Exploring dominant discourses: creating spaces to find voice and cultural identity.

This paper presents the experiences of five women's (of three nationalities and different ethnic backgrounds) challenging dominant cultural discourses and finding their own voice. Starting from a class assignment and individual papers, the five women engaged in a participatory writing project that helped them critically examine dominant discourses of their home countries, the US and other countries, and reflect on how they have been constrained by these dominant discourses and how they have resisted them.