The Art of Conquering Public Space Feminist Zines, as a Subaltern and Political Voice?

Cet article utilise les theories sur la sphere publique de Jurgen Habermas et l'idee d'un contrepublic subalterne de Nancy Fraser pour reflechir a la portee politique des zines feministes. L'auteure soutient que l'utilisation d'une esthetique qui leur est propre et d'un langage vulgaire et pedagogue ainsi que le recours aux reseaux de distribution de zines feministes favorisent la creation d'une sphere de deliberation rationnelle externe a la sphere publique dominante (contrepublic). De plus, elle avance que l'existence de ce contrepublic facilite une modification de la position subalterne qui, elle, permet un engagement dans la sphere publique de meme qu'une modification des regles qui la sous-tendent, et ce, a travers trois processus : la construction d'une subjectivite ambigue, l'intervention directe dans la sphere publique et la subversion de la dichotomie prive/public This article uses the public sphere theory from Jurgen Habermas and the concept of subaltern counterpublics from Nancy Fraser to theorize the political reach of feminist zines. The author argues that the use of a specific aesthetic, of a vulgar and pedagogical language as well as the existence of networks of distribution for feminist zines foster the creation of a space of deliberation located outside of the dominant public sphere (counterpublic). Furthermore, she suggests that the existence of that counterpublic enables the modification of the subaltern position which in turn allows an engagement with the public sphere as a well as the modification of the rules governing it, all of this through three processes: the construction of an ambiguous subjectivity, the direct intervention in the public sphere and the subversion of the private/public dichotomy. Adapted from the source document.