Varieties Of Feminism: German Gender Politics In Global Perspective
by Myra Ferree /
2012 / English / PDF
2.5 MB Download
Varieties of Feminism
Varieties of Feminism investigates the development of German
feminism by contrasting it with women's movements that arise in
countries, like the United States, committed to liberalism. With
both conservative Christian and social democratic principles
framing the feminist discourses and movement goals, which in turn
shape public policy gains, Germany provides a tantalizing case
study of gender politics done differently. The German feminist
trajectory reflects new political opportunities created first by
national reunification and later, by European Union integration, as
well as by historically established assumptions about social
justice, family values, and state responsibility for the common
good. Tracing the opportunities, constraints, and conflicts
generated by using class struggle as the framework for gender
mobilization―juxtaposing this with the liberal tradition where
gender and race are more typically framed as similar―Ferree reveals
how German feminists developed strategies and movement priorities
quite different from those in the United States.
investigates the development of German
feminism by contrasting it with women's movements that arise in
countries, like the United States, committed to liberalism. With
both conservative Christian and social democratic principles
framing the feminist discourses and movement goals, which in turn
shape public policy gains, Germany provides a tantalizing case
study of gender politics done differently. The German feminist
trajectory reflects new political opportunities created first by
national reunification and later, by European Union integration, as
well as by historically established assumptions about social
justice, family values, and state responsibility for the common
good. Tracing the opportunities, constraints, and conflicts
generated by using class struggle as the framework for gender
mobilization―juxtaposing this with the liberal tradition where
gender and race are more typically framed as similar―Ferree reveals
how German feminists developed strategies and movement priorities
quite different from those in the United States.