Table of Contents

1. Silent voices and everyday critics: problems in political theory, solutions from Third World feminist social criticism; 2. Why do we need a Third World feminist theory of social criticism?; 3. Method: skeptical scrutiny, guiding criteria, and deliberative inquiry in concert; 4. Roles: social criticism and self-criticism; 5. Qualifications: everyday critics, multi-sited critics, and multiple critics; 6. Third World feminist social criticism as feminist democratic theory.

Promotional Information

This book draws on the insights of Third World women's activism to develop feminist theory.

Reviews

'Ackerly's key argument is a convincing one: feminist social criticism, which includes 'third world' feminist activism, moves beyond the stalemate between anti-relativist and anti-essentialist feminist theory. In so doing, feminist critics have achieved in practice what other theorists do only incompletely in theory.' International Feminist Journal of Politics 'Ackerly's ambitious blending of theory and practical politics will appeal to a broad audience of feminist scholars and students ... the book also provides social scientists with a rich example of a methodology that derives theory from emancipatory practices and could thus be an exciting addition to graduate scope and method course.' Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society