The Aftermath of Feminism

Citation

McAdam, M. (2010), "The Aftermath of Feminism", International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 295-296. https://doi.org/10.1108/17566261011079279

This book review explores the relevance and implications of Angela McRobbie's new book for those researching the area of female entrepreneurship. The book provides interesting insights into the development of post‐feminism through the lens of popular and political culture primarily, but not exclusively, within a UK framework. Rather than utilising a specific empirical perspective, McRobbie uses a cultural reading in the form of a series of reflections taken from television, popular culture and women's magazines. Post‐feminism as defined by McRobbie suggests that equality has been achieved and, as such, the anti men‐type feminism of years gone by is not appropriate for today's modern girl. Thus, the underlying message within this post‐feminism era is that young women are no longer excluded from the influence of patriarchy but are empowered with choice. Young women today have the luxury of choice; in this regard McRobbie refers to Bridget Jones as the “pin‐up” girl of such reflexive modernisation. However, as the overwhelming force of structures fades, girls must create and choose their own structures. Interestingly, this has lead to entrepreneurial activity in the emergence of life coaches, gurus, self‐help books, personal advisors and even fortune‐tellers!

However, McRobbie warns that those processes which appear to give individuals more choice are in fact new and more complex ways of ensuring that masculine domination is reconstructed, thus reducing the chances of a revival of feminism. The modern girl, despite her freedom, can be called upon to be silent and so rejects feminism in order to be considered cool and sophisticated. This is reflected in the ongoing discourse within fashion magazines, which gives the illusion of positivity and progress; however, such images and messages work to conceal the fact that patriarchy is still in place. So, despite the complexity of the debate surrounding articulations of gender, value‐laden social assumptions based upon the binary divide actively shape normative behaviours.

According to McRobbie, women's magazines, along with the fashion and beauty industries, have been instrumental in the dismantling of feminism. Such forums portray feminism as too anti‐men, pro‐lesbian and anti‐family. Consequently, it is best to keep something like feminism as a private personal matter. Thus, McRobbie (2009) argues, within this highly critical analysis of the contemporary post‐feminist thesis, that women are expected and encouraged to enter former enclaves of traditionally masculinised economic, social and political activities. Simultaneously, however, powerful cultural pressures still demand that women fulfil and demonstrate their femininity through adherence to particular sexualised body images, domestic proficiency and motherhood. Although young women are no longer trapped within the home, they are now trapped within the struggle of perfectionism. Symptoms of this struggle take the form of self‐harming, drug addiction and eating disorders. However, rather worryingly, such symptoms are referred to within fashion and beauty magazines as part of what it is to be a normal young woman in these modern times.

Thus, within this alleged period of “post‐feminist” equality, women are doing a double, sometimes triple, shift in their roles as housewife, mother and employee. Interestingly, post‐feminism does not challenge the division of labour within the home; rather, it is up to the individual heterosexual women to negotiate equality within her domestic domain. So, what is the impact of post‐feminism on entrepreneurship where, it is argued, women can have it all? It appears that in order for women to succeed they need to become more like men in the workplace: more competitive, individualistic, less concerned for others and more concerned with “self”. However, women are asked to perform such masculinity without relinquishing the femininity which makes them desirable to men: the working girl with her ultra feminine wardrobe. In fact, adopting this tactic, an interplay between masculinised toughness and sexualised leverage, is common where women find themselves as visible minorities; they act as “honorary men” to gain professional respect (being one of the lads) but also need to be wary of invoking hostility regarding the usurpation of male power. The overall message within this book is that despite entering an alleged period of “post‐feminist” equality, continued analyses of how women absorb and reproduce normative, subordinated articulations of gendered behaviour and the impact these might have upon their propensity to engage with enterprise are essential if we are to understand women's continued under‐representation within the entrepreneurship arena.