Materialist Feminism


Book Description

During the 1980s, capitalism triumphantly secured its global reach, anti-communist ideologies hammered home socialism's inherent failure, the New Left increasingly moved into the professional middle class--and many of feminism's earlier priorities were marginalized. "Identity politics", often formulated in terms of social reconstructionism or multiculturalism, has increasingly suppressed materialist feminism's systematic perspective, replacing it with discourse analysis or cultural politics. Materialist Feminism: A Reader argues against the retreat to multiculturalism for keeping invisible the material links among the explosion of meaning-making practices in highly industrialized social sectors, the exploitation of women's labor, and the appropriation of women's bodies that continues to undergird the scramble for profits and state power in multinational capitalism.




Material Feminisms


Book Description

Harnessing the energy of provocative theories generated by recent understandings of the human body, the natural world, and the material world, Material Feminisms presents an entirely new way for feminists to conceive of the question of materiality. In lively and timely essays, an international group of feminist thinkers challenges the assumptions and norms that have previously defined studies about the body. These wide-ranging essays grapple with topics such as the material reality of race, the significance of sexual difference, the impact of disability experience, and the complex interaction between nature and culture in traumatic events such as Hurricane Katrina. By insisting on the importance of materiality, this volume breaks new ground in philosophy, feminist theory, cultural studies, science studies, and other fields where the body and nature collide.




Material Girls


Book Description

'A clear, concise, easy-to-read account of the issues between sex, gender and feminism . . . an important book' Evening Standard 'A call for cool heads at a time of great heat and a vital reminder that revolutions don't always end well' Sunday Times Material Girls is a timely and trenchant critique of the influential theory that we all have an inner feeling known as a gender identity, and that this feeling is more socially significant than our biological sex. Professor Kathleen Stock surveys the philosophical ideas that led to this point, and closely interrogates each one, from De Beauvoir's statement that, 'One is not born, but rather becomes a woman' (an assertion she contends has been misinterpreted and repurposed), to Judith Butler's claim that language creates biological reality, rather than describing it. She looks at biological sex in a range of important contexts, including women-only spaces and resources, healthcare, epidemiology, political organization and data collection. Material Girls makes a clear, humane and feminist case for our retaining the ability to discuss reality, and concludes with a positive vision for the future, in which trans rights activists and feminists can collaborate to achieve some of their political aims.




Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourse


Book Description

Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourseconfronts the impasses in materialist feminist work on rethinking ‘woman’ as a discursively constructed subject. The book looks at the problem of examining critically the social dimensions on which theories of discourse are premised: how such theories understand ‘materiality’; the relation between ‘women’s experience’ and feminist politics, and that between history and discourse. Rosemary Hennessy considers the work of Kristeva, Foucault, Laclau and Mouffe, and argues for a materialist feminist re-articulation of discourse as ideology. Concerns over identity and difference are incorporated into a rewriting of materialist feminism's analysis of women's oppression across capitalist and patriarchal structures. In adapting postmodernist theories in this way, Hennessy develops a project of social change, where feminism, while maintaining its specificity, is necessarily aligned with other emancipatory movements.




Between Feminism and Materialism


Book Description

Between Feminism and Materialism is a bold attempt to make sense of the relationship between feminist theory and capitalism. Addressing a number of philosophical problems that have engaged feminists over the last few decades—universals and reason, nature and essentialism, identity and non-identity, sex and gender, power and patriarchy, local and global—this innovative book breaks through feminist waves and explains the paradoxes of feminist theory by demonstrating the on-going relevance of dialectics and the concepts of exploitation, ideology, and reification. Drawing on first, second, and third "waves" of feminist theory, this exciting combination of existentialism, phenomenology, and critical theory delivers a proactive feminism ready to respond to the challenges presented by our thoroughly modern times.




Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourse (RLE Feminist Theory)


Book Description

Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourse confronts the impasses in materialist feminist work on rethinking ‘woman’ as a discursively constructed subject. The book looks at the problem of examining critically the social dimensions on which theories of discourse are premised: how such theories understand ‘materiality’; the relation between ‘women’s experience’ and feminist politics, and that between history and discourse. Rosemary Hennessy considers the work of Kristeva, Foucault, Laclau and Mouffe, and argues for a materialist feminist re-articulation of discourse as ideology. Concerns over identity and difference are incorporated into a rewriting of materialist feminism's analysis of women's oppression across capitalist and patriarchal structures. In adapting postmodernist theories in this way, Hennessy develops a project of social change, where feminism, while maintaining its specificity, is necessarily aligned with other emancipatory movements.




Feminism and Method


Book Description

Naples draws on different research topics, such as welfare, poverty, sexual identity, and sexual abuse, to illustrate some of the most salient dilemmas of feminist research: the debate over objectivity, the paradox of discourse, the dilemma of "standpoint," and the challenges of activist research. By linking important feminist theoretical debates with case studies, Naples illustrates the strategies she developed for resolving the challenges posed be postmodern, Third World, postcolonial, and queer studies.




Materialist Feminism


Book Description

Materialist feminism is not an unproblematic term. Its relationship to what was called 'socialist feminism' in the 1970s and early 1980s is far from clear. This special issue of SAQ does not resolve these questions. Instead of providing a theory of materialist feminism in the abstract, the authors have tried to build up a provisional, tentative picture of what a 'materialist feminism' might look like in the 1990s.




Materialist Feminism


Book Description




Marxist Feminism


Book Description

Why is "Marxist Feminism" essential within the "Political Science" series? This book is your gateway to understanding how Marxism and feminism intersect to address issues of class, gender oppression, and social change. It provides an in-depth exploration of how these two powerful frameworks combine to critique and transform society. By reading this book, you will gain critical insights into the ways that economic and gender inequalities are intertwined and how they can be addressed through a Marxist feminist lens. 1-Marxist Feminism-Introduction to the core principles and key debates in Marxist feminism. 2-Socialist Feminism-Explores how socialist feminism bridges Marxist and feminist theory. 3-Materialist Feminism-Examines how material conditions shape gender and class oppression. 4-Feminist Movements and Ideologies-Overview of global feminist movements and their ideologies. 5-Feminist Political Theory-Discusses feminist approaches to political theory and their Marxist connections. 6-Marxist Schools of Thought-Overview of different Marxist theories relevant to feminist analysis. 7-Wages for Housework-Analyzes the campaign for recognizing domestic labor as economically valuable. 8-Marxism and the Oppression of Women-Explores how Marxist theory addresses gender oppression. 9-Immaterial Labor-Discusses the role of non-physical labor in capitalist economies and its gendered implications. 10-Reproductive Labor-Examines the economic and social significance of reproductive work. 11-Alexandra Kollontai-Highlights the contributions of Kollontai to Marxist feminist thought. 12-Critical Criminology-Discusses how Marxist feminism critiques traditional criminology. 13-Silvia Federici-Focuses on Federici's work on the intersection of capitalism, gender, and labor. 14-Heidi Hartmann-Analyzes Hartmann's theory of the 'unhappy marriage' of Marxism and feminism. 15-Rosemary Hennessy-Explores Hennessy's work on capitalism, culture, and feminist theory. 16-Lise Vogel-Discusses Vogel's analysis of social reproduction within a Marxist feminist framework. 17-Historical Materialism-Explores how historical materialism informs feminist analysis of society. 18-Feminist Urbanism-Examines how feminist theory critiques urban spaces and their design. 19-Feminism of the 99%-Discusses the global movement advocating for an inclusive, anti-capitalist feminism. 20-Caliban and the Witch-Analyzes the historical roots of capitalist exploitation and gender oppression. 21-The Traffic in Women-Explores the political economy of sex and gender relations in capitalism. By investing in "Marxist Feminism," you are not merely acquiring a book; you are gaining access to a transformative understanding of how class and gender intersect in shaping our world. This knowledge is indispensable for anyone committed to social justice and eager to explore the possibilities of systemic change through a Marxist feminist perspective.




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