Difference feminism

Difference feminism is a term developed during the equality-versus-difference debate^[1] in American feminism to describe the view that men and women are different, but that no value judgment can be placed upon them and both sexes have equal moral status as persons.^[2]

Some forms of difference feminism, for example Mary Daly's, argue not just that women and men were different, and had different values or different ways of knowing, but that women and their values were superior to men's.^[3] Difference feminism did not require a commitment to essentialism, although there is ongoing debate about whether Daly's feminism is essentialist.^[4]^[5]

Most strains of difference feminism did not argue that there was a biological, inherent, ahistorical, or otherwise "essential" link between womanhood and traditionally feminine values, habits of mind (often called "ways of knowing"^[6]), or personality traits.^[7] These feminists simply sought to recognize that, in the present, women and men are significantly different and to explore the devalued "feminine" characteristics.^[3] This variety of difference feminism is also called gender feminism.^[8]^[9]

^ Scott, Joan (1988). "Deconstructing Equality-Versus-Difference: Or, the Uses of Post-structuralist Theory for Feminism". Feminist Studies. 14 (1): 33–50. doi:10.2307/3177997. JSTOR 3177997.
^ "Carol Gilligan". Psychology's Feminist Voices. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
^ ^a ^b Tandon, Neeru. Feminism: A Paradigm Shift. p. 68.
^ Hoagland, Sarah Lucia; Frye, Marilyn, eds. (2000). Feminist interpretations of Mary Daly. Re-reading the canon. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University. ISBN 978-0-271-02018-1.
^ Sandilands, Catriona (1999). The Good-Natured Feminist Ecofeminism and the Quest for Democracy. pp. chapter 5: "Cyborgs and Queers".
^ Schiebinger, Londa (2000). "Has Feminism Changed Science?". Signs. 25 (4): 1171–1175. doi:10.1086/495540. PMID 17089478. S2CID 225088475.
^ Grande Jensen, Pamela. Finding a New Feminism: Rethinking the Woman Question for Liberal Democracy. p. 2 footnote 4.
^ Fowler, Robert Booth (1999). Enduring Liberalism: American Political Thought Since the 1960s. University Press of Kansas. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-70-060974-1.
^ Ford, Lynne E. (2008). Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics. New York: Facts on File. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-81-605491-6.

[auto-1] Scott, Joan (1988). "Deconstructing Equality-Versus-Difference: Or, the Uses of Post-structuralist Theory for Feminism". Feminist Studies. 14 (1): 33–50. doi:10.2307/3177997. JSTOR 3177997.

[2] "Carol Gilligan". Psychology's Feminist Voices. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2017-05-10.

[auto2-3] Tandon, Neeru. Feminism: A Paradigm Shift. p. 68.

[4] Hoagland, Sarah Lucia; Frye, Marilyn, eds. (2000). Feminist interpretations of Mary Daly. Re-reading the canon. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University. ISBN 978-0-271-02018-1.

[5] Sandilands, Catriona (1999). The Good-Natured Feminist Ecofeminism and the Quest for Democracy. pp. chapter 5: "Cyborgs and Queers".

[auto1-6] Schiebinger, Londa (2000). "Has Feminism Changed Science?". Signs. 25 (4): 1171–1175. doi:10.1086/495540. PMID 17089478. S2CID 225088475.

[7] Grande Jensen, Pamela. Finding a New Feminism: Rethinking the Woman Question for Liberal Democracy. p. 2 footnote 4.

[Fowler-8] Fowler, Robert Booth (1999). Enduring Liberalism: American Political Thought Since the 1960s. University Press of Kansas. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-70-060974-1.

[Ford-9] Ford, Lynne E. (2008). Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics. New York: Facts on File. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-81-605491-6.

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