Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical
or philosophical fields. It encompasses work in a variety of disciplines,
including anthropology, sociology, economics, women's studies, literary criticism,
art history, psychoanalysis and philosophy. Feminist theory aims to understand
gender inequality and focuses on gender politics, power relations, and
sexuality. While providing a critique of these social and political relations,
much of feminist theory also focuses on the promotion of women's rights and
interests.
Themes explored in feminist theory include discrimination,
stereotyping, objectification, oppression, and patriarchy. In the field of
literary criticism, Elaine Showalter describes the development of feminist
theory as having three phases. The first she calls "feminist
critique", in which the feminist reader examines the ideologies behind
literary phenomena. The second Showalter calls "gynocriticism", in
which the "woman is producer of textual meaning". The last phase she
calls "gender theory", in which the "ideological inscription and
the literary effects of the sex/gender system are explored".
This was paralled in the 1970s by French feminists, who
developed the concept of écriture féminine (which translates as female, or
feminine writing). Helene Cixous argues that writing and philosophy are
phallocentric and along with other French feminists such as Luce Irigaray
emphasize "writing from the body" as a subversive exercise.[26] The
work of the feminist psychoanalyst and philosopher, Julia Kristeva, has
influenced feminist theory in general and feminist literary criticism in
particular. However, as the scholar Elizabeth Wright points out, "none of
these French feminists align themselves with the feminist movement as it
appeared in the Anglophone world".
