Introduction: Selling Out? Solidarity and Choice in the American Feminist Movement

Abstract

This symposium examines an emergent orientation within the American feminist movement called “choice feminism.” Choice feminists are primarily concerned with increasing the number of choices open to women and with decreasing judgments about the choices that individual women make. Choice feminists are best known for their argument that a woman who leaves the remunerated labor market to care for her children is a feminist in good standing; she makes a feminist decision. While media coverage of choice feminism has been extensive, political scientists have been comparatively quiet. In this symposium, four political scientists analyze and evaluate choice feminism, revealing their disagreement about the validity of the choice feminist position and about the meaning of choice feminism for movement politics, political judgment, and liberal political theory.

The Performativity of Choice: Postfeminist Perspectives on Work–Life Balance

“…The idea that individual choice is fundamental to feminist actions has been labelled choice feminism , which builds on the idea that as long as women ‘do what they want’, it should be considered a feminist act. A leading issue in debates over choice feminism is that of motherhood and the choice to opt out of a career and stay at home, and whether this choice should be interpreted as a feminist act (Kirkpatrick, ). Wealthy, highly educated women have been the focus of choice feminism; hence, a common criticism against choice feminism is that ‘it often fails to account for how women's choices are structured by economic inequality’ (Kirkpatrick, , p. 245).…”

“…A leading issue in debates over choice feminism is that of motherhood and the choice to opt out of a career and stay at home, and whether this choice should be interpreted as a feminist act (Kirkpatrick, ). Wealthy, highly educated women have been the focus of choice feminism; hence, a common criticism against choice feminism is that ‘it often fails to account for how women's choices are structured by economic inequality’ (Kirkpatrick, , p. 245). Others claim that choice feminism represents a backlash against feminism, blurring into a new form of sexism.…”

Imagining new feminist futures: How feminist social movements contest the neoliberalization of feminism in an increasingly corporate‐dominated world

“…Fraser (), Prügl () and Rottenberg (), among others, argue strongly that the ‘neoliberalization of’ feminist movement agendas has occurred. This includes the emergence of ‘transnational business feminism’ (Roberts, ) whereby states, corporations, international bodies and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) develop a ‘business case’ for women's equality, and ‘market feminism’ (Kantola & Squires, ) whereby products and marketing campaigns draw on feminist notions of ‘choice’ (Kirkpatrick, ) and ‘empowerment’ as selling points. Indeed, the ostensibly feminist goals of empowerment, choice and agency have proliferated as buzzwords under neoliberal feminism (Kirkpatrick, ; Rottenberg, ).…”

“…This includes the emergence of ‘transnational business feminism’ (Roberts, ) whereby states, corporations, international bodies and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) develop a ‘business case’ for women's equality, and ‘market feminism’ (Kantola & Squires, ) whereby products and marketing campaigns draw on feminist notions of ‘choice’ (Kirkpatrick, ) and ‘empowerment’ as selling points. Indeed, the ostensibly feminist goals of empowerment, choice and agency have proliferated as buzzwords under neoliberal feminism (Kirkpatrick, ; Rottenberg, ). These are defined with reference to the advancement of individual women, rather than as a shared struggle in search of collective solutions to advance gender equality in society (Rottenberg, ).…”

The Sexual Division of Labor and the Split Paycheck

“…"Third-wave" feminism basically denied that gender was a category of oppression anymore except in cases of poverty and sexual violence. This led to and included the idea of "choice feminism" which maintained that anything that women did, including wearing stiletto heels, using makeup, and having breast implants, was feminist as long as women chose it (Kirkpatrick et al 2010). Finally, the "opt-out revolution" developed, featuring women from prestigious ivy-league universities and prestigious careers who decided to drop out of professional paid labor to be full-time, stay-at-home mothers (Belkin 2003).…”