Difference Feminism or Some Such Nonsense

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 30 May 2011 12:49:17

Ok, so there is this idea called difference feminism which is based on the idea that our experiences are all so different that there can no longer be any unified feminism. This is all fluffy and lovely but leaves out one vital ingredient an awful lot of the most feisty "feminists" I know would give you a verbal knee capping - if not a real one - if you accused them of even being feminists. It's one of those words that has alot of "baggage" to it.

Anyway, this weekend I have been enjoying reading about two very different women and hearing their expressions of what was actually very similar things, but from different places in the social pile. Clarissa Dickson-Wright and Julie Burchill are the two women whose auto-biographies I have found myself reading. Both involve discussion of domestic violence, sex and addiction of different types. They also involve the concepts of personal empowerment and responsibility.  If all this sounds a bit serious do not fear....neither book is a "heavy" read. Both are actually quite "enjoyable" (this somehow seems the wrong word but in the mist of the human nonsense I found myself laughing at their down to earth and angst free descriptions of what they were describing).

What I found interesting, amongst other things, was the way hedonism and religion freely mixed within their world views. It was like they had the spiritual belief without the moral hang ups. Yet, they realised the responsibility that one has to take if certain decisions are made and questioned, in some ways, the long term effects of some of the choices made.

All in all I really enjoyed reading both of them and would recommend them if you happen to get hold of a copy of either.