Feminist Political Theory

Feminist theory is a challenging and often deeply divided body of thought that raises issues which affect us all. In this, her third edition of the highly successful Feminist Political Theory, Valerie Bryson provides both a wide-ranging history of Western feminist thought, from medieval times to the present day, and a lucid analysis of contemporary feminist politics and debates.

Fully updated to cover the latest feminist scholarship throughout, this timely new edition provides an accessible and thought-provoking exploration of complex theories related to 'real-life' issues such as sexual violence, political representation, transgender rights, cyberfeminism and globalisation.

With unrivalled scope, depth and accessibility, this new edition of Valerie Bryson's Feminist Political Theory is set to be the go-to text on feminism for students and researchers – or indeed anyone interested in gender justice.

Introduction

1. A (Partial) History of Feminist Political Theory
2. Different Kinds of Feminism
3. Feminist Political Theory Past and Present

PART I: EARLY FEMINIST THOUGHT
1. Seventeenth-century feminism in Continental Europe and Britain
2. Early British feminism and the ideas of Mary Astell
3. The Enlightenment and early liberal feminism
4. Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Woman
5. The utopian socialists and feminism
6. Wheeler and Thompson's Appeal On Behalf of Women

PART II: LIBERALISM AND BEYOND: MAINSTREAM FEMINISM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
1. Feminism in the United States: Maria Stewart and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
2. Evangelical Christianity and the Temperance and Anti-slavery Movements
3. The Seneca Falls Convention
4. The Analysis of Sexual and Personal Oppression
5. Education, Religion and the Woman's Bible
6. Class, Race and Racism
7. Stanton's Feminism
8. Feminism in Britain and Mill's The Subjection of Women
9. The Spread of Feminist Ideas
10. John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women

PART III: THE CONTRIBUTION OF MARX AND ENGELS
1. Classic Marxist theory Engels' The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
2. Feminist criticisms of Engels
3. Marxism as a (Problematic) Feminist Resource
4. Production and Reproduction
5. Ideology and Alienation
6. The Limitations of Political and Legal Reform

PART IV: THE VOTE AND AFTER: MAINSTREAM FEMINISM IN THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN FROM THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1. The Situation of Women in the Late Nineteenth Century
2. The Suffrage Campaign
3. Equality or Difference?
4. Anti-democratic and Racist Strands in the Suffrage Campaign
5. Socialism, Black Feminism and the Suffrage Campaign
6. Christabel Pankhurst
7. After the Vote: the Re-emergence of Contradictions
8. Equal Rights v. Welfare Feminism in the United States
9. Equal Rights v. Welfare Feminism in Britain
10. Birth Control
11. Beyond Equality v. Welfare

PART V: LEFT-WING FEMINISM IN BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES
1. Britain Sylvia Pankhurst
2. The United States Charlotte Perkins Gilman
3. Emma Goldman's Anarchist Feminism
4. American Communism and Women, White and Black

PART VI: MARXIST FEMINISM IN GERMANY AND RUSSIA
1. Marxist Feminism in Germany
2. Bebel's Woman Under Socialism Clara Zetkin
3. Marxist Feminism in Russia
4. Early Russian Feminism
5. Orthodox Marxist Feminism in Russia
6. The Ideas of Alexandra Kollantai

PART VII: FEMINISM AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1. The Situation of Western Women in the Mid-twentieth Century
2. Communism and Developments in Black Feminism
3. Simone de Beauvoir and The Second Sex
4. Existentialism Applied to Women
5. Feminist Responses to The Second Sex
6. De Beauvoir's Life and Influence

PART VIII: LIBERALISM AND BEYOND: FEMINISM AND EQUAL RIGHTS FROM THE 1960s
1. Betty Friedan and the Politics of NOW
2. Subsequent Developments
3. From 'Backlash' to 'Power Feminism'
4. Susan Okin and a Feminist Theory of Justice
5. Equal Rights Feminism: Critical Analysis and Debate
6. Equality
7. The State, Capitalism and Men
8. The Public/Private Distinction
9. Individualism and Individual Rights
10. Reason, Knowledge and Ethical Thought
11. Feminism, Equal Rights and Liberalism by the End of the Twentieth Century

PART IX: RADICAL FEMINISM AND THE CONCEPT OF PATRIARCHY
1. The Origins of Radical Feminism
2. Kate Millett and the Theory of Patriarchy
3. Criticisms of the Concept of Patriarchy
4. Politics and Personal Life
5. A Merely Descriptive Approach?
6. An Over-generalised and a-historical Account?
7. Women Good, Men Bad: an Essentialist View of Sex Difference?
8. The Concept of Patriarchy by the End of the Twentieth Century

PART X: RADICAL FEMINISM: PATRIARCHY IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE
1. Patriarchy and the Family
2. Psychoanalytic Theory: Parenting and the Acquisition of Sexual Identity
3. Domestic Labour
4. Domestic Violence and Emotional Exploitation
5. Patriarchy, Sexuality and Sexual Violence
6. The Attack on Heterosexuality
7. Sexual Violence and Pornography
8. Patriarchy and Reproduction
9. Reproductive Technology
10. Mothering and Eco-feminism
11. Patriarchy and the State
12. Patriarchy and the Economic System
13. Patriarchy, 'man-made language' and Knowledge
14. Conclusions: the Impact of Radical Feminism

PART XI: MARXIST AND SOCIALIST FEMINISM FROM THE 1960s
1. Political and Ideological Context
2. The Domestic Labour Debate
3. Women and the Labour Market
4. Two Systems or One? 'Dual systems' v. 'capitalist patriarchy'
5. The Material Basis Revisited
6. Alienation
7. Feminist Standpoint Theory
8. Ideology, the Family and 'structures of oppression'
9. The 'cultural turn'
10. Socialist Feminist Strategies
11. Socialist and Marxist Feminism by the End of the Twentieth Century

PART XII: THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS: POSTMODERN FEMINISMS AND BEYOND
1. Theoretical Developments: Postmodern Feminisms and Beyond
2. Postmodernism: Knowledge, Language, Power and Identity
3. 'French feminism' Judith Butler
4. Gender, Sex and Performativity
5. The 'doer' Behind the 'deed'
6. Queer Theory
7. Feminist Applications of Postmodern Theory
8. Beyond Equality v. Difference Debates
9. The 'doing' and Undoing of Gender: Gender Roles, the State and Pornography
10. Feminist Criticisms of Postmodernism
11. Postmodern Feminism and Earlier Feminist Thought
12. Empty Gestures?
13. An End to Feminist Politics?
14. Postmodernism and Feminism: into the Twenty-First Century

PART XIII: THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS: POSTCOLONIAL FEMINISM, BLACK FEMINISM AND INTERSECTIONALITY
1. Postcolonial Feminism
2. Western Feminist Responses
3. Black Feminism
4. Between Gender and Race: the Marginalisation of Black Women
5. Black Women: from Margin to Centre
6. Intersectionality
7. Black Feminism: Critical Debates
8. Twenty-first Century Developments in Black Feminist Thought
9. Intersectionality
10. Developments and Debates
11. Conclusions

PART XIV: WESTERN FEMINIST THEORY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: DEVELOPMENTS IN LIBERAL AND SOCIALIST THOUGHT
1. Liberalism and Feminism: Theoretical Developments
2. Care and the Human Condition
3. Rights and Capabilities
4. The Limits of Toleration and the Nature of 'choice'
5. Developments in Socialist and Marxist Feminist Thought
6. Critiques of Global Capitalism
7. Care and Capitalism

PART XV: WESTERN FEMINISM IN THE TWENTY
FIRST-CENTURY: CONTINUITIES, CHALLENGES AND CHANGE
1. The Context of Twenty-First Century Feminism
2. Counting the Waves
3. The Third Wave: Everyone Welcome, Come as You Please!
4. The Fourth Wave: Getting Angry Again
5. Feminists in Cyberspace
6. Cyberfeminism
7. Feminism Goes Online
8. Cybersexism and Other Problems
9. Transgender/Transsexual Issues
10. Terminology and History
11. Feminist Responses
12. Unpacking the Debate
13. Implications for Feminist Politics
14. Conclusions: Feminist Political Theory Today