Foucault and Feminism: Power, Gender and the Self - Softcover

Mcnay, Lois

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0745609392 ISBN 13: 9780745609393

Publisher: Polity, 1992

Synopsis

This book offers a systematic attempt to explore the point of convergance between feminist theory and the work of Michel Foucault.

About this title

Review:

'Thought-provoking account.' Times Higher Education Supplement 'Lois McNay has produced an attractively clear and critical account of how feminists might use Foucault's last works.' Sociology 'It offers a clearly written and thorough, critical survey of Foucault's last publications. This, in turn, is balanced by a wide-ranging and equally critically review of recent developments within contemporary feminist ethical theory. It is well worth the read!!' Women's Philosophy Review 'This is an excellent book, lucid, carefully argued, sympathetically critical and a great pleasure to read.' Jeffrey Weeks, South Bank University

From the Back Cover:

This book offers a systematic attempt to explore the point of convergence between feminist theory and the work of Michel Foucault. McNay argues that feminism has something to gain from a careful reading of Foucault's work, and that, in turn, the concerns of feminist analysis can shed light on some of the limitations of Foucault's approach.

McNay provides a clear and concise account of the development of Foucault's work and then concentrates on his later writings, where he elaborates an original theory of the self. She shows how Foucault's work on the self can be used to counter certain tendencies in feminism, such as the tendency to treat women as passive victims of systems of oppression. However, McNay argues that there are also significant shortcomings in Foucault's writings, particularly with regard to normative and political questions. Re-examining Foucault's ambivalent relation to Enlightenment thought, she shows how this relation underlies some of the most significant ambiguities and unresolved tensions in his work.

About this edition

• Publisher: Polity
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0745609392
• ISBN 13: 9780745609393
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224