New French Feminism - An Anthology 1980

279 sivua, kovakantinen. Loistava kokoelma klassista ranskalaista feminismiä mutta kunnolla merkintöjä.

Anthology

New French Feminisms: An Anthology is a landmark 1980 collection edited by Elaine Marks and Isabelle de Courtivron. It introduced English-speaking readers to post-1968 French feminist theory, emphasizing psychoanalysis, linguistics, and the politics of sexual difference. [1, 2, 3]

Key Themes and Focus

• Linguistic & Psychoanalytic Focus: Unlike the more pragmatic/social-science approach of Anglo-American feminism at the time, French texts explored how patriarchal structures are embedded directly within language and the unconscious. [1]

• Bridging the Gap: The book aimed to make post-1968 French writings accessible, translating works that had previously remained confined to French intellectual circles. [1]

• Diverse Voices: It compiled over 50 excerpts from major theorists, writers, and activists. [1]

Prominent Contributors Included

• Hélène Cixous: Known for conceptualizing "écriture féminine" (women's writing linked to the female body).

• Luce Irigaray: Explored psychoanalysis and the philosophical erasure of female identity.

• Julia Kristeva: Contributed core concepts intersecting semiotics, linguistics, and psychoanalysis.

• Simone de Beauvoir: Featured as the foundational intellectual predecessor following her 1949 work The Second Sex.

• Monique Wittig & Christine Delphy: Represented materialist and lesbian-feminist perspectives that challenged idealist psychoanalytic approaches.

• Synopsis

  Since 1968, feminist theory has been the subject of much serious intellectual inquiry in France. While the French are familiar with American feminist texts, the opposite is not true - American knowledge of French feminist writing is often limited to Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex," published in 1949. This anthology of NEW FRENCH FEMINISMS is an attempt to bridge that gap.The editors have included over fifty selections of recent French feminist writing, most of which have never before been translated into English, and some of which have never been published in either French or English. The selections reflect the wide spectrum of theories comprising the French feminist movement. These theories complement the more pragmatic and empirical approach of American feminists, for they emphasize dialectical thought, psychoanalytic and linguistic theory, and the politics of language and culture.The editors provide introductory essays that discuss the history of French discourses on feminism and analyze the post-1968 developments. They also supply a chronological table outlining both the major events of French history and those of the French feminist movement, as well as a bio/bibliography and a bibliography.