Fortunes of Feminism From State Managed Capitalism to Neoliberal Crisis

Nancy Fraser’s powerful new book documents the “movements of feminism” and the shifts in the feminist imaginary since the 1970s. Fraser follows the history of feminism from the ferment of the New Left, during which “Second Wave” feminism emerged as a struggle for women’s liberation alongside other social movements, to its emersion in identity politics following the decline of its initial utopian energies. Alongside this detailed history, Fraser recognizes the need for a reinvigorated feminist radicalism to respond to the crisis in neoliberalism. She argues for a feminism that could join other egalitarian movements in struggles aimed at subjecting capitalism to democratic control, while retrieving the core utopian insights of feminism’s earlier phases.

"Nancy Fraser is among the very few thinkers in the tradition of critical theory who are capable of redeeming its legacy in the twenty-first century." Axel Honneth

"For more than a decade, Nancy Fraser's thought has helped to reframe the agenda of critical theory." Etienne Balibar

"Nancy Fraser is one of the most creative social philosophers and critical theorists of her generation." Cornel West

"Nancy Fraser challenges us to reactivate the audacious spirit of second-wave feminism. Analyzing an imaginary aimed at eradicating exploitation as well as subjugation, she offers a rousing conclusion as to how we might mobilize feminism’s best energies against the perils of the neoliberal present." Lynne Segal

"Nancy Fraser is among the very few thinkers in the tradition of critical theory who are capable of redeeming its legacy in the twenty-first century." Axel Honneth

"For more than a decade, Nancy Fraser's thought has helped to reframe the agenda of critical theory." Etienne Balibar

Charts the history of women’s liberation and calls for a revitalized feminism.

Nancy Fraser's major new book traces the feminist movement's evolution since the 1970s and anticipates a new--radical and egalitarian--phase of feminist thought and action.
During the ferment of the New Left, -Second Wave- feminism emerged as a struggle for women's liberation and took its place alongside other radical movements that were questioning core features of capitalist society. But feminism's subsequent immersion in identity politics coincided with a decline in its utopian energies and the rise of neoliberalism. Now, foreseeing a revival in the movement, Fraser argues for a reinvigorated feminist radicalism able to address the global economic crisis. Feminism can be a force working in concert with other egalitarian movements in the struggle to bring the economy under democratic control, while building on the visionary potential of the earlier waves of women's liberation. This powerful new account is set to become a landmark of feminist thought.

Nancy Fraser's powerful new book documents the "movements of feminism" and the shifts in the feminist imaginary since the 1970s. Fraser follows the history of feminism from the ferment of the New Left, during which "Second Wave" feminism emerged as a struggle for women's liberation alongside other social movements, to its emersion in identity politics following the decline of its initial utopian energies. Alongside this detailed history, Fraser recognizes the need for a reinvigorated feminist radicalism to respond to the crisis in neoliberalism. She argues for a feminism that could join other egalitarian movements in struggles aimed at subjecting capitalism to democratic control, while retrieving the core utopian insights of feminism's earlier phases.

Charts the history of women’s liberation and calls for a revitalized feminism.

Nancy Fraser is Loeb Professor of Philosophy and Politics at the New School for Social Research, Einstein Fellow of the city of Berlin, and holder of the “Global Justice” Chair at the Collège d’études mondiales in Paris. Her books include Redistribution or Recognition; Adding Insult to Injury; Scales of Justice; Justice Interruptus; and Unruly Practices.

Nancy Fraser is Loeb Professor of Philosophy and Politics at the New School for Social Research and holder of a Chaire Blaise Pascal at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales in Paris. Her books include Redistribution or Recognition: A Political-Philosophical Exchange (with Axel Honneth), Justice Interruptus: Critical Reflections on the "Postsocialist" Condition, and Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory.