Bloomsbury Feminist Theory, Fourth Edition: The Intellectual Traditions

This first major study of feminist theory, revised and updated here into its fourth edition, now takes the reader into the twenty-first century. With the renewed interest in feminism, which has been called "the "fourth wave" of feminism - the "first wave" being the nineteenth-century movement, the "second wave" the developments between 1960-80, and the "third wave" the emergence in the 1990s of ecofeminism, global feminism, the intertwining of the women's rights and animal rights movements, and so-called postmodern feminism - people are re-engaging with the basic question, "What is feminism? What does it mean?" Donovan's book provides a clear answer to the question, outlining the various strands of feminist theory: liberal, cultural, Marxist-socialist, Freudian, and radical. This Fourth Edition brings the discussion up-to-date, integrating the developments in feminist theory that have emerged in the last two decades and particularly since the publication of the Third Edition (2000). Review "A masterful survey of the philosophical and intellectual roots of contemporary feminism. The author provides lucid comprehensive discussions of the main intellectual traditions of feminist theory.Intelligent, balanced, accurate, and informed, Feminist Theory is a major addition to the canon of feminist literature." --Choice (also named An Outstanding Academic Book in Choice) About the Author Josephine Donovan is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Maine, USA. She is the author or editor of twelve books, including the groundbreaking Feminist Theory (Continuum, 3rd ed, 2000), Women and the Rise of the Novel, 1405-1726 (St. Martin's Press, 1999), and After the Fall (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1989).