The Comparative Women's History
Workshop
The Value of Comparison
Feminism
In "Defining Feminism:
A Comparative Historical Approach" Karen Offen proposes a re-examinination
and reconceptualization of the word feminism based on it's use from comparative
history. Unlike the Anglo-American context where 'individualist' or equal
rights feminism played a predominant role in defining twentieth century
feminism, 'relational feminism' represented the dominant line of argument
until very recently in France. Feminists in France argued for an 'equality
in difference' or an 'equity as distinct from equality' that was rooted
in sexual dimorphism and a sexual division of labor. Equality feminism
was branded an Anglo-American threat between 1900 an 1940 when French feminism
was strongly associated with republican nationalism and the pro-family
pro-natalist positions of the Third Republic. The historical evidence Offen
offers from France supports a more expansive, historically and cross-culturally
informed understanding of feminism that incorporates both the relational
and individualist traditions. She thus argues that "to comprehend fully
the historical range and possibilities of feminism we must locate the origins
and growth of these ideas within a variety of cultural traditions" (82).
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