French Feminism

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.