The Rise of Feminism: A Psychoanalyst Probes the Meaning of a Movement - Paperback

by Gerald Schoenewolf (Author)

Feminism is perhaps the most influential political movement of our times. In this volume a noted psychoanalyst looks at the history of feminism, analyzes its effect on American and world culture, and sheds light on its ultimate meaning. The book shows how, over the course of a hundred years, feminism became more than a political movement; it became a way of life and a new morality to many, and those who spoke out against the feminist doctrine were seen as engaging in hate speech and as proclaiming themselves to be culturally backwards. How did feminism get to this place? Fulfilling his psychoanalytic commitment to search for the truth, the author examines the psychological underpinnings of the women's movement. He looks at its stated goals (its conscious mind) in comparison with its ultimate consequences (its unconscious byproducts) and wonders whether feminism took society to a place that was beneficial to all And he examines whether it achieved its original goal of equality between men and women.On a more personal level, the author details his own involvement with the movement from his youth to the present, and describes various encounters with radicals. He tells about feeling hurt by the constant trashing of males that was part and parcel of the feminist movement, and how he was concerned about the demise of gender balance caused by feminism. He observes feminism's idealization of one gender and demonization of the other and writes of his concerned about the effect of this imbalance on the family, child-rearing and on the quality of life. This volume argues that as feminism became more radical and as its focus shifted from equal rights to a wholesale reconstruction of culture, it created more chaos and confusion than meaning. This important volume takes a backward glance at one of the most powerful political movements of our time."