The Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory [Paperback]

Linda Nicholson (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415917611 | ISBN-13: 978-0415917612 | Publication Date: February 23, 1997 | Edition: 1st

The Second Wave collects many of the major essays of feminist theory of the past forty years, essays by the figures who have made key contributions to feminist theory during this period and have generated extensive discussion. Organized historically, these essays provide a sense of the major turning points in feminist theory.

Contributors include: Norma Alarcon, Linda Alcoff, Michele Barrett, Elsa Barkley Brown, Judith Butler, Nancy Chodorow, Patricia Hill Collins, Simone de Beauvoir, Shulamith Firestone, Nancy Fraser, Carol Gilligan, Heidi Hartmann, Nancy C. M. Hartsock, Luce Irigaray, Catharine MacKinnon, Uma Narayan, Linda Nicholson, Ellen Rooney, Gayle Rubin, Gayatri Spivak, Wendy W. Williams and Monique Wittig.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Linda Nicholson is Professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, and Women's Studies at the State University of New York, Albany. She is the author of Gender and History (1986), editor of Feminism/Postmodernism (Routledge, 1990) and the co- editor with Steven Seidman of Social Postmodernism. She is editor of Routledge's Thinking Gender series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1st edition (February 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415917611
• ISBN-13: 978-0415917612
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Civil Rights
  • #11 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Philosophy
  • #82 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Women's Studies > Feminist Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Introductions to the Second (tidal)Wave, June 11, 2006

By 

Jenna Collins (Mount Airy, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory (Paperback)

This superb collection of seminal texts from the so-called "second wave" of feminism is perhpas the best introduction to feminist thought I've come across. From Simone DeBeauvoir's famous statement "one is not born a woman..." to Gayatri Spivak's ruminations on "strategic essentialism" and Third World representation in American academia, literally every text is exceptional. The reader will find (almost) everything, from revolutionary African-American and Latina responses to the purported Eurocentrism in early feminist studies, to French feminists' (Irigaray and Wittig, specifically) provocative interrogations of the phallocentric culture, to mention a few. My only complaint is Nicholson's introductions to each section-- they could be a bit longer and more comprehensive; readers with a cursory knowledge of feminist thought should consider reading a basic introduction, not the texts themselves, before delving into this collection. Regardless, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in women's studies/feminism.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Span of Feminist Literature, February 27, 2009

By 

Bean (Poughkeepsie, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory (Paperback)

I got this book for my Feminist Theory class, taught by one of the contributors, Uma Narayan, and have found it to be an excellent representation of the diversity of feminist theory: Radical Lesbian Feminists, Marxist Feminists, Liberal Feminists, Third-World Feminists and more all contribute powerful pieces. It really is a great way to expand your knowledge of feminism... you learn it's a complicated and controversial topic--many of the essays disagree with each other. I highly recommend this book for a diverse array of accounts in feminist history.