Customer Reviews

What Are We Fighting For?: Sex, Race, Class, and the Future of Feminism

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This is a must read for anyone interested in feminism and the prospect for social change and women's liberation.

Joanna Russ is more than thorough in her analysis of the current wave of reactionary feminism. She asserts that those who are active in this "wave" are primarily interested in personal beliefs, opinions and relationships instead of political analysis and action. She clearly articulates how the current mass reaction in the feminist movement has essentially reduced feminism into lifestyle and personal aggrandizement devoid of political and economic analysis, agenda and impact.

Russ'work illustrates that what has been lost is the understanding that feminism is an impetus to the radical reordering of society through socially conscious political struggle. She challenges those interested in women's rights to examine (or reexamine) and analyze the roots of women's oppression with a socially conscious perspective and all those claiming to be feminists to develop a political agenda based on the reality of the relationship of forces and to immediately end their support of patriarchy.

If nothing else, the bibliography of this book is a shining model for every feminist's bookshelf.

I love this book because one of its chapter titles seems to sum up the spirit of contemporary feminism in just one simple phrase: "My life is hard because your life is easy."

To which sentiment I , an unreconstructed straight white male, would have to reply in the following manner: "Your life, Joanna, may well be as horrible as you say it is --god knows it looks unappealing -- but that has nothing to do with me. My happiness does not create your misery. My successes do not determine your failures. You and me, we have nothing more in common than the air we breath. Mope away the remainder of your days in ideological squalor if that's what floats your boat. Just don't point your finger at me. "

If you are looking for an introduction to the feminist theory because you didn't get any in high school (or college, for that matter) this book is a great place to start. This book is really, really readable. I normally don't call such academically founded texts page turners, but this one is. I could not put it down. Russ makes several vital connections between the problems of sex, race, class and sexual orientation, and shows you how she arrives at her conclusions regarding these connections. I had fun reading the book, but I was shocked at my personal ignorance on so many of the topics. It was certainly eye opening. Kudos to the author.

I would also add that you should make sure to read all the endnotes; they're every bit as good as the text itself.

Having read other works my Ms. Russ, I was excited to read her new book, What are We Fighting For? As a feminist of the 90's, I have been frusterated by the lack of writings and clarity of direction for the young feminist of today. Russ does a good job explaining the roots of the movement from the 60's and 70's and those influential people who's writings defined these times. I do wish her bibliography had included current works of the 90's or references to current forms of feminism. Overall this is an inspiring and well-researched work that elequently brings many important issues to the forefront.

I find it enormously refreshing to read good economic analysis of feminist issues by a "noneconomist". Her excursions are not idle pleasure trips: rather, they connect vitally important material to the contiguous terrain. And making connections is a large part of what feminism is about. As is not insisting on formats or subjects which happen to be the academic fashion. Academic fashion, as Russ has noted copiously here and in _How to Suppress Women's Writing_, has not been particularly advantageous for women.