French Feminist Theory: An Introduction

Description

French Feminist Theory offers an introduction to the key concepts and themes in French feminist thought, both the materialist and the linguistic/psychoanalytic traditions. These are explored through the work of a wide range of theorists. The book outlines the philosophical and political diversity of French feminism, setting developments in the field in the particular cultural and social contexts in which they have emerged and unfolded. The principal areas covered are: ongoing debates on the cultural construction and definition of sexual and gendered idenities; the relationship between subjectivity and language; the roles played by both private and public institutions in the shaping of sexual relations; the issue of embodiment; and the relationship between gender, sexuality and race. Finally, the book traces the connections between French and Anglo-American feminist approaches and methodologies.

Dani Cavallaro is a freelance writer specializing in literary studies, critical and cultural theory and the visual arts. Her publications include The Gothic Vision, Critical and Cultural Theory and Cyberpunk and Cyberculture.

"In an important contribution to both feminist theory and the intellectual history of the twentieth-century France, Dani Cavallaro delivers a comprehensive and much needed primer in French feminist theory... Cavallaro's book stands as a deeply important work that fills a gap in feminist scholarship in the English-speaking world."- Janus Head, Winter 2005/06 -- Janus Head