A Golden Lever for Politics: Feminist Emotion and Women's Agency. (2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Langle de Paz, Teresa
• Is Part Of: Hypatia. Volume 31:Number 1(2016:Spring)
• Page Start: 187
• Page End: 203
• Publication Date: 2016
• Subjects: Feminist theory -- Periodicals; Feminism -- United States -- Periodicals; Femininity (Philosophy) -- Periodicals; 305.4201
• DOI: 10.1111/hypa.12218
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-5367

Abstract

Abstract : Pervasive feminism is a component located in emotionality— feminist emotion —and contains women's primary agency. Because affect and emotions are elusive, an interpretive conceptual tool is necessary and is key to making use of their potential for feminist politics aimed at women's empowerment and well‐being and to build gender equality. This essay builds on contemporary feminist theory and affect theory and draws from multidisciplinary research. It presents a new theoretical framework anchored in hermeneutics and phenomenology to pin down the affective component of women's multifaceted, intersectional emotional experiences of gender. A case study also illustrates how the theoretical premises around the concept of feminist emotion are compatible with and useful for feminist praxis .