I’m Sorry, the Old Taylor Can’t Come to the Phone Right Now”: A Case Study on the Taylor Swift’s Political Evolution in the Context of Fourth Wave Feminism
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2025-06-25
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en
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This thesis explores the political awakening and evolution of Taylor Swift through the context
of Fourth Wave Feminism. This feminist wave is characterized by fighting rape culture, using
online feminism, highlighting intersectionality and the importance of celebrity feminism. This
thesis first uses a contextual analysis of this Fourth Wave as it provides a crucial framework
for understanding Swift’s political awakening and evolution. Specifically, her sexual assault
trial stands out as a pivotal moment, where she publicly embraced feminist values and used
her platform to speak out against rape culture. This signified a turning point, ending her
political silence and the beginning of her involvement in politics. Swift’s political behavior,
especially her endorsements, political statements and music, reflects core themes of the
Fourth Wave, such as online feminism and intersectionality. Furthermore, this thesis
examines her political influence by using a secondary data analysis which focuses on the
impact of Swift’s political involvement on increasing political participation and shaping
political attitudes in the United States. It indicates that Swift has political influence in voter
registration, political campaigning, and in shaping public perceptions of her and certain
political candidates. The secondary data analysis and the contextual analysis together give an
extensive picture of Taylor Swift as a political actor.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen