Feminist political theory : an introduction / Valerie Bryson ; foreword by Elizabeth Meehan.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"In virtually all societies, men seem to have more political and economic power than women, and some argue that this power extends into the most intimate aspects of our lives. In debates that go back at least to the seventeenth century, feminist political theorists have challenged such inequality and tried to discover its causes. This book traces the fascinating story of the development of feminist ideas and struggles; it introduces some outstanding personalities from the past and it shows how theoretical disagreements among feminists have affected the course of practical politics." "Feminists have never agreed as to the causes or nature of women's subordination, and the second part of the book analyses the competing theories that underlie contemporary debates. It looks at such issues as whether the liberal demand for equality need involve a denial of the importance of motherhood, whether sexual violence and pornography are central to women's oppression, as some radical feminists claim, whether Marxist feminists are right in seeing gender inequality as a product of the economic system and whether post-modernist theory can provide new insights." "Some feminist ideas are extensions of existing man-made political theories, but many challenge the most basic assumptions of traditional theories and force us to look at these in new ways. This book is therefore essential reading both for all students of political theory and all who are interested in the situation of women and how this can be changed."--Jacket.

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