Sonja Foss & Karen Foss

This week, we have two revolutionaries: Sonja Foss and Karen Foss, twin sisters and partners in the feminist revolution. Originally, they grew up in Eastern Oregon in a very traditional family with traditional parents. As twins, they modeled equality and embodied feminism before they had the language to label it. Now, both Sonja and Karen are rhetorical scholars in the communications discipline, working to tangibly create the feminist reality we envision for the future.Karen and Sonja share stories from their childhood that exemplify their evolution into feminism today. Together, they also share their insights into how feminism functions in academia and in various spaces within society as well. Feminism, to them, means learning to deal with and transform the intersectional systems of oppression, challenging the ideology of oppression as a characteristic of culture. In addition, they share some change strategies and examples of what it looks like to cultivate a positive feminist reality and find the joy in feminism again.Some Questions I Ask: Tell me about where you grew up. (1:29)What do you think of “women only” spaces? (13:08)Have you experienced the belittling of your feminist work? (27:17)What should we do next as individuals within the feminist movement? (48:45)How does rhetoric intersect with your feminist work? (53:29)What do you think are the most salient issues to focus on today? (55:05)In This Episode, You Will Learn: What it looks like to be feminist prior to having mainstream vocabulary for it. (6:00)How Sonja and Karen became feminist. (10:36)How feminist groupthink forces people to focus on oppression rather than solutions. (29:45)How reframing allows someone to operate within oppressive structures. (42:23)Why creating your own reality is essential to influencing the future. (49:43)How Sonja and Karen have evolved as feminists. (56:04)Tips on how to survive and transform spaces as a feminist. (58:34)Host: Jillian FosterGuest: Sonja Foss & Karen FossConnect with Sonja & Karen: Sonja’s WebsiteSonja & Karen’s Published WorksWaveland Press BooksResources: The WingWomen’s Equity Action LeagueWomen Speak: The eloquence of Women’s Lives by Karen & Sonja FossSonia Johnson’s Book ListThe Sex Myth by Rachel Hills Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.