On A Search For Voice Nettie Bozanich ABSTRACT The search for voice is a crucial part of feminist theory. Voice is based on both self-definition and interactions with communities. One challenge is to delineate between outside sources that hinder and foster growth in voice. Sharing personal experiences is crucial in understanding voice. A journey of voice is demonstrated through reading and writing. RESUME La recherche pour une voix est une partie cruciale de la theorie feministe. La vox est basee et sur la quete de soi et sur les interactions avec les communautes. Un defi se detache des sources extemes qui entravent ou qui encouragent le developpement dans la voix. Le partage d'experiences personnelles est crucial a la comprehension de la voix. Un parcours de la voix est decrit a travers la lecture et l'ecriture. From my perspective as a young feminist, voice as individual based and community based. An I have been struggling with how to approach ideas authentic voice begins with personal experience. of voice. After long deliberation, I have decided that Women's lives, though, are relational and therefore the best way for me to convey feminist theory the community and interaction with external bodies regarding voice is to use my own experience. One is necessary in the development of voice. Voice of the primary parts of feminist theory is the quest cannot exist in isolation. If voice is both individual of a female to find her own authentic voice and thus and community based, how is this tension it is necessary to investigate voice in a feminist reconciled? How do we draw the distinction context. between outside influences in the community that I want to demonstrate the importance of enable voice and those voices that are oppressive? personal experience in feminist theory through For Lyn Mikel Brown and Carol Gilligan, defining voice. Since I am a writer, my approach in their book, Meeting At The Crossroads, voice will be literary as I examine searching for voice exists in relationship: "Voice, because it is through reading and writing. It is extremely difficult embodied, connects rather than separates psyche to define voice because it means different things to and body; because voice is in language, it also joins different people. For me, coming to know one's psyche and culture. Voice is inherently relational..." voice is about understanding and taking space for (1992, 20). A voice cannot stand alone because it is the self. Voice is about communication and the developed, in part, through interacting with sharing of experiences. Voice deals with finding community and culture. one's own truth as well as allowing many truths to Issues arise when we analyse these outside coexist. To know one's voice is not about sources. Brown and Gilligan, in their article appropriating the space of others. In order to take up "Listening for Voice in Narratives of Relationship," space, one must give space to others. Space is ask: "Whose voice? In what body? Telling what physical, emotional, psychological, and intellectual. story about relationships (from whose perspective The search for voice, then, deals with self-definition and from what vantage point)? In what societal and self-determination. framework?" (1991,43)? These questions deal with, The development of voice has been, and in part, power structures. The position of an continues to be, discussed by feminist theorists and individual in a society's hierarchy reveals his or her philosophers. Before delving into my experiences biases. Those who are typically marginalized with searching for my own voice, it is necessary to (including people of colour, women, the poor, and investigate the conflicts that exist in theories of disabled) in the political and public sphere are not voice. The tension focuses on issues between the given space for their voices. This oppression is so ingrained that it is a a woman sees her issues as part of a web of issues, force which moulds the oppressed. Morwenna it is easier for her to deal with the authority of Griffiths uses the metaphor of a web to demonstrate outside sources that seek to define her. Any notions the intrinsic nature of oppression: "It [the self], too, that her experiences form an isolated case of is made of nearly invisible, very strong threads hysteria can be eliminated when she sees the attached to the circumstances of its making and patterns of oppression in the lives of other women. under the control of its maker. It, too, is made to Up to this point, dominant society has been suit the purposes of its maker, but the circumstances investigated as the main source of oppressive of the making are not under her control" (1995, 2). authority. It would be a generalization to leave this Dominant society, as the powerful maker, creates claim without further refining it. The nature of the frameworks of voice which are characterized by power of the dominant hierarchy often fosters their authority of definition. Judith Butler offers oppression but it is not possible to simply point to particularization on this power structure: [PJower those who are privileged (white, male, wealthy) in imposes itself on us, and, weakened by its force, we our society as the culprits of oppressive authority. come to internalize or accept its terms" (1997, 2). Non-feminist communities are not inherently The subsequent challenge is how to deal with this oppressive. Groups based on ensuring human rights oppressive outside authority while also trying to and the elimination of other forms of oppression foster positive communities which encourage the (such as racism) are often focused on the same validation of personal truth and experience. goals of allowing self-definition and validating Brown and Gilligan offer insight into this personal experiences. It is difficult and ineffective challenge in their description of a teenage girl to label groups as oppressive or enabling of voice. named Tanya who is dealing with her own search Only tendencies can be articulated, such as the for voice: "Tanya struggles to hold on to her assertion that feminist communities enable the experience - to know what she knows and to speak search for voice to a much greater degree than the in her own voice, to bring knowledge into the world dominant hierarchy. As well, for example, one in which she lives - in the face of authorities and family's structure could be enabling to one conventions that would otherwise muffle her voice individual and oppressive to another individual. and bury her knowledge" (1991, 56). Here, In fact, delineating between positive and knowledge is associated with voice. Tanya's voice negative outside sources of authority is a speaks about her experiences, which form the basis considerable challenge in the search for voice. Mary of her knowledge. Authority and rules which seek Field Belenky, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Nancy to override the personal suppress the individual's Rule Goldberger, and Jill Matfuck Tarule in knowledge and thus, power exists in the hands of Women's Ways of Knowing offer a framework for those who oppress others. Oppression is about determining which outside sources contribute denying space for females like Tanya to express positively to a woman's experience of voice: "[It is] themselves through their own truths. An elaborate relationships that provide women with experiences scheme of oppression is in part the propaganda of mutuality, equality and reciprocity that are most perpetuated by those in power to ensure helpful in eventually enabling them to disentangle powerlessness in the lives of the oppressed. their own voice from the voice of others. It is from For the individual, this theme of just such relationships that women seem to emerge oppression may not be understood on the level of with a powerful sense of their own capacities for one person's struggles. Many individuals such as knowing" (1997, 38). A relationship that allows Tanya are struggling simply in the context of their space for the individual to search, grow, listen and own experiences. One method to deal with speak is an outside source that helps the search for oppressive authority is to connect with those who voice move in exciting and nurturing directions. share similar challenges. Two experiential forms of These positive relationships exist in connection are reading and writing (which will symbiosis with a path of personal validation. constitute the latter half of this paper). A system of Belenky et al. write: "For many of the women [that voice oppression can be seen more clearly in the the authors interviewed], the move away from connections between individual experiences. When silence and an externally oriented perspective on knowledge and truth eventuate in a new conception both important and necessary for foundation and of truth as personal, private and subjectively known context. It is crucial that I travel beyond the or intuited..." (1997, 54). Here, an empowering theoretical and in doing so examine my own search internalization creates a new truth. Outside for voice. I will begin by revealing my bias and knowledge that seeks to define voice loses its sharing some of my experiences with voice in the authority in the experience of learning to validate context of family and education before delving into personal space. my search for voice through reading and writing. Intuition, as well, deals with a personal As a young writer, I seek to come to know validation of truth. It requires listening to the voice my own voice. I consider myself a feminist which within the self and diminishing the voices of is a term that I have learned is unpopular with many authority figures. Belenky et al. address intuition: professors, family members and other people that I "Women's growing reliance on their intuitive encounter in my daily life.