The Impact of Feminism on Political Concepts and Debates

Many feminists have engaged with man-made concepts and approaches of traditional political analysis to produce an increasingly sophisticated and wide-ranging body of thought. This book starts with the idea that such work is not simply "something for the girls." Rather, it has profound implications without which our understanding of political processes will be impoverished. This book provides an accessible overview and assessment of the impact of recent feminism. Each chapter takes a "malestream" concept and examines critical debates around it and feminist reactions/critiques. It analyses the significance of feminism for the concept and considers whether it can simply be extended to include women or whether it should be radically transformed or even abandoned.

Georgina Blakeley is Lecturer in Politics at the Open University. Valerie Bryson is Professor of Politics at the University of Huddersfield.