrounding culture. Central to the study is an indepth analysis of the themes used by these zinesters based on ten parameters. The sourcematerial for this analysis consists of twelve North American zines about bicycles written by women, for women. This casestudy at the core of this thesis focuses on the way the bicycle aids in women's spiritual and physical emancipation. The act of cycling adds in the development of a personal identity or the discovery of needs and desires. It provides the cyclist with a feeling of independence, freedom and mobility. Furthermore, the bicycle is a cornerstone of its surrounding community and helps in the creation of a collective identity. The bicycle brings the women that rally around it together but is also so inclusive to reach out to those of different gender. It stimulates the critical mind and kickstarts the political awareness of the participants. All of the above are, all in all, crucial conditions for the ongoing struggle for women's emancipation.

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