File spoon-archives/french-feminism.archive/french-fem_1995/french-fem_Apr.95, message 21


Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 10:22:18 -0500
From: anhunter-AT-nwu.edu (Angela Hunter)
Subject: Re: Political Woman Daily Hotline #1 (fwd)


Beverly Randall wrote:

>Anyway, I wonder if others of you have noticed the marginality of French
>feminist analyses in Women's Studies conferences, etc --where feminism
>seems to be only interpreted as a sociological tool and not also as a
>philosophical tool. How do you deal with teaching the value of French
>feminism to students who may be well versed in American feminism but
>reluctant to give credibility to what seems superficially to be
>essentialist and overly theoretical?

(This is perhaps a bit off-topic)

I think the discussion of the intersection of feminist theory and feminist
practice is a very important one.  As an undergraduate women studies student
most of my work focused on french feminism and I was in an academic
environment that greatly fostered french feminist theoretical interpretations.
I was also involved in 'practical' american feminism through campus
organizations.
It did indeed seem that the twain never intersected; one was classroom
theory and writing, the other was out-in-the-streets marching and working
in groups.  Trying to bridge the gap often brought derision or confusion
 from both sides.

When I applied for a Watson Fellowship to study the intersection of french
feminist theory and the modern revival of women-centered/pagan religions,
I was almost laughed out of the interview session.  The feminist
sociology prof. didn't see what french theory had to do with "real" feminism
and the feminist lit.crit. prof didn't see what women chanting around a bonfire
had to do with feminism either.   I saw bell hooks speak earlier this week
and she answered a student's angry question regarding academic feminists
who sit in "ivory towers (that word still???) and don't get out into the
real world (and that one too??) to fight women's oppression" by saying that
change is wherever you are.  The site of feminism as a praxis is the site of
an acting feminist, whether it be in the academy or the PTA or the soup
kitchen.

We need to get away from the sense that there is practice without theory.
Every action has a theoretical base; french feminist theory comes from
the base that the site of writing _is_ the site of practice.  So here, where
we write (about) french feminist theory (or in my case, lurk mostly), why
is such a schism so willingly imposed?  I would think the more interesting
question would be how certain french feminists would look at and analyze
the Political Woman Daily Hotline and the space it creates.  I find it very
compelling that the Internet is the tool chosen by this organization to transmit
its message, that writing is its primary tool....

angela

===============================================================Angela Hunter                   "forever awakened one comes to join
Northwestern Univ.              the secret order drenched with
w: 708/491-7406                       longing to lie down in the
                                                            bed of no return."
                                                            --bell hooks



     ------------------

   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005