O- 3 From Revolution to Devolution: A Social Movements Analysis of the Contemporary Women's Movement in Ireland ✓ Linda Mary Connolly B.A. (Hons) Supervisor: Dr. Mary Corcoran Head of Department: Professor Liam Ryan Submitted to the National University of Ireland Maynooth, in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Ph.D. (Sociology) September 1997 Contents P a g e n o : Acknowledgements v List of Tables vi List of Appendices vii Abstract viii INTRODUCTION 1 Shortcomings of Existing Interpretations of the Irish Women's Movement 3 What is a Social Movement?: A Working Definition 5 The Theoretical Framework 8 The Relationship Between Feminism and the Women's Movement 12 Outline of the Study 16 Notes Introduction 19 1. THEORIES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: A REVIEW OF THE FIELD 21 Introduction 22 Assumptions of Classical Approaches to Collective Behaviour 24 Resource Mobilisation Theory 27 Olson: The Dlogic of Collective Action 29 The Contribution of Zald and McCarthy 32 The Political Process Model 36 Movement Maintenance 41 Movement-Counter Movement Dynamics 44 Critique of Resource Mobilisation 45 New Social Movements (NSMs) Approach 53 Toward A Synthesis of Resource Mobilisation and NSM Approaches? 58 The Challenge of Constructionist Perspectives 60 Sponsorship of Ideological Packages 61 Consensus Mobilisation 61 Frame Alignment 63 Collective Identity 64 Multi Organisational Fields 65 Adaptation of Resource Mobilistion Theory: The Model Developed in the Study 67 Conclusion 70 Notes Chapter One 74 ii 2 . THE SOCIO-HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE CONTEMPORARY IRISH WOMEN'S MOVEMENT 75 Introduction 76 The Anglo-American Women's Movement 7 8 The First Wave 81 Social History of the Women's Movement in Ireland 86 The First Wave in Ireland (1870-1921): Interaction of Suffrage, Labour and Nationalist Causes 87 Organisational Base 90 The Middle Years of the Irish Women's Movement (1922-69) 97 The Emergence of the Second Wave of Anglo-American Feminism in the 1960s 100 Conclusion 109 Notes Chapter Two 113 3 . METHODOLOGY 115 Introduction 116 Methodological Orientations in the Field 117 The Study: Sources of Data 120 Intensive Interviews 121 The Sample 122 The Interview Process 124 Analysis of Documentary Evidence 125 Feminist Research Methods 130 Notes Chapter Three 135 4. ABEYANCE ORGANISATIONS: GROWTH, MAINTENANCE AND DECLINE OF A SOCIAL MOVEMENT 136 Introduction 137 The S ocial and Economic Context 1922-1969 139 Abeyance: The Case of the IHA 142 Repertoire of Collective Action 147 Political Opportunity Structure 149 Properties of Abeyance Organisations 150 1968: Changing Political Opportunity Structure 156 Conclusion 162 Notes Chapter Four 165 iii 5 . THE CONTEMPORARY WOMEN'S MOVEMENT: ADVANCEMENT, CONFRONTATION AND DIRECT ACTION 1970-79 167 Introduction 168 The Consolidation of Movement Sectors 171 Collective Action Through Established Means: The Women's Movement and the Political Process 177 Consolidation of the CSW 179 Political Opportunity Structure: Persuasion Vs Confrontation 187 The Expansion of Women's Rights Activism in the 1970s 193 Radicalism, Direct Action, Confrontation 198 Consciousness Raising 202 The Impact of Direct Action 205 The Proliferation of the IWLM 210 Sympathetic Elite: The Media 213 Conflict in Women's Liberation Organisations 218 Irishwomen United 222 Inter-group Conflict 227 Contraceptive Rights 237 Submerged Conflict and the Advancement of the Women's Movement 240 Conclusion 248 Notes Chapter Five 252 6. CHANGING ORIENTATIONS IN FEMINISM ACTIVISM: 254 REAPPRAISAL AND MOVEMENT MAINTENANCE IN THE 1980s Introduction 255 Constraints on Radical Mobilisation 259 The Genesis of the 1983 Amendment Campaign and Its Outcome 263 Tactical Reorientation within the Women's Movement 269 Court Cases in the 1980s: the Outcome 271 Underground Abortion Information and Referral 276 Travel and Information Referenda in 1992 280 Movement-Counter Movement Dynamics and Movement Maintenance 283 Organisational Expansion and Transformation: The Effects of Professionalisation and Mainstreaming 288 Formalisation 291 Conclusion 295 Notes Chapter Six 298 iv 7 . NEW DIRECTIONS AND GRASS ROOTS RE-ACTIVISM 300 Introduction 301 The Establishment of Women's Studies 303 Women and Community Activism 307 The Relationship Between Women's Community Groups and the Women's Movement: A New Social Movement? 310 The Current State of the Women's Movement: Grass Roots Activism Vs Professionalisation 315 Conclusion 320 Notes Chapter Seven 323 8 . WHITHER THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT?: FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 324 Study Findings: A Summary 325 Resource Mobilisation: The Adapted Model 330 Re-Assessment of the Field of Social Movements: Theoretical Implications of the Empirical Analysis 333 An Agenda for Future Research? 