Working Out: New Directions for Women’s Studies and New Frontiers in Women’s Studies: Knowledge, Identity, and Nationalism

Abstract

This paper reviews two seminal edited volumes in Women’s Studies: Working Out: New Directions for Women’s Studies (Hinds, Phoenix, & Stacey, 1992) and New Frontiers in Women’s Studies: Knowledge, Identity, and Nationalism (Maynard & Purvis, 1996). Both texts explore the theoretical and practical challenges facing feminist scholarship. The first volume addresses issues of praxis, politics, commonalities, differences, international feminisms, and methodological approaches. It highlights concerns about the discipline’s vulnerability to marginalization within academia, a theme that remains pertinent today. Maureen McNeil's essay on pedagogical praxis underscores anxieties over feminism’s dilution through academic proliferation, advocating for more inclusive classroom practices that foster intersectional understanding. The second volume focuses on knowledge production, identity formation, and nationalism in feminist studies, emphasizing the role of national contexts in shaping feminist theories and activism. Both collections contribute to ongoing debates about the future of Women's Studies, particularly its relevance in an increasingly globalized academic landscape.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)