Christine Delphy (Women of Ideas series) Book

Christine Delphy is a major architect of materialist feminism - a radical feminist perspective which she developed in the context of the French women's movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She has always been a controversial figure and continues to make original and challenging contributions to current feminist debates. In major books such as The Main Enemy, Delphy argued that women's subjugation is rooted in their material exploitation by men, and that this should be a central issue on the feminist political agenda. She has consistently opposed the idea that femininity and masculinity are natural phenomena and her insistence that women and men are social categories, defined by the hierarchical relations between them rather than by biology, typifies the materialist school within French feminism. Stevi Jackson explains Delphy's views on patriarchal exploitation, class, gender, and the institutionalization of feminism. She also recounts the key events in Delphy's life as a feminist activist, setting her works within their social and political context. In addition to providing a clear synthesis of Delphy's work, the book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of feminist ideas and, in particular, the development of feminism in France.This lucid and accessible introduction to a key thinker in the modern women's movement will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in feminism or cultural history.Read More