The Problem of Authority in Radical Movement Groups: A Case Study of Lesbian-Feminist Organization

Rethinking Feminist Organizations

“…Gornick, Burt, and Pittman 1985;Riger 1984). Marx Ferree (1987,188) notes that liberal feminists in the American women's movement do not see hierarchy and bureaucracy as intrinsically antifeminist, whereas feminists of other ideological persuasions (radical, socialist, lesbian) often do (Baker 1982;Freeman 1979;Gelb 1987;Pittman, Burt, and Gornick 1984;Staggenborg 1989). Scholars of collectivist organizations tend, in contrast, to agree on their essential qualities: how authority, or control, is organized and the goal of participatory democracy (Blum 1982;Hacker and Elcorobairutia 1987;Rothschild-Whitt 1979a, 1979bRothschild and Whitt 1986;Zimmerer 1982).…”

“…Organizations that disavow feminist ideology may have other feminist characteristics. These are the organization's founding circumstances or its espousal of feminist values, goals, or outcomes-such as societal change to improve women's status, the development of women's personal skills or relationships or self-esteem as a process of micropolitical change, or transforming women's political consciousness (Ahrens 1980;Amir and Amir 1979;Baker 1982;Ferguson 1984Ferguson , 1987Ferree 1987;Gelb 1987;Gornick, Burt, and Pittman 1985;King and Webb 1981;Lorber 1985;Loseke and Cahill 1984;Maxwell 1987;Riger 1984;Rodriguez 1988;Schechter 1982;Searles and Berger 1987;Staggenborg 1988Staggenborg , 1989Tierney 1982;Thurston 1987).…”

“…The literature on feminist organizations has focused heavily on internal structure, to the neglect of other qualities (Baker 1982;Freeman 1979). Feminist organizations assume many structural forms, and a common internal structure (e.g., collectivist) does not preclude other differences.…”

“…Baker 1982;Ferguson 1984;Ferree 1987). Inconsistencies of goal and practice; the decoupling of structure and activity; conflicting values, goals, practices, and outcomescircumstances that characterize practically all ongoing organizations-are depicted as fatal or disqualifying flaws.…”

“…Much of the literature depicts feminist organizations as explicitly feminist in ideology (see Ahrens 1980;Baker 1982;Ferguson 1984Ferguson , 1987Freeman 1972-73), although numerous studies report that leaders of some organizations that were spawned by the feminist movement, that endorse feminist values, and that pursue feminist goals deny, when asked explicitly, that their organizations are feminist (see Gomick, Burt, and Pittman 1985;Pittman, Burt, and Gornick 1984;Harvey 1985).…”