Using a transdisciplinary cultural studies approach, the book critically examines the concept of meritocracy, exploring its mechanisms and dominance in society. It challenges the validity of meritocratic ideals and advocates for true social equality, presenting a compelling argument against the prevailing belief in meritocracy as a fair system.
This book brings together a decade of interviews with key feminist academics. Through sensitive and nuanced conversations, Jo Littler brings to life actions, arguments and solutions generated by diverse feminist thinkers on the left. Beginning as an interview series for the journal Soundings, this collection has since grown into one of the most vibrant, interesting and accessible records of feminist theory and action in recent years. The conversations in Left Feminisms explore the complex relationships between the personal and the political. Academic and activist journeys of the interviewees are interwoven with analysis of social and cultural change and strategies for solidarity. From discussions of the gendered dynamics of the far right in the US, to sexism and racism in UK academia, to organising against household debt in Argentina, the book offers a range of insights that traverse a broad spectrum of feminist politics in the twenty-first century. Including interviews with Nancy Fraser, Gargi Bhattacharyya, Sheila Rowbotham and Verónica Gago, this collection is an important archive in its own right. It will be indispensable to feminist activists, academics and anyone interested in the history and present of feminism on the left.