Post feminism, popular feminism and neoliberal feminism.
Dis-engaging with feminism.
Focus on women and dis-identification with feminism.
Why women don’t engage with feminists – in 2015, a poll stated 50% of
women did not consider themselves feminist. Why is there a dis-engagement?
Why do they not what to identify as feminist? (research)
o Generational differences discourage women from identifying with as
feminists (Kehily, 2008).
o Negative media representations and stenotypes render the movement
unpopular – see women as above men etc. (Press 2012).
o The movement itself is seen as irrelevant – women are equal, no need
for feminism, it is in the past (Jowett 2004).
o Neoliberal discourses and process of individualisation promote
individual achievement and dissolve the appeal of joining collective
political movement – the appeal of joining a collective political
movement is no longer there, individualistic (McRobbie 2009).
o Post-feminism – feminism is taken into account and understood, and
no longer needed. The need for equality and justice are common
sense, within women’s narrative and understood, but at the same time
feminism is met with a negative response. It is taken into account but
repudiated (McRobbie 2004, Gill 2007).
Christina Scharff (2012).
o Discuss themselves in relation to repressed Muslim women, when they
are capable managers of their lives – talking about themselves in
relation to the other.
o Neo-colonial constructions of cultural difference move feminism away
from the self, to ‘other’ communities and parts of the world.
o Feminism is needed in other parts of the world, not where they are –
understand it but disidentify with it, others need it.
o Young women drew on a postfeminist, un-gendered, individualistic
discourse to suggest that feminism was redundant
o No identification with the idea of a collective feminist movement.
o Self-presentation as capable managers of their lives vs. ‘oppressed
Muslim woman’
Class and race differences intersect with feminist disidentification, the
movement is seen as exclusionary (Skeggs, 1997; Taylor, 2010; Scharff,
2012; Gill and Scharff, 2012). Reasons for dis-identification:
o Feminism informed by their positioning’s/ investments in class,
femininity and heterosexuality:
o Feminism as exclusive, in which it excluded oppressed men of their
social class from struggles for equality;
o Family source of resistance to cultural and political racism and
oppression rather than oppression (Carby, 1997);
o The movement is seen as ‘too middle-class’.
Dis-engaging with feminism.
Focus on women and dis-identification with feminism.
Why women don’t engage with feminists – in 2015, a poll stated 50% of
women did not consider themselves feminist. Why is there a dis-engagement?
Why do they not what to identify as feminist? (research)
o Generational differences discourage women from identifying with as
feminists (Kehily, 2008).
o Negative media representations and stenotypes render the movement
unpopular – see women as above men etc. (Press 2012).
o The movement itself is seen as irrelevant – women are equal, no need
for feminism, it is in the past (Jowett 2004).
o Neoliberal discourses and process of individualisation promote
individual achievement and dissolve the appeal of joining collective
political movement – the appeal of joining a collective political
movement is no longer there, individualistic (McRobbie 2009).
o Post-feminism – feminism is taken into account and understood, and
no longer needed. The need for equality and justice are common
sense, within women’s narrative and understood, but at the same time
feminism is met with a negative response. It is taken into account but
repudiated (McRobbie 2004, Gill 2007).
Christina Scharff (2012).
o Discuss themselves in relation to repressed Muslim women, when they
are capable managers of their lives – talking about themselves in
relation to the other.
o Neo-colonial constructions of cultural difference move feminism away
from the self, to ‘other’ communities and parts of the world.
o Feminism is needed in other parts of the world, not where they are –
understand it but disidentify with it, others need it.
o Young women drew on a postfeminist, un-gendered, individualistic
discourse to suggest that feminism was redundant
o No identification with the idea of a collective feminist movement.
o Self-presentation as capable managers of their lives vs. ‘oppressed
Muslim woman’
Class and race differences intersect with feminist disidentification, the
movement is seen as exclusionary (Skeggs, 1997; Taylor, 2010; Scharff,
2012; Gill and Scharff, 2012). Reasons for dis-identification:
o Feminism informed by their positioning’s/ investments in class,
femininity and heterosexuality:
o Feminism as exclusive, in which it excluded oppressed men of their
social class from struggles for equality;
o Family source of resistance to cultural and political racism and
oppression rather than oppression (Carby, 1997);
o The movement is seen as ‘too middle-class’.
