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

By examining four areas of women's lives - education, work, media and family - this text questions the concept of "post-feminism". Chapters analyse equal opportunity policies and their implementation to demonstrate how women are still under oppression, and how power relations are part of the cause.

First Published in 1995. As feminists reflect on the impact of the ''second wave'' of feminism, and assess the gains of the last thirty years, invariably they have questioned whether claims that women have achieved equality are justified. In the late 1980s, there was a proliferation of popular imagery of ''new'' men and ''post-feminist'' women, with the concept of ''post-feminism'' reinforcing and emphasizing the differences between independent, upwardly-mobile, career orientated women, and those women who ''choose'' the more ''natural'' role of wife and mother. The Illusions of''Post-Feminism'':New Women, Old Myths maintains 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''. The research illustrates that women''s discontent continues, despite the assumption that gender equality would result from equal opportunities legislation. The chapters highlight the ineffective nature of liberal reformism and demonstrate how power relations still lie at the root of the oppression of women. With its provoking and challenging analysis, this revealing book breaks the silence of women''s real experiences by showing the actuality of women''s lives today.