X-rays of Broken Silence: Clotheslines of Harassment and Narratives of Resistance at the University of Sonora

Abstract

At the University of Sonora, harassment clotheslines emerge as symbolic acts that break historical silences surrounding gender-based violence. These expressions, both physical and digital, not only denounce but also reconfigure the university space as a territory of memory, resistance, and collective action. This presentation analyzes harassment clotheslines as discursive practices that challenge institutional hierarchies and generate new forms of visibility and justice. Drawing on symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1982; Goffman, 2006), we explore how the messages on the clotheslines construct shared meanings that transcend individual complaints. Using discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2008), we examine how these narratives confront dominant meanings about violence, power, and impunity. A qualitative approach was employed through the analysis of five harassment clotheslines carried out between 2018 and 2023—three virtual and two physical—along with interviews and a focus group with key participants. The study reveals an emotional density marked by indignation and courage, as well as collective strategies that re-signify the university space and question the institutional response. Far from being simple instruments of denunciation, harassment clotheslines emerge as powerful communicative devices capable of transforming the symbolic landscape of the university, fostering counter-hegemonic narratives, and opening pathways toward new forms of political and community action.