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Have we entered a historical moment of 'post-feminism'? The essays in this text brings together different perspectives from some of the most exciting feminist writing in France.
Have we entered a historical moment of 'post-feminism'? This volume presents a timely and convincing 'no'. These essays demonstrate that there is a new generation of French women who take up questions of equality and difference from a position distinct from either first or second wave feminism, a position that often attempts to move beyond the binary of equality and/or difference to a new form of the individual.
Feminism in France has a long and continuous history which stretches right back to the Middle Ages where one finds texts by women denouncing inequality and the unjust subordination of their sex. In the late sixties and early seventies of this century, however, one finds a radical break with the feminism that preceded it. Marked by a libertarian culture influenced by Marxism, socialism and psychoanalysis, the feminism of the 1970s rejected the reformist and legal vision of women's emancipation, politicised the private sphere, and demanded social and political equality. This remarkable anthology of 35 texts, freshly translated for this volume, vividly maps the terrain of French feminism in its contemporary context from the 1970s onwards. Bringing together the seminal writings of both scholars and activists, the volume will help readers to grasp the questions, the challenges, and the progress of reflection. The essays are divided into seven sections: - The Women's Liberation Movement in France - Women and Creativity - Writing History / Rewriting History - Race, Class, Gender - Legal Bodies / Women's Bodies - Occupying / Capturing Political Space - Feminists Defetishize Theory - Feminist Mappings Overall, this absorbing volume gives voice to the extraordinary range of contemporary French feminism. Each section is preceded by an introduction which places the contributions in their material and social contexts to show how French feminism has evolved in response to concrete struggles and institutional constraints as much as to sophisticated intellectual discourse. Given its unique comparative framework and wide-ranging coverage, this volume will attract the attention of students and scholars in the fields of feminism, gender and women's studies, sociology, history, literature, anthropology, and philosophy.
Feminism in France charts the evolution of the women’s liberation in France (MLF) from its emergence in 1968 to the present. Claire Duchen provides a lucid and compelling account of different feminist practices in France, clarifying the divergent political stances and the feminist theory that informs them. The remarkably clear introduction to French feminist theory, notably of Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous, places it in its wider intellectual and political context and illuminates the complex connection of feminist thinking to other strands of contemporary French thought, represented by philosophers such as Michel Foucault and Jacques Lacan. The author’s role as ‘participant observer’ and her inclusion of interviews with French activists enhance her discussion, complementing the analytical with the immediacy of lived experience. ‘Claire Duchen’s lucid and succinct account is both timely and valuable.’ – Harriet Gilbert, New Statesman ‘Lucid, sympathetic and very helpful book on the French women’s movement ... will help us to understand the French feminist world much better.’ – Sian Reynolds, Women’s Review ‘An excellent introduction to French feminist theory which clarifies feminism in contemporary French thought, and includes illuminating interviews with activists.’ - SHE
Daughters of 1968 is the story of French feminism between 1944 and 1981, when feminism played a central political role in the history of France. The key women during this epoch were often leftists committed to a materialist critique of society and were part of a postwar tradition that produced widespread social change, revamping the workplace and laws governing everything from abortion to marriage. The May 1968 events--with their embrace of radical individualism and antiauthoritarianism--triggered a break from the past, and the women's movement split into two strands. One became universalist and intensely activist, the other particularist and less activist, distancing itself from contemporary feminism. This theoretical debate manifested itself in battles between women and organizations on the streets and in the courts. The history of French feminism is the history of women's claims to individualism and citizenship that had been granted their male counterparts, at least in principle, in 1789. Yet French women have more often donned the mantle of particularism, advancing their contributions as mothers to prove their worth as citizens, than they have thrown it off, claiming absolute equality. The few exceptions, such as Simone de Beauvoir or the 1970s activists, illustrate the diversity and tensions within French feminism, as France moved from a corporatist and tradition-minded country to one marked by individualism and modernity.
“In this entertaining academic history of these rival magazines, Mesch . . . explores the emergence of the working woman in France.” —Publishers Weekly At once deeply historical and surprisingly timely, Having It All in the Belle Epoque shows how the debates that continue to captivate high-achieving women in America and Europe can be traced back to the early 1900s in France. The first two photographic magazines aimed at women, Femina and La Vie Heureuse created a female role model who could balance age-old convention with new equalities. Often referred to simply as the “modern woman,” this captivating figure embodied the hopes and dreams as well as the most pressing internal conflicts of large numbers of French women during what was a period of profound change. Full of never-before-studied images of the modern French woman in action, Having It All shows how these early magazines exploited new photographic technologies, artistic currents, and literary trends to create a powerful model of French femininity, one that has exerted a lasting influence on French expression. This book introduces and explores the concept of Belle Epoque literary feminism, a product of the elite milieu from which the magazines emerged. Defined by its refusal of political engagement, this feminism was nevertheless preoccupied with expanding women’s roles, as it worked to construct a collective fantasy of female achievement. Through an astute blend of historical research, literary criticism, and visual analysis, Mesch’s study of women’s magazines and the popular writers associated with them offers an original window onto a bygone era that can serve as a framework for ongoing debates about feminism, femininity, and work-life tensions
1975 was a key year for the women's movement in France. Through a critical exploration of the politics, activism and cultural creativity of that moment, this book evaluates the achievements and legacies of second wave French feminism for subsequent 'waves', including the movement's contemporary resurgence.
Feminism has dramatically influenced the way literary texts are read, taught and evaluated. Feminist literary theory has deliberately transgressed traditional boundaries between literature, philosophy and the social sciences in order to understand how gender has been constructed and represented through language. This lively and thought-provoking Companion presents a range of approaches to the field. Some of the essays demonstrate feminist critical principles at work in analysing texts, while others take a step back to trace the development of a particular feminist literary method. The essays draw on a range of primary material from the medieval period to postmodernism and from several countries, disciplines and genres. Each essay suggests further reading to explore this field further. This is the most accessible guide available both for students of literature new to this developing field, and for students of gender studies and readers interested in the interactions of feminism, literary criticism and literature.
An accessible introduction to French feminist theory and contemporary French women's writing for non-French speakers. The book offers a context to this challenging, controversial body of work by giving clear accounts of the philosophical, post-structural and psychoanalytic debates which have had such an impact on French intellectual life in recent years, and to which French feminist writers offer a response.
This book aims to introduce, situate and contextualize the fictional work by women in the post-war period in France as well as to develop a feminist analysis of the work in French feminist theory. The writers treated include those from an earlier generation, such as Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras, Christine Rochefort, Genevieve Serreau and Monique Wittig, as well as Marie Cardinal, Annie Ernaux, Djanet Lachmet, Claire Etcherelli, Michele Perrein and the exponents of ecriture feminine associated with des femmes publishers and the psychanalyse et politique group, such as Chantal Chawaf and Helene Cixous.