The Illusions Of Post-Feminism: New Women, Old Myths

As feminists reflect on the impact of the second wave of feminism and assess the gains of the last 30 years, invariably they have questioned whether claims that women have achieved equality in education, work and in the home are justified. In the late 1980s, there was a proliferation of the popular imagery of "new" men and "post-feminist" women, with the concept of post-feminism reinforcing and emphasising the differences between independent, upwardly-mobile, career-orientated women and those women who "choose" the more natural "role" of wife and mother.; This text argues that "post-feminism" is a myth. Through in-depth interviews with women about four major areas of their lives - education, work, the media and the family - the authors challenge and expose the myths implicit in the concept of post-feminism by showing the actuality of women's lives. The chapters analyse equal opportunity policies and their implementation to demonstrate how power relations still lie at the root of the oppression of women. With its provoking and challenging analysis, this text provides a detailed analysis of the "backlash" as experienced by women in Britain.

Vicki Coppock is a senior lecturer in social policy and social work at Edge Hill College of Higher Education.