Sexual Subversions: Three French Feminists (Current Books in Womens Studies) - Hardcover

Introducing three French feminists - Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray and Michele L. Doeuff - this book provides access to the work of these writers. In doing so, it raises some key issues of relevance to feminist research, addressing debates around the nature of feminist theory; the relationship between feminist thinking theory; the relationship between feminist thinking and male-dominatd areas of knowledge; and the strategies appropriate for developing non-patriarchal or woman-centred knowledges. While Kristeva, Irigaray and Le Doeuff do not present a common political or theoretical position, each usefully highlights the differences of the others. Each addresses the questions of women's autonomy from male definition, seeking out a femininity women can use to question patriarchy norms and reject the pre-ordained positions partriarchy allots to woman.