Editor's note: This story is being highlighted in ASU Now's year in review. Read more top stories from 2018 here.
Needlework pieces are often seen as simple decorative heirlooms, but many were actually borne from matters of persecution and strife.
In a computer lab at Arizona State University's Department of English last week, ASU Professor Maureen Goggin pulled up a presentation of early 20th-century needlework items made by feminists and suffragettes, exploring the symbolic meaning behind needlework pieces from throughout history.
"What's important about this piece is that women during this time period were recorded by their prison number and not their name. And yet, this piece shows the names of all the women," GogginGoggin is also the director of writing, rhetorics and literacy. said, pointing to the item pictured at the top of this story. "The juxtaposition of decorative 'fancywork' and the vocalization of each women's name embroidered within the fabric exemplifies needlework as a space where both men and women can express themselves rhetorically."
Goggin said rhetoric is often seen as "empty words," but added, "Rhetoric has everything to do with how we communicate, and needlework was one way for many marginalized individuals to visually do just that."
It's a form of communication that has found renewed popularity among a number of activists today, but it's a practice with its roots stretching back into history. Next time you come across a piece of needlework, take a closer look and you may just find an abundance of subtext hidden within the fabric.
More Law, journalism and politics
New online certificate prepares grad students for complex challenges of US democracy
If United States politics in the 2020s have revealed anything so far, it’s that the U.S. has a complex history with ramifications that still powerfully resound today. In order to help students…
Reporting live from Paris: ASU journalism students to cover Olympic Games
To hear the word Paris is to think of picnics at the base of the Eiffel Tower, long afternoons spent in the Louvre and boat rides on the Seine. Competitive sports aren’t normally top of mind.However…
The ethical costs of advances in AI
Editor's note: This feature article is part of our “AI is everywhere ... now what?” special project exploring the potential (and potential pitfalls) of artificial intelligence in our lives. Explore…