Feminist Organizing Across the Generations spans almost 60 years of feminist history and traces the evolution of feminist activism from the 1960s until the present.
Using the Philadelphia chapter of the National Women's Organization as a starting point, Karen Bojar explores how feminist organizing was unfolding in similar ways across the county. The book examines the enormous energy put into building feminist service organizations such as women's shelters and rape crisis centers which were to have a profound impact on major social institutions, health care delivery and the justice system. The book also looks at the differences between the organizing strategies of "second wave" feminists and those of the 21st century. Much 21st-century feminist organizing is taking place outside of explicitly feminist groups, with young feminists bringing a gender justice perspective to a range of racial, economic and climate justice organizations.
This book is suitable for students and scholars in women's and gender history, political history and gender studies.
Part I: Building the feminist movement; 1. The founders; 2. Celebrating victories, managing conflicts; 3. The struggle for gender justice and racial justice; 4. The backlash gains momentum; Part II: Building feminist service organizations; 5. Challenges facing feminist service organizations; 6. Organizations combatting violence against women; 7. The women’s health movement; 8. Funding the movement; Part III: Feminist organizing in the 21st century; 9. The Women’s March: The limits of social media mobilization; 10. The decline of established feminist organizations; 11. Young feminists, forging new paths, building new organizations; Conclusion
Biography
Karen Bojar is Professor Emerita of English and Women’s Studies at the Community College of Philadelphia where she founded the Women’s Studies/Gender Studies program
