NPR: Sarah Palin And Feminism's Rightward Path

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Mon Oct-13-08 04:45 PM
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NPR: Sarah Palin And Feminism's Rightward Path

Fresh Air from WHYY, October 9, 2008 � Some feminists have had a hard time accepting Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as a symbol of women's empowerment. But political science professor Ronnee Schreiber argues that conservatism and feminism are not mutually exclusive ideologies.

In a Sept. 9 commentary for CNN.com, Schreiber wrote that McCain chose Palin as his running mate because he wanted to energize Republican women and bring "undecided women who like the way conservative women speak to them into McCain's camp."

Schreiber is an assistant professor at San Diego State University and the author of Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics.

Listen Now: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=95521909&m=95549311

Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics
By Ronnee Schreiber
Hardcover, 192 pages
Oxford University Press
List price: $29.95

Excerpt: 'Righting Feminism:Conservative Women and American Politics'

by Ronnee Schreiber

In April 2001, the Independent Women's Forum (IWF) ran a fullpage ad in several campus newspapers, urging students to "Take Back the Campus" from "factually challenged" feminist professors seeking to indoctrinate students into a "cult." In the ad, IWF asserted that feminists had exaggerated the frequency and severity of incidences of violence against women and that feminist accounts of gender differences in wages and gender biases in schools were overstated and often inaccurate. Finally, the ad encouraged students who encountered such accounts of "Ms/information" to report them to IWF for posting on its Web site. IWF caused a stir on several campuses with the publication, garnering the organization national publicity. This was, no doubt, part of the intent of this media-savvy organization.

Upon first glancing at the ad, one is compelled to ask: why would a women's organization run this? Why would a women's organization publicly contest women's claims of abuse and violence? How can it square its need to appeal to women with its seeming disregard for feminist construction of women's interests? Can we just dismiss this organization as being antiwomen or the dupe of conservative men? Simply put, no. As a conservative women's organization, IWF was articulating alternative bases for understanding women's political interests. And it had clout because women were making the claims.

IWF's agenda in this incident is representative of a significant political battle that has been largely unrecognized by political analysts. As women's political power has increased, so too has a contest among national organizations fighting to represent women's interests in the policymaking process. Although feminists have long dominated the political landscape in terms of numbers and visibility, they are increasingly being challenged by other national organizations�those that are antifeminist and also claim to represent women's interests. These conservative women's groups present a substantial threat to the feminist movement. They are well organized, politically active, and have access to government institutions, political parties, and national media. As these organizations vie with feminists over what women need and desire, they publicly contest definitions of women's interests and influence political debates and policy outcomes. Inattention to comparably sized and situated feminist organizations, such as the National Organization for Women (NOW), would be untenable; yet almost no scholarship exists on national conservative women's organizations. An examination of these national political actors is long overdue.

This book examines the two most visible and prominent conservative women's organizations: Concerned Women for America (CWA) and Independent Women's Forum (IWF). CWA is one of the largest grassroots women's organizations in the country and participates in a host of current political debates. Founded in 1979 to oppose the Equal Rights Amendment, this multi-issue interest group rivals in size and scope its feminist counterpart, NOW. IWF emerged in 1992 through the efforts of women formerly organized to support the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. Energized by their work to promote Thomas's appointment, these professional women dedicated themselves to establishing a national and institutional voice for economically conservative women. Featured in a Washington Post story that highlighted the organization's keen ability to get its leaders on the public airwaves, IWF includes associates who have positions in and strong ties to George W. Bush's administration. Among these are founding board member Lynne Cheney, who is the nation's Second Lady, and national advisory board member Elaine Chao, who is the U.S. labor secretary. Given the growing stature of these organizations, it is important to understand their role in American politics. As policymakers take them seriously, both groups work pointedly to undermine feminist policy successes. And, because they are women challenging other women's political views, the media are eager to give them access; controversy generates interest and viewership.

FULL article at link.