Reclaiming the Revolutionary Potential of Feminism
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RECLAIMING THE REVOLUTIONARY POTENTIAL OF FEMINISM Hester Eisenstein is the How did you come to write the hook? and so on, in a way I haven't seen previously, particularly in the US. author of the new book It was originally a course in feminist Contemporary Feminist theory which I taught at Barnard Could you briefly outline the structure Thought (Unwin 1984). College lor five years, from 1975 to of the "book ? 1980. It became clear to me that I had She has taught at Yale and It's organised into three parts. Part I is the material for a much larger study. an assessment of the people whom I Barnard College, Col It's based on the reading I've been take to be elaborating the position ol umbia University, where doing since I97U. so it's about ten Simone de Beauvoir. That's Kale years' worth of reflection. she helped establish Millet t, Shulamith Firestone and the women's studies In that time you've moved from several feminist anthropologists like program. In 1980 she co- America to Australia. Has that Sherry Ortner and Rosaldo. Then I edlted The Future of affected the hook ? took Susan Hutvvnmiller. All those Difference. She now works Yes. I've been very affected by the people, in dilterent ways, are saying as senior equal employ Australian feminist milieu, which is that it's basically difference from men that's the source ol women's ment adviser to the NSW very broad in its range - it's very aware ol French, English, American oppression. government. in the last chapter I look at and everybody's stuff. In a sense, it's consciousness-raising which I see as a much more cosmopolitan here than in This interview with her, pivotal movement. !l shifted that locus America. on difference as a form of oppression by Fiona Moore, is For instance, the English only speak to difference as a possible source of reprinted from Tribune. It to the English, and the French to the strength. includes discussion which, French .... but the Australians speak In Part 2 I look at those writers w ho to everybody, and really have quite a tor space reasons, was are saying that female differences clear idea of the difference between edited out of the should, in lact, be celebrated. Tribune different feminist positions. They ask what it is that women article. I was also influenced by the specialise in and shouldn't we put that Australian political climate which is into our politics? Particularly the much further left than in America. capacity to nurture and many ol the Do we have a creative input into that traditional women's values. Thais debate, or are we merely absorbing all people like Jean Baker-M ilier, the these different strands? psychologist. Adrienne Rich, the poet, I think the creative input is possibly and a whole strand of lesbian feminist not in straight feminist theory. It's writing from the early '70s. more in the application of leminisf The last part Part 3 covers the theory and practice. I think the people I really part company with - feminist writing on labour history puts Mary Daly, Susan Griffin. Andrea together the psychological under Dworkin. They're talking about an standing of American feminists' work essential femaleness which is superior. and the more traditional labour So. in the debate on pornography. Interview by history approach of Australia and Griffin and Dworkin are saying England. It's quite a creative mix. "Somehow our sexuality is divorced Fiona Moore I think Australian feminism is really from issues o f pow er it's pure. intervening in structures — in trade Women loving women don't unions, in government bureaucracies encounter lhal kind of masochism ..." 50 A u s t r a l i a n L e f t R e v i e w 88 COUNTERPOINT CONTEMPORARY FEMINIST THOUGHT HKSTF.R EtWKTCR I really think that's off the wall! delighted to produce book alter I wind up saying we really have to book on subJects like dealing with J ’build a new synthesis. We have to anger. That goes right into the J transpose our women-centred vision mainstream of American individual and values into the political arena. The cover o l Hester Elsensteln's latest ism, the power of positive thinking, I I've been accused of not saying how b o o k Contemporary Feminist right back to the 1920s, Think right — which is fair enough! Hut I figure Thought. and you'll be rich and lamous! That's that'll have to be a different book. a very strong tradition in American think about thal. But the structure's What 1 was trying to do was open up capitalism; self-improvement. still there, and it reproduces itself. [he debate. Feminism, in a way, has gone right If you look at recent issues of Ms. into that stream, and if you're not magazine, you have to sieve the pages careful you're saying the same things Why don't you consider, or do you, the to find anything now about struggles with the same religious fervour! And way in which marxism or socialist over equal pay or safety in the we're not saying we don't need to feminism has been enriched by (he workplace. change, but that other things need challenges of radical feminism as a What you find, again and again, is changing, too like laws.distribution political contribution? that what one has to change is one's of resources, education .... Thai's not what I'm writing about. psychology. If only you have your Why did you look exclusively at Partly, I think, because a lot of people head straight, all things will follow. Anyone who is a feminist and has been A merican feminist use of psychology have been writing about it. and that's when there are French and British not my particular expertise. So I in the workplace knows thal this is Just not dealing with the issues that arise. feminists who are discussing similar thought I'd like to write this book points about difference in a more about the American radical feminist I don't mean to say it isn't crucial for sophisticated way? tradition, informed by my socialist- women to change. The beginning is with changing yourself and They are arguing that specific feminism. but not taking on that other biological differences, and the debate. strengthening yourself, defining what aoal.s you set yourself and what kinds different significant events of being a You're critical of radical feminism for of reactions you have that you'd like to woman must mean that women will "its consistent emphasis on the fix to find your full strength. develop a different subjectivity. psychological at the expense of the But there are people in society They're not talking about a specific tconomic factors". H hat do you see as besides us, and other structures essence. They do take account of the proper role of psychology in the besides individual psychology. historical and cultural variables. In a construction of feminist theory? way, by analysing American radical ; I'm not throwing psychology out. I Does this emphasis on psychology feminism exclusively, you've chosen think it's been absolutely crucial. But come from the consciousness-raising an easy target. the point I'm making — and it's process? It was Just an arbitrary thing, which probably clearer in the American 1 think, in part, it does, although if you was that the shape of the book was to contcxt is that there's a tendency to look at the stuff about CR there were look at a particular set of psychologist problems as a quite some very good articles in the early developments in American feminist deliberate manoeuvre, to take them off days which said " This is not therapy. It theory. the agenda of economic and political has therapeutic value, but the What 1 was trying to say is that, tfction. intention is to strengthen us and to within this American tradition, there On the one hand, we've had this create little cells from which we will are more similarities than you realise. absolutely brilliant dissection of the grow out to make social change". There is a set of assumptions which psychology of femininity and so on. W hat's more to blame is the official grow right out of Firestone and Millett Everyone has to develop that and reception of feminism. Publishers are and into Mary Daly. Win t e r 1 9 8 4 51 Hester Eisenstein. I m ade a decision nol to take t)n the I think that's shifted. A lot of people Let's look at pornography which, with world. So I really haven't dealt with said, "Hey, isn't that too much of a proposed legislative changes, has the French feminist strand. I think that sacrifice? Isn't there some way ol again become a contentious issue for is worthy of much more detailed study, looking at mothering in a feminist feminists here. [hat whole problem of difference way?" I think it's a very contusing issue. All needs to he developed. I think Adrienne Rich was saying I'm doing is looking at the writings ol that you could separate motherhood With the change from the Griffin and Dworkin. which i think as an institution with the cultural are very interesting, and ! do try to give androgynous idea! to the celebration trappings, from what mothering as a of difference has come a concomitant them credit lor the points they make, female experience might be, without Everybody argues about tree speech change in Ihe way motherhood is all that other shit.