Description
Book SynopsisFrench feminism was central to the theory and culture of Second Wave feminism as an international movement, and 1975 was a key year for the women’s movement in France. Through a critical review of the politics, activism and cultural creativity of that moment, from the perspective of both preceding and subsequent ‘waves’ of feminism, this book evaluates the legacies of 1975, and their strengths and limitations as new questions and new conjunctures have come into play. Edited and written by an international group of feminist scholars, it offers both a critical re-evaluation of a vital moment in women’s cultural history, and a new analysis of the relationship between second wave agendas and contemporary feminist politics and culture.
Trade Review‘This collection is exceptionally well curated. Each of the chapters has been very carefully written and edited, and together this is fascinating, informative, critical and scholarly.'
Gill Allwood, Nottingham Trent University
“This volume is a lively and accessible mix of history, culture and politics, which nonetheless does not shy away from the complexities of feminism both in the contemporary sphere: the controversy over the burkini ban and the #metoo campaign, and historically: between essentialists and materialists of the second wave, for example, or between radical and what might be considered more moderate feminists.”
Helena Chadderton, University of Hull
‘This collection of essays offers a remarkably diverse and intelligent exploration of the many faces of the feminist movement in France, and of the challenges women faced and still face today. It will be a very useful read for students, researchers, and teachers and for all feminists.'
Dominique Carlini Versini,
Modern Language Review 'This is an important book. Even before one begins to read the individual essays, the volume’s usefulness is apparent: e.g., the glossary includes acronyms of various feminist organizations; the timeline extends from 1944, when French women got the right to vote, to the 2018 debate in
Le Monde on sexual harassment and violence; and both the up-to-date bibliography and impeccably edited index extend to more than 20 pages. This well-documented, jargon-free volume will be valuable for those interested in feminism or contemporary French culture.'
A. M. Rea, emerita, Occidental College,
CHOICETable of ContentsAcknowledgements
Contents
List of illustrations
Timeline
Glossary
Introduction: Making Waves
MARGARET ATACK, ALISON S. FELL, DIANA HOLMES, IMOGEN LONG
PART 1. THEN: SECOND WAVE FEMINISM IN FRANCE1. Before
Les Femmes s’entêtent: the Bermuda Triangle of French feminism?
SI N REYNOLDS
2. 1975: The Year of women
DIANA HOLMES AND IMOGEN LONG
3. From Muse to Insoumuse: Delphine Seyrig, vidéaste
GRACE AN
PART 2. THEN AND NOW: FEMINISM AND PUBLIC ARENAS4. Work-family reconciliation policy in France: challenging or reinforcing the gender division of domestic and care work since the 1970s?
JAN WINDEBANK
5. Feminist publishing in France 1975 - 2000: a quest for legitimacy
FANNY MAZZONE
6. Parole(s) de femmes: from
Le Torchon brûle to
Les Nouvelles NewsMAGGIE ALLISON
7. Utopian Gaiety: French lesbian activism and the politics of pleasure (1974-2016)
TAMARA CHAPLIN
8. ‘La femme du soldat inconnu’: Feminism and French
lieux de mémoireALISON S. FELL
9. A Mediterranean Bazaar : The Bazar du Genre exhibition at the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM) in Marseille, 2013
BRONWYN WINTER
PART 3. NOW: REAPPRAISALS AND NEW AGENDAS10. Time to laugh or to cry? ‘Le Rire de la Méduse’ after 40 years
MAIREAD HANRAHAN
11. ‘Les hommes et les femmes, c’est vraiment pas pareil’ (‘Men and women just aren’t the same’): Nancy Huston’s
Passions d’Annie LeclercDIANA HOLMES
12. Across the waves: Benoîte Groult, Catel Muller and
bande dessinéeIMOGEN LONG
13. Voix blanche? Annie Ernaux, French feminisms and the challenge of intersectionality
LYN THOMAS
14. Third Wave collective manifestos: What do feminists still want?
MICHÈLE SCHAAL
Conclusion
MARGARET ATACK, ALISON S. FELL, DIANA HOLMES, IMOGEN LONG
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
