Knowledge PoliticsPapers

Roxanne Douglas reconstructs journals, salons, correspondence, and organizing across Egypt, Palestine, and Lebanon to place Arab feminist networks inside - not after or outside - the history of feminism’s first wave.

This radical feminist theoretical article revisits the place of tolerance in feminist theory, critically responding to the pluralist stance advocated by the inaugural issue of Feminist Theory journal. Drawing on Herbert Marcuse's theory of 'repressive tolerance', Thompson argues that unlimited tolerance provides shelter for patriarchal and anti-feminist viewpoints, thereby undermining feminism's core as a liberatory politics. She contends that feminism must maintain intolerance toward male domination to preserve its theoretical coherence and political efficacy.

This response essay explores tensions between universalism and politics of location in feminist theory, responding to Walby's claims about making universal arguments across local differences. Phoenix, from an intersectional perspective, advocates for alliance politics built on acknowledging difference rather than abstract universalism.

This essay responds to Sylvia Walby's claim that feminism needs to move beyond politics of location toward universal arguments. Knapp, drawing from German Critical Theory and feminist traditions, explores the power of argument while warning against power relations that abstract universalism might mask, advocating for argumentative practice that is both critically powerful and acknowledges situatedness.

This essay explores the definitional boundaries and epistemological foundations of feminist theory, questioning what kinds of thinking and practice can be counted as 'theory' and how such distinctions affect feminist academic and political practice. Ermarth examines feminist theory's diversity and inclusivity from a postmodern perspective.

This critical essay examines epistemological boundaries and power relations in academic discourse by investigating how dictionaries define and categorize feminist theory. Winter analyzes which theoretical traditions are included or excluded, and how these choices reflect power dynamics and knowledge politics within feminism.

This groundbreaking article critiques Western feminism's discursive construction of 'Third World women,' revealing colonialist tendencies in feminist scholarship. Mohanty demonstrates how Western feminism homogenizes non-Western women as victims, ignoring their agency and diversity, laying the foundation for transnational and decolonial feminist theory.