338 Conclusion: Whither the Women's Movement? 341 Notes Chapter Eight 344 Appendices 345 Bibliography 384 v Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their role in the completion of this project between 1993 and 1997: The staff and post-graduate students of the Sociology Department, National University of Ireland Maynooth, in particular: Dr. Mary Corcoran, for her careful reading of the text and exemplary supervision of the research; Professor Liam Ryan, for his assistance at all stages; Dr. Jane Gray, for her incisive comments on an earlier draft; Caroline 0'Kelly,for proof-reading the final draft; and Dr. Colin Coulter, for his support and friendship. My colleagues at the Centre for Adult and Community Education, at Maynooth, for their constant encouragement and solidarity. I thank Dr. Tom Collins especially for his ongoing support of my work, and Dr. Anne Ryan and Br(d Connolly for sharing their feminist insights, and good humour. Mary Cullen, for her interest in the study. Roisin Conroy of Attic Press, for giving me access to the archives of the Contemporary Irish Women's Movement. My close friends at Maynooth, and those who have 'moved on'since the research began, for their constancy. My family, for giving me the space to see this through to the end, especially: My Mother and Father, for their unfailing help and kindness, My sister, Pauline Connolly, for her consistent support, My Grandmother, Pauline Connolly, and Rhys. This study would not have been possible without the co-operation of those activists in the Irish women's movement who agreed to be interviewed. vi LIST OF TABLES 1. Organisations: The Women’s Movement (page 129); 2. Average scores in extent to which divorce and abortion can ever be justified in the Republic of Ireland, by time of survey (page 261); 3. Circumstances under which abortion is approved of: Comparison of Irish and European Views (page 262); 4. The Result of the 1983 Referendum: Selected Constituencies (page 268); 5. Voting in Referendum November 25 1992 (page 282). vii LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 The First Wave 1850-1921 Appendix 2 Middle Years 1922-69 Appendix 3 The IHA (Irish Housewives Association) 1941-1992 Appendix 4 List of Interviewees Appendix 5 Organisational Archives Consulted Appendix 6 The Contemporary Women's Movement 1970-79 Appendix 7 Service Organisations Established in the 1970s Appendix 8 List of Activists in the IWLM Appendix 9 Job Advertisement in the 1970s Appendix 10 CAP Documentation Appendix 11 Succubus Publication Appendix 12 IWLM Photographs Appendix 13 Major Movement Events Since 1980 Appendix 14 Abortion Law and Practice Appendix 15 1983 Abortion Referendum Campaign Appendix 16 The Women's Movement in Northern Ireland: Framework for a Social Movements Analysis A bstract This study analyses the evolution of the contemporary women's movement in the Republic of Ireland, from the foundation of the State to the present day. Drawing on a social movement's perspective, the emergence, consolidation and transformation of the Women's Movement in that period is explored. To date, there has been no systematic attempt at understanding the central processes and dynamics underlying the Irish Women's Movement. This study seeks to address that deficit by illuminating the processes through which the Women's Movement, and, in particular its constituent organisations, came to fruition as agencies of social change. The central argument advanced is that fundamentally the women’s movement in Ireland is characterised by its interconnectedness: the central tensions, themes and organising strategies of the movement interpenetrate not only across different social movement organisations, but across time and space. The movement's development is conceptualised in terms of four stages: A period of A beyan ce which lasted from the Civil War until the end of the 1960s; a period of rapid Advancement which occurred during the 1970s; the Re-appraisal of the women's movement from within, which occurred during the 1980s; and the New Directions which manifested themselves particularly in the community sector in the late 1980s and 1990s. The study demonstrates the continuities which link the movement and its constituent organisations across these four stages of development. A key theme is the continual process of formalisation, which has had the effect of incorporating radical organisations on the margins of the Women's Movement into the mainstream. Parallels can be drawn between the period of advancement in the 1970s, and the new kinds of consolidation and formalisation occurring in the 1990s. While the key analytical framework drawn on is resource mobilisation, considerable modifications are made to the model in its application to the Irish Women's Movement. The movement's trajectory cannot adequately be documented