Lynn S Chancer

After the Rise and Stall of American Feminism

Taking Back a Revolution

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Lynn S. Chancer is Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and Executive Officer of the Ph.D. Program in Sociology at The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is the author of four books and numerous articles on everything from gender, race, and class to pornography, prostitution, and beauty.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Stanford University Press
• Seitenzahl: 264
• Erscheinungstermin: 26. Februar 2019
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 218mm x 147mm x 28mm
• Gewicht: 499g
• ISBN-13: 9780804774376
• ISBN-10: 0804774374
• Artikelnr.: 50905692

Autorenporträt

Lynn S. Chancer is Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and Executive Officer of the Ph.D. Program in Sociology at The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is the author of four books and numerous articles on everything from gender, race, and class to pornography, prostitution, and beauty.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents and Abstracts
1Taking Stock
chapter abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the book and introduces the argument
that commonalities and differences are both needed for a revitalized
feminist movement. A review of progress and pitfalls, including ongoing
ambivalence about the word feminism, is offered. Four shared causes are
suggested: inequalities in the workplace and at schools, personal freedoms
and reproductive justice, ending violence against women, and the problem of
sexist imagery. These are linked with "partial successes" aimed at
reframing these social problems. For instance, achieving gender parities in
the political and economic realms, where the United States still lags, will
likely require availability of high-quality and affordable daycare for all
women. Likewise, stereotypes may not be overcome until women have equal
power and control of the culture industries. Finally, the chapter provides
brief previews of the volume.
2Debating the "F" Word
chapter abstract
Aiming at identifying a set of reasons for ambivalence still felt by many
women (and men) toward the word feminist, this chapter begins by exploring
early antifeminist reactions that sought to stigmatize feminists as
judgmental and "anti-male." The author argues that judgments also sometimes
divided feminists themselves, from the second wave onward. Moreover,
problems involving women who pursued careers and those who worked at home
may have unwittingly become separated as "mass issues" as the American
feminist movement unfolded. Other reasons cited for ambivalence include
insufficient attention to race and class differences among women, and the
structurally divisive character of gender itself, which often goes
unrecognized. The chapter underscores the importance of taking feminist
standpoints on social issues rather than judging individuals; such
standpoints can inform policy positions so that all women's needs and
experiences are constructively encompassed.
3Achieving Political, Economic, and Educational Equalities
chapter abstract
In the public realms of politics, the economy, and education, women have
made great progress but have not yet achieved equal participation (or
gender parity) with men. By some statistical measures, American women's
political participation lags behind many other countries and has plateaued
or worsened. While women now make approximately eighty cents to the dollar
of male earnings, reflecting steady gains, complete parity has not been
reached here either. Nor have women become equal participants in all
academic disciplines, such as the sciences. This chapter suggests that part
of the problem in the United States is that contrary to early feminists'
intentions, universally affordable and high-quality daycare has not yet
been achieved for women across class, racial/ethnic, and other differences.
Without this achievement, the author argues, parity will be hard to attain
for all women; she calls for renewed feminist attention to this issue.
4Liberating Sexual Choices
chapter abstract
Intimate freedoms-involving reproductive rights and justice, as well as
LGBTQ sexual freedoms-still elude achievement for all women, even though
important battles involving legalization (of abortion rights in 1973, and
of gay marriage in 2015) have been won since the second wave. Yet by
several political and ideological criteria, pro-choice advocates are on the
defensive as abortion's availability has contracted relative to earlier
decades. The LGBTQ movement has recently been able to use rights and
equality discourses effectively, though ongoing biases and setbacks have
recently occurred also. The author argues that both of these feminist
issues-reproductive and sexual freedoms-have been affected by challenges to
the constitutional separation of church and state. She suggests that the
two movements are best fought for separately and together to maximize
collective feminist efficacy on these issues of personal choice.
5Ending Violence against Women-and Men
chapter abstract
As with overall violence in the United States, violence against women
diminished in recent decades. However, gender skewing continues as violence
is committed disproportionately by men. Feminist approaches to violence
against women have been criticized for inadequate insensitivity to
intersectional concerns. This chapter suggests that feminists ask why
violence against women continues in the first place; the author argues that
changing "ordinary" sexist assumptions is needed, as these may exist on the
same continuum as "extraordinary" sexist acts and violence. Kindred with C.
J. Pascoe's concept, the idea of "compulsory masculinity" is used to denote
pressures on young men to act in sexist and heterosexist ways to avoid
stigmatization. The chapter advocates renewed attention to both
intersectional differences and common sexist ideas as experienced by young
men and women at school, in families, and within other social institutions.
6Changing Sexist Imagery
chapter abstract
Huge transformations have occurred in how gender is portrayed in popular
culture, from television to films, music, advertising, and news. However,
when examining not only changes in gendered contents but forms-that is,
whether women hold equal power and control in these industries-the
situation is less sanguine. Evidence suggests a tremendous disparity
between progress in altering gendered cultural contents and progress in
diminishing the male-dominated character of the culture industries overall.
What the author calls "looksism," or sexist biases on the basis of looks,
is also an ongoing problem for women. Awareness is shifting as feminists in
Hollywood, partly inspired by the Me Too movement, call for equal power.
This chapter documents the need for "taking back" these male-dominated
industries, suggesting that without such change, the gender revolution in
culture will remain incomplete.
7Taking Back a Revolution
chapter abstract
The concluding chapter returns to the book's chief arguments for the
simultaneous consideration of commonalities and differences, and for
bringing together common issues reframed so as to take both dimensions into
account. It also returns to the language of the feminist "third wave" to
indicate that other renewals of feminism(s) have occurred. But argued here
is that the present situation is especially urgent for renewing feminist
commitments, some of which may be newly threatened; the author contends
that unnecessary divisiveness can be particularly consequential. Most
important, the chapter argues for awareness of feminist concerns about
taking both emotions and rationality into consideration when approaching
the major remaining tasks outlined throughout the volume.