The Illusions of 'Post-Feminism'
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As feminists reflect on the impact of the second wave of feminism and assess the gains of the last 30 years, invariably they have questioned whether claims that women have achieved equality in education, work and in the home are justified. In the late 1980s, there was a proliferation of the popular imagery of "new" men and "post-feminist" women, with the concept of post-feminism reinforcing and emphasising the differences between independent, upwardly-mobile, career-orientated women and those women who "choose" the more natural "role" of wife and mother.; This text argues that "post-feminism" is a myth. Through in-depth interviews with women about four major areas of their lives - education, work, the media and the family - the authors challenge and expose the myths implicit in the concept of post-feminism by showing the actuality of women's lives. The chapters analyse equal opportunity policies and their implementation to demonstrate how power relations still lie at the root of the oppression of women. With its provoking and challenging analysis, this text provides a detailed analysis of the "backlash" as experienced by women in Britain. Booknews Drawing on research projects on the experiences of professional women in paid work, the experiences of women in one male-dominated institution, and the media as an institution for the maintenance of gendered ideology, contributors reflect on the impact of the second wave of feminism, assess the gains of the past 30 years, and question whether claims that women have achieved equality are justified. Highlights the ineffective nature of liberal reformism and shows how power relations still lie at the root of the oppression of women. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
PrefaceAcknowledgementsCh. 1Introduction: Locating 'Post-Feminism', Exploring the Myths3Ch. 2Theorising Power in Women's Oppression15Ch. 3Patronising Rita: The Myth of Equal Opportunities in Education47Ch. 4More Work, Low Pay: The Myth of Equal Opportunities in the Workplace75Ch. 5Fatal Abstraction: The Myth of the Positive Image106Ch. 6Behind Closed Doors: The Myth of Personal Liberation145Ch. 7Conclusion: Beyond the Illusions173Bibliography187Index212
