| Popis: |
Most histories of the women’s liberation movement (WLM) are nationally focused. Yet they contain glimpses of the transnational, from assertions that the American movement sparked European activity, to accounts of theory, protest tactics, and organisational ideas criss-crossing national borders throughout the movement. Transnational WLM histories have recently emerged, but they usually focus upon specific transfers. Even when taken together it is difficult to see what they tell us more broadly about how the movement operated across borders. To explore this topic, this thesis analyses links between the US, UK, and France. This provides a triangular case study, allowing the analysis of crosscurrents, multiple pathways, and entangled links. This thesis focuses upon the first decade of the radical, grassroots WLM. It was a women-only, staunchly leaderless movement, with few overarching organisational instruments. Groups were varied, methods of struggle were diverse—from consciousness-raising, street theatre, and squatting, to refuges, healthcare centres, and bookshops. This lack of regulation provides fertile ground for transnational enquiry: how did such an informal movement manage to grow across different cities, regions, countries? To answer this question, a survey of archival material in all three countries was undertaken, and life history interviews with eighteen activists were conducted. This thesis moves from activist awakenings and politicisation to movement formation and structure. It then explores different areas of activity: theory, protest, healthcare, and services. Throughout, this thesis highlights common networking mechanisms: periodicals, conferences, activist correspondence, and travel. It finds that ideas were primarily constructed and implemented at a local level, but that this does not minimise the importance of the transnational. Ideas which were formed in local contexts went on to travel and were adapted by activists to new contexts. It is precisely through a study of the local, regional, and national that this thesis uncovers the transnational. |
