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Trans Feminist Epistemologies in the US Second Wave

  • Book
  • © 2023

Overview

Authors:
  1. Emily Cousens

    1. London School of Economics, London, UK

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  • Explores the contributions of trans individuals to second wave feminist print culture
  • Argues that radical feminists such as Andrea Dworkin offered non-binary theorisations of sex and gender
  • Resists a history of feminism that naturalises a separation between women and trans people

Part of the book series: Breaking Feminist Waves (BFW)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
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  2. Introduction: Second Wave Trans Feminism

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 1-42

  3. The “Women” of Women’s Liberation

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 43-73

  4. Trans Feminist Phenomenology and Politics in the Journal of Male Feminism

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 75-109

  5. Andrea Dworkin and the Social Construction of Sex

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 111-145

  6. The Category of “Sex” Before the Sex Wars

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 147-178

  7. Conclusion

    • Emily Cousens
    Pages 179-187

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 189-198
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Keywords

About this book

Why do “second wave” and “trans feminism” rarely get considered together? Challenging the idea that trans feminism is antagonistic to, or arrived after, second wave feminism, Emily Cousens re-orients trans epistemologies as crucial sites of second wave feminist theorising. By revisiting the contributions of trans individuals writing in underground print publications, as well as the more well-known arguments of Andrea Dworkin, this book demonstrates that valuable yet overlooked trans feminist philosophies of sex and gender were present throughout the US second wave. It argues that not only were these trans feminist epistemologies an important component of second wave feminism's knowledge production, but that this period has an unacknowledged trans feminist legacy.

Reviews

“Cousens’ book is a remarkable intervention into the history of feminism, demonstrating trans people were not merely present, but were foundational to what became known as second wave feminism. Trans Feminist Epistemologies in the US Second Wave provides us with novel and exciting readings of Andrea Dworkin, fascinating insights into the print culture of the period, and subtle readings of a variety of recondite yet vital thinkers.” (Matthew J. Cull, University of Edinburgh)

“Trans Feminist Epistemologies in the US Second Wave makes the compelling argument that not only were trans people always already part of second wave feminism, but their contributions were central to feminism’s intellectual history. Cousens offers a new frame through which to approach second wave feminism, one that centres the contributions of trans people specifically to feminist thinking on the sex/gender distinction and a politics of bodily autonomy. This book insists powerfully that any narrative of feminism must include the vitality of trans epistemologies.” (Sam McBean, Queen Mary University of London, UK)


Authors and Affiliations

  • London School of Economics, London, UK

    Emily Cousens

About the author

Emily Cousens is Lecturer in the History of Gender and Sexuality at Birkbeck, University of London. Emily’s research is at the intersection of feminist philosophy and trans studies. Emily is particularly interested in the philosophical and political contributions of 1970s radical, queer and trans feminisms, with a focus on the conversations taking place in print.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Trans Feminist Epistemologies in the US Second Wave

  • Authors: Emily Cousens

  • Series Title: Breaking Feminist Waves

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33731-4

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-33730-7Published: 02 August 2023

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-33733-8Due: 02 September 2023

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-33731-4Published: 01 August 2023

  • Series ISSN: 2945-6991

  • Series E-ISSN: 2945-7009

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 198

  • Topics: Cultural Studies, Social Philosophy, Queer Studies, Gender Studies

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