Contemporary Feminist Pragmatism by Hamington, Maurice; Bardwell-Jones, Celia;

Short description:

This interdisciplinary collection of original essays explores the present implications of feminism and pragmatism for theory, policy, and action. This is the first book-length work to address the modern significance of the nexus of feminism and pragmatism.

Long description:

The notion of "feminist pragmatism" or "pragmatist feminism" has been around since Charlene Haddock Seigfried introduced it two decades ago. However, the bulk of the work in this field has been directed toward recovering the feminist strain of classical American philosophy, largely through renewed interest in the work of Jane Addams. This exploration of the origins of feminism and pragmatism has been fruitful in building a foundation for theoretical considerations.

The editors of this volume believe the next logical step is the contemporary application to both theory and experience. Contemporary Feminist Pragmatism is the first book to address the modern significance of the nexus of feminism and pragmatism. The issues explored here include the relationship between community and identity, particularly around the impact of gender and race; reframing political practice regarding feminist pragmatist commitments including education, sustainability movements, and local efforts like community gardens; and the association between ethics and inquiry including explorations of Buddhism, hospitality, and animal-human relationships.

Table of Contents:

Selected Contents: Part 1: Community and Identity  1. Transforming Whiteness with Roycean Loyalty: A Pragmatist Feminist Account Shannon Sullivan  2. The Hostile Gospel and Democratic Faith: Black Feminist Reflections on Rap and John Dewey V. Denise James  3. Border Communities and Royce: The Problem of Translation and Reinterpreting Feminist Empiricism Celia Bardwell-Jones  4. Dynamic Borders, Dynamic Identities: A Pragmatist Ontology Of "Groups" For Critical Multicultural Transnational Feminisms Amrita Banerjee  5. Solving the Problem of Epistemic Exclusion: A Pragmatist Feminist Approach Susan Dieleman  Part 2: Political Practice  6. Feminist-Pragmatist Democratic Practice and Contemporary Sustainability Movements: Mary Parker Follett, Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, and Vandana Shiva Judy Whipps  7. Community Gardeners or Radical Homemakers? Lisa Heldke  8. Education’s Role in Democracy: The Power of Pluralism Barbara Thayer-Bacon  Part 3: Ethics and Inquiry  9. Visionary Pragmatism and an Ethics of Connectivity: An Alternative to the Autonomy Tradition in Analytic Ethics Cynthia Willett  10. The Revolutionary Fact of Compassion: William James, Buddhism and the Feminist Ethics of Care Cathryn Bailey  11. Hospitality as Moral Inquiry: Sympathetic Knowledge in the Guest/Host Encounter Maurice Hamington  12. A Methodological Interpretation of Feminist Pragmatism Claudia Gillberg  13. Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Women, Animals, and Oppression Erin McKenna  14. Natural Caring: A Pragmatist Feminist Approach to Ethics in the More-Than-Human World Heather E. Keith