MeToo stirred the debate about sexual harassment and abuse and its normalization in society. This examination of #MeToo follows the actors, mobilization and trajectory of this latest instance of women's issues going viral. While the hashtag spread globally and throughout many realms, this investigation is focused on the developments in the US from its beginning in October 2017 to July 2019, the end of this research. The application of Charles Tilly and Sidney Tarrow's theory of contentious politics provides insights into #MeToo and enables the (in)validation of their theory for online contention at the same time. A selection of articles from The New York Times supports the theory-testing and portrays the debate #MeToo caused in a leading online newspaper. Given the overview gained, #MeToo and online activism in general are evaluated on their usability to further feminist causes towards gender equality. Central outcomes are not only the validation of the theory for online contention, but the mainstreaming of discourse on sexual harassment and abuse as well as beginning changes in the US judiciary on the topic.

Autorentext

Lisa Hermanns holds a Master degree in Global Studies and lives in Vienna. With her NGO CUBE. Your Take on Europe, she works to improve political participation for youth in European politics.