Paper Short Abstract:

"I believe you." – The concept of (solidary) witnessing as a form of resistance is a foundational principle in feminist practice. Witnessing, in this context, highlights the vital connection between theory and practice within feminist traditions, while also pointing to the unequal and often ambivalent dynamics between the witness and the one being witnessed. In the process of research, this lecture will explore how these contradictions come to a head.

Paper Abstract:

"I believe you." – The concept of (solidary) witnessing as a form of resistance is a foundational principle in feminist practice. Witnessing, in this context, highlights the vital connection between theory and practice within feminist traditions, while also pointing to the unequal and often ambivalent dynamics between the witness and the one being witnessed. In the process of research, this lecture will explore how these contradictions come to a head.

All witnesses, regardless of their circumstances, are dependent on being believed by others, which exposes them to the inherent risk of doubt. However, this risk is not experienced uniformly; it varies in its intensity and manifestation (Gleissner 2024). For instance, the vulnerability of victims of sexualized violence often translates into an unequal and disproportionate risk of not being believed.

This lecture critically examines interview situations within the framework of a dissertation project that investigates concepts of female emancipation and the contradictory legacy of feminist movements for subsequent generations. The tension between unity and difference that often shapes feminist relationships complicates the dynamic between interviewer and interviewee. The papers’s exploration of the intersection between social-theoretical analyses of past feminist visions and contemporary ideas of emancipation underscores the social and historical nature of lived experience (Scott 2020). This requires a reflective consideration of the feminist concept of witnessing and its implications for academic practice.

The goal is to offer a critical re-reading of the feminist practice of witnessing, navigating the tension between fragmentation, vulnerability, and articulation.