Edited by Linda S. Kauffman (NHC Fellow, 1983–84) The political force of feminism cannot be separated from the theories which give it that force. an effective feminist literary criticism must negotiate its relationship to the dominant male voice of traditional practices. Can it change that voice for new ends, or is it robbed of purpose … Continued
By Ellen Anne McLarney (NHC Fellow, 2011–12) In the decades leading up to the Arab Spring in 2011, when Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian regime was swept from power in Egypt, Muslim women took a leading role in developing a robust Islamist presence in the country’s public sphere. Soft Force examines the writings and activism of these women—including scholars, … Continued
By Jocelyn Olcott (NHC Fellow, 2013–14) Amid the geopolitical and social turmoil of the 1970s, the United Nations declared 1975 as International Women's Year. The capstone event, a two-week conference in Mexico City, was dubbed by organizers and journalists as "the greatest consciousness-raising event in history." The event drew an all-star cast of characters, including … Continued
By Winifred Breines (NHC Fellow, 2001–02) Inspired by the idealism of the civil rights movement, the women who launched the radical second wave of the feminist movement believed, as a bedrock principle, in universal sisterhood and color-blind democracy. Their hopes, however, were soon dashed. To this day, the failure to create an integrated movement remains … Continued
By Paula A. Michaels (NHC Fellow, 2008–09) The Lamaze method is virtually synonymous with natural childbirth in America. In the 1970s, taking Lamaze classes was a common rite of passage to parenthood. The conscious relaxation and patterned breathing techniques touted as a natural and empowering path to the alleviation of pain in childbirth resonated with the feminist … Continued
By Lisa Levenstein (NHC Fellow, 2014–15) From the declaration of the “Year of the Woman” to the televising of Anita Hill’s testimony, from Bitch magazine to SisterSong’s demands for reproductive justice: the 90s saw the birth of some of the most lasting aspects of contemporary feminism. Historian Lisa Levenstein tracks this time of intense and … Continued
By Charles Capper (NHC Fellow, 1994–95; 2002–03) With this first volume of a two-part biography of the Transcendentalist critic and feminist leader, Margaret Fuller, Capper has launched the premier modern biography of early America's best-known intellectual woman. Based on a thorough examination of all the firsthand sources, many of them never before used, this volume … Continued
By Linda K. Kerber (NHC Fellow, 1990–91) As a leading historian of women, Linda K. Kerber has played an instrumental role in the radical rethinking of American history over the past two decades. The maturation and increasing complexity of studies in women's history are widely recognized, and in this remarkable collection of essays, Kerber's essential … Continued
What role has sexual assault played in our nation’s history? From Pocahontas to enslavement to today? How have women fought to change behaviors, cultural norms, and public policies regarding sexual assault? Race, racism, and intersectionality will be key themes of this webinar because sexual violence has long been used as a tool of white supremacy … Continued
When Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening appeared in 1899, one reviewer deemed it an unhealthy, “morbid” book. Another maintained that its protagonist Edna Pontellier embraced “the fiend called Passion,” while a third wondered if Chopin were claiming that a married women should be free to “wantonly” severe ties to her husband and live openly as … Continued