Feminism

'Feminism' wrote Marie Shear in 1986, 'is the radical notion that women are people'.

But, simple and powerful though this definition is, feminism is not a single, clear narrative.

It doesn't begin with a specific event at a particular moment in time, it can't be identified with any one political organization or movement, and it isn't defined by the contributions of a handful of great thinkers.

Here, Professor Deborah Cameron unpicks the various strands that constitute one of history's most important intellectual and political movements.

In her clear and incisive account, she discusses oppression, sexuality, violence, academic theory and practical activism, shows how feminism can be a way of viewing the world and provides an overview of its history.