1st Edition
Transatlantic Conversations Feminism as Travelling Theory
The second wave of feminism which challenged and changed many assumptions about the world in which we live was a product of various western cultures, with no single country possessing a monopoly on the writing of the texts that became the canonical statements of the 'new' feminism. Though many of the contributions to feminist scholarship that went on to become internationally significant hailed from Europe and the United States, these works were often formed within the context of local debates and framed within traditions of feminism and other political engagements specific to these nations. Transatlantic Conversations explores the differences yielded by such conditions and their consequences for the meaning of feminism. Examining the meaning and implications of the different ways in which various shared categories have been treated on both sides of the Atlantic, this volume both analyses differences within feminism and provides a framework for the wider discussion of what is sometimes assumed to be the homogeneity of The West. With leading scholars from either side of the Atlantic presenting brand new work, Transatlantic Conversations suggests directions for future research which will be of interest to scholars of feminism, gender studies, sociology, political science and international relations, geography and cultural studies, as well as anyone concerned with the ways in which the different political and intellectual traditions of Europe and the US have shaped current political and intellectual debates.
Biography
Kathy Davis is Senior Research Fellow at the Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Mary Evans is a Visiting Professor at the Gender Institute, London School of Economics, UK.
'Recasting four decades of feminist thought, Transatlantic Conversations is feminist scholarship at its best. Letting us experience the situatedness of knowledge in the making, it addresses central issues of today's feminist theory and engagement: How to ensure that travelling theory does not become a metaphor for anglophone hegemony? How to acknowledge differences and establish a shared perspective? Indispensible for those who seek to answer these questions, this is a "must have" for women and gender studies programs on both sides of the Atlantic.' Teresa Kulawik, Södertörn University, Sweden 'This is a simply excellent collection of feminist essays written in a refreshingly conversational style, which is, at one and the same time, reflexive and reflective and thus clearly well theorized. I found many of the essays so easy to read that it was more like reading a novel or journalistic accounts than a heavily theorized academic albeit feminist tome... The editors are extremely well-known feminist sociologists and as co-editor and previous co-editor of the European Journal of Women’s Studies are able to apply theories, like the air they breathe... With 16 substantive essays, in addition to the introduction, I shall not be able to do justice in this review to the rich diversity of the offerings all illustrating the complexities of the development of digressions from the ’feminist canon’, US-style. All the essays pose fascinating challenges about transatlantic feminist theories and thought, drawing on a diversity of countries and fields... This book provides an excellent route map and travel guide.' European Journal of Women's Studies 'Transatlantic Conversations is an intellectually rich and superbly edited collection of European and US scholars’ descriptions of feminist ’becoming’ (Coate, citing Braidotti, 1994)... The feminist constellations explored in this collection allow us - as colleagues, tutors, mentors, students and, yes, even ’academic star
