Feminism: Ideas in Profile

Description

'Feminism' wrote Marie Shear in 1986, 'is the radical notion that women are people'. But, simple and powerful though this definition is, feminism is not a single, clear narrative. It doesn't begin with a specific event at a particular moment in time, it can't be identified with any one political organisation or movement, and it isn't defined by the contributions of a handful of great thinkers. Here, Professor Deborah Cameron unpicks the various strands that constitute one of history's most important intellectual and political movements. In her clear and incisive account, she discusses oppression, sexuality, violence, academic theory and practical activism, shows how feminism can be a way of viewing the world and provides an overview of its history. In an era of #metoo, pay gap scandals and online harassment, it's impossible to deny that gender inequality is a fact of life. And as long as that continues to be true, we will need to understand and engage with the ideas and history of the feminist movement.

Deborah Cameron is the Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Worcester College, Oxford. Find her on Twitter @wordspinster or on her blog at www.debuk.wordpress.com

An energetic primer on women's rights, both past and present. Cameron breaks key topics down in a clear and comprehensible way, without ever seeming patronising...The suggested reading at the end is a delight * Diva * Relevant to both general readers and veteran feminist scholars and activist...A lucid entry point into our current puzzling feminist moment * Times Higher Education *