Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis

"Feminist Revolution: Development through Struggle"

The book's final chapter begins with commentary on the belief held by early feminists that demanding necessary change and pointing out areas for that change would be enough to make it happen. The author suggests that this belief was both idealistic and unrealistic, suggesting that necessary, feminism-oriented change can only come about partly through a thorough understanding of the socio-political systems that gave rise and perpetuate sexist attitudes, and partly through a long, painstaking process of changing those attitudes, in both women and men. She suggests that experience of such a process is both foreign and unappealing to society (particularly in the United States), as accustomed as its citizens are to having to wait for anything. She points out, however, that such a process is necessary if deeply held sexist, capitalist, imperialist beliefs are to change...