Introducing Contemporary Feminist Thought

This introductory textbook offers a concise and lucid account of the main developments in contemporary feminist thinking, and demonstrates the centrality of feminist thought to all areas of intellectual enquiry. In a wide-ranging discussion, Evans argues that most accounts of the world since the Enlightenment have been constructed in terms of a distinction between the public and the private which excluded women. Using both historical and more recent examples, she examines the breadth and complexity of feminist thinking, focusing on key themes such as the body, representation, engendering knowledge, and the relationship between women and the state. Evans argues that feminist thought seeks less to add to existing theory than to re-theorize the social and symbolic worlds; no contemporary account of these worlds, she suggests, is complete without a discussion of the implications of gender difference. This book offers a clear and coherent guide to contemporary feminism for students of women's studies, gender studies, sociology, social theory and literary theory.

A classic resource on feminist theory, Feminist Thought offers a clear, comprehensive, and incisive introduction to the major traditions of feminist theory, from liberal feminism, radical feminism, and Marxist and socialist feminism to care-focused feminism, psychoanalytic feminism, and ecofeminism. The fifth edition has been thoroughly revised, and now includes a new chapter on Third Wave and Third Space Feminism. Also added to this edition are significantly expanded discussions on women of color feminisms, psychoanalytic and care feminisms, as well as new examinations of queer theory, LGBTQ and trans feminism. Learning tools like end-of-chapter discussion questions and the bibliography make Feminist Thought an essential resource for students and thinkers who want to understand the theoretical origins and complexities of contemporary feminist debates.

Contemporary Feminist Theories was inspired by a dissatisfaction with existing introductions, which often fail to fully track change and capture diversity within feminist thought. The volume draws on the expertise of a range of Western feminists in order to reflect the breadth of feminist theory as well as shifts within it. Each chapter maps the development of feminist thought in a particular area over time, and suggests future directions.

In this survey of feminist theory, Rosemarie Tong provides coverage of the psychoanalytic, existential and postmodern schools of feminism. The author guides the reader through the complexities of even the most notoriously difficult thinkers. Students will meet and become familiar with many of the essential figures in the feminist tradition, from Wollstonecraft and Engel, on through de Beauvoir, Dinnerstein, and Daly, and up to Mitchell and Cixous. The text treats all views with respect and encourages students to think critically and sympathetically about a wide range of views that have a direct relevance to their own lives.

"This combination text and reader provides an introduction to contemporary feminist theory oriented toward undergraduates as well as master;s-level students. Its organization around substantive topics and issues rather than conventional categories of feminist thinking effectively conveys the breadth and depth of feminist theorizing, demonstrating the intersections and eclecticism that have become its hallmark. It offers a strong, multicultural dimension, integrating diversity (race, ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation) within the discussion of substantive topics. As a supplement or as a main text, it will prove highly useful in courses in feminist theory and women;s studies, as well as in gender studies, sociology of women, and contemporary social/sociological theory."--Pub desc.

Within much contemporary feminist theory there is a tendency to forget or ignore its own historicity and consider itself as primarily oriented towards the present. This book explores the historical roots of some of feminism’s central concepts and debates, examining the philosophical conditions for feminist thought and taking as its point of departure the dynamic relationship between feminist thought and the history of philosophy. With close attention to the genealogy of key concepts such as equality, sex/gender and difference, alongside discussions of contemporary gender equality policy and contextual understandings of central figures including Wollstonecraft, Beauvoir and Irigaray, The Genealogy of Modern Feminist Thinking provides an analysis of feminism from its origins in the Early Modern period to its contemporary, post-modern forms. Shedding light on feminism as a product of Modernity and establishing it as part of the canon of European intellectual development, this book thus corrects the picture of feminism as a phenomenon that lacks historical continuity, revealing a history characterized by breaks, setbacks and forgetting, in which the forgetting itself forms part of a rich genealogy. As such, it will be of interest to philosophers, sociologists, political theorists and intellectual historians alike.

Introduction to Feminist Thought and Action is an accessible foundation that whets appetite for further study. It provides a non-US-centric introduction to gender studies, covering topics like 19th-century African, Chinese, and Arab movements, and foregrounds Black and Indigenous feminisms. Several case studies—the Aztecs and the Spanish, Agriculture and Gender, Beauty and Authority, Racial Stereotypes, and US Voting Rights—reveal how the interconnected architecture of privilege and oppression affects issues like globalization, media, and the environment. Feminist theories about race, sexuality, class, disabilities, and more culminate in step-by-step instructions for applying intersectionality and practicing activism. Rich with 19 diverse first-person voices, it brings feminism to life and lives to feminism.

A clear, comprehensive, and indispensable introduction to the major traditions of feminist theory, Feminist Thought includes incisive, critical examinations of liberal feminism, radical feminism, Marxist and socialist feminism, and ecofeminism. This third edition has been thoroughly reformulated and expanded to include the latest developments in feminist thought, including a new chapter on care-focused feminism (Chapter 5), an exploration of the connections of multicultural and global feminism with postcolonial feminism (Chapter 6), and a close consideration of the links between postmodern feminism and third-wave feminism (Chapter 8). Key feminist theorists such as Judith Butler, Martha Nussbaum, and Eva Feder Kittay receive new or extended discussions. The bibliography, organized by topics within chapters, provides an invaluable aid to further research. An illuminating guide to the diversity of feminism, Feminist Thought continues to serve as the essential resource for students and thinkers who want to understand the theoretical origins and complexities of contemporary feminist debates. Contents Introduction; the Diversity of Feminist Thinking 1. Liberal Feminism 2. Radical Feminism; Libertarian and Cultural Perspectives 3. Marxist and Socialist Feminism; Classical and Contemporary 4. Psychoanalytic Feminism 5. Care-focused Feminism 6. Multicultural, Global, and Postcolonial Feminism 7. Ecofeminism 8. Postmodern and Third-wave Feminism Conclusion; Margins and Centers