Feminist Theory in Feminism & Psychology (Part II): Power and Subjectivity

Substantive scholarship related to theorizing power and subjectivity throughout the history of Feminism & Psychology supports the claim that these are (or should be) central concepts within feminist psychology (and the discipline of psychology more broadly). The articles included in this Virtual Special Issue span four decades from 1991, when the first issue of the journal appeared, to the present. They represent a rich body of relevant work and reflect the shifting theoretical terrain within feminism during this period, as well as the events of the day. Linking the personal with the political has been a consistent feminist project, reinforced by theory that draws attention to the relationship between power and subjectivity. Questions about how best to understand agency, resistance, and empowerment have also been addressed. Attention to differences has entailed the incorporation of queer, intersectional, and decolonial theoretical perspectives. This introduction includes a selective review of the broader theoretical context for the feminist work appearing in the articles selected for the special issue, as well as an overview of the main theoretical contributions. In a supplementary document, there are Section Introductions to each decade detailing the contributions of individual articles and additional, suggested reading.