Description
This presentation will discuss how different forms of creative writing can be used to support feminist learning in military contexts. The presentation will discuss two interrelated research projects: (1) fiction-based research about women’s gendered experiences as relates to war, militaries, and paramilitaries; (2) autoethnographic and program evaluation research about expressive writing workshops for women who served in the Canadian military. The presentation will build on contemporary work related to creative methods in military studies (e.g., Cree, 2023) to demonstrate how writing and reading stories about complex women affected by war and (para)militaries can support feminist learning about the interconnections between self and society, civilian and military. Using snippets from short stories, a novel, and an expressive writing chapbook, it will highlight how creative methodologies and imaginative engagement can facilitate a feminist critique of militarism, military power, and military culture. The presentation will conclude with recommendations for engaging with creative forms of research as advocates, researchers, educators, and/or students working in military contexts.
