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Budapest W10: Feminist Research - Class notes

Post-feminist era - political cultural forces select ideals from feminism that work in the context of 'Top Girl' being economically active, and achieve womanhood through this
What kind of feminism is the one to which the first decade of the 21st century can select from? Liberal feminist agenda, white, young - reappropriated by neoliberalism and biopolitics
However, hyper-masculinity is condoned because of this. Any achievement of the young woman could be associated with the reformist agenda of liberal feminism

How do you understand liberal feminism? Reformist within existing structure rather than radically altering. Where reformation achieves gender equality through promoting positive images of outstanding role models and through meritocracy. How can we make sure women will be mainstreamed? Responsibility of the state, achieved through legal measure. Liberal feminism reduces politics into a question of rights and legislation

The 'Top Girl' precludes feminism when McRobbie refers to how feminism is reduced to an understanding of women's rights. Liberal feminism can easily be appropriated if their politics is about legislation for women's rights to etc.

Retrenchment of gender - liberal feminists do not want to challenge the system - labour force addition makes the economy better - sexual agency as long as it is reproductive ahead of time - women can have more 'rights' as long as it doesn't upend heterosexual terrain.

McRobbie - Flexible global capitalism has appropriated liberal feminist agendas selectively
Fraser - feminism has become coopted by neoliberalism

The root of the Symbolic is reproductive sex and heterosexuality

Post-feminism - Independence and individualisation as defining of young womenhood as a way of saying feminism has been achieved, there is no logic left for collective activity - meritocracy implies no solidarity

Multiculturalism has shifted to integration to make difference invisible

Popular culture as a place of high visibility - used as a tool to show that feminism is OVER
Dominance of popular culture - not mundane or benign - state apparatus of ideologies to circulate ideas as if they were non-coercive

Popular culture shapes and is effected by discourse - an attractive list of possibility, spectacular luminosity that bombards you with aspirational choices - strategic difference between biopolitical governence as opposed to dictatorial sovereignty

Flexibility - asserted, privileged - you must not see yourself in a precarious position, no vulnerability Freedom as the ideological choice - free to do that within a structural position, but you are not able to see that your choice is not detrimental
There is choice, but when one doesn't pursue the expected decision, it is seen as odd, wrong

Freedom to as well as freedom from

Sexual contract - gender relations are destabilised and reconfigured as a new arrangement

Flexible global economy is open to more women - upper-middle class, college degree woman is needed in great numbers - ideologies - which figures are made to be in the spotlight - what positions are outlined by this luminosity

Four spaces of attention - fashionista, working girl, phallic girl, global girl
The 'ideal' feminine subject



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