Irish Women’s Movement

LINDA CONNOLLY is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Cork, Ireland.

'...a rich, detailed, and well-documented investigation of Irish women's activism...' - Karen Beckwith, American Journal of Sociology '...Connolly has combined social movement theory with original qualitative research to provide an innovative alternative theoretical framework to the current grand narratives that dominate Irish studies, and in so doing has offered a new interpretation of how Irish society has changed and developed...essential reading for sociologists and feminists alike.' - Patricia Kachuk, University of British Columbia, Candadian Journal of Sociology Online '...Connolly's comprehensive account of the origins, evolution and impact of the twentieth-century Irish women's movement is a welcome addition to existing scholarship.' - Catherine B.Shannon, National University of Ireland, Galway, Irish Studies Review

• Introduction PART I: HISTORY, CULTURE AND...SOCIETY? CONTROVERSIES IN IRISH STUDIES Irish Women: Late Developers? Movement in Abeyance: The Historical Connection PART II: THE MOVEMENT Second Wave Feminism and Equal Rights: Collective Action through Established Means The Irish Women's Liberation Movement: Radicalism, Direct Action, Confrontation Irishwomen United: Political and Ideological Conflicts Changing Orientations and Reappraisal in the 1990s: Abortion, Politics and the Course of Modernity PART III: FEMINIST POLITICS AND IRISH SOCIETY: IMPACT AND CHANGE Facing Up to Difference: Formalism and New Directions in the 1990s Conclusions: Whither the Women's Movement? References Appendices Index