Finding My . . . A Story of Female Identity

Abstract

This piece delves into an identity shaped by and a history filled with sexual violence. It was created from a performance script, various journal entries, and field notes, using the process of systematic sociological introspection¹ to write through emotional experience. It also takes the form of autoethnographic ² research, where I use self-reflection, connecting personal experience to a larger social context of violence against women. “Finding my . . . ” embodies gender identity and uses voice/telling to show the move into a more confident “self.” While I attempt to make sense out of and share my experiences, I hope to encourage further conversation on this topic and reduce the stigma and shame that accompanies these encounters.