eBook available with sample pages: HB:0415912911

Over the course of thirty-seven chapters, including an editorial introduction, The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Women's Social Movement Activism provides a comprehensive examination of scholarly research and knowledge on a variety of aspects of women's collective activism in the United States, tracing both continuities and critical changes over time. Women have played pivotal and far-reaching roles in bringing about significant societal change, and women activists come from an array of different demographics, backgrounds and perspectives, including those that are radical, liberal, and conservative. The chapters in the handbook consider women's activism in the interest of women themselves as well as actions done on behalf of other social groups. The volume is organized into five sections. The first looks at U.S. Women's Social Activism over time, from the women's suffrage movement to the ERA, radical feminism, third-wave feminism and international feminism. Part two looks at issues that mobilize women, including workplace discrimination, reproductive rights, health, gender identity and sexuality, violence against women, welfare and employment, and anti-feminist and pro-life causes. Part three looks at strategies, including movement emergence and resource mobilization, consciousness raising, and traditional and social media. Part four explores targets and tactics, including legislative forums, electoral politics, legal activism, the marketplace, the military, and religious and educational institutions. Finally, part five looks at women's participation within other movements, including the civil rights movement, the environmental movement, labor unions, conservative groups, and the white supremacist movement.

Although self-help has been an integral strategy of the women's movement, the burgeoning self-help publishing industry and growing popularity of talk shows that encourage personal confession have provoked vicious attacks on self-help from many feminists. "Rock-a-By Baby" takes issue with the negative view of self-help dominating feminist scholarship by examining the postpartum depression support group movement and exploring the relationship between gender, the ideas and strategies of women's self-help groups and feminism. Using interviews and personal letters, talk show transcripts, organizational newsletters and a survey of postpartum group leaders, Taylor illuminates the conflicts being played out in the arena of women's self-help.