Fundamental Feminism

What makes feminist theory feminist? How did so many different feminisms come to exist? Judith Grant addresses these questions by offering a critical exploration of the evolution of feminist theory and the state of feminist thinking today. She provides an assessment of the key problems of contemporary feminist thought, and identifies a set of common assumptions that link the wide variety of feminist theories in existence. "Fundamental Feminism" calls for nothing less than a substantial revision of the core concepts responsible for shaping feminist theory. Grant identifies and criticizes these concepts - "woman", "experience" and "personal politics" - from their origins in pamphlets and writings which appeared during the early women's liberation movement to their current construction in feminist thought. She then connects a number of major contemporary debates to the longstanding influence of these core assumptions. The debates include: the hegemony of the white female perspective; the tensions between anti-pornography and pro-sex feminists; and the discussions surrounding the challenges presented by postmodernism.