# Introductory Gender Theory and Feminist Theory Books

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 14, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331 "2011-09-14T19:40:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331/1 "2011-09-14T19:40:20Z")

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Any suggestions? I don’t have formal knowledge of either but would like to educate myself beyond what little bits and pieces I’ve picked up from my Women’s Studies major friends.

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**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331/2 "2011-09-14T21:44:11Z")

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[This](http://www.amazon.com/Second-Wave-Reader-Feminist-Theory/dp/0415917611) is my suggestion. Good stuff, if maybe a bit much for the task.

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331/3 "2011-09-14T21:48:03Z")

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I see Catherine MacKinnon is one of the contributors to “The Second Wave.” She’s that lawyer that tried to turn feminism into a branch of prudish censorship. Beware! Beware!

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**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331/4 "2011-09-14T21:59:27Z")

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An introduction to feminism that didn’t include MacKinnon wouldn’t really be one.

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introductory-gender-theory-and-feminist-theory-books/596331/5 "2011-09-14T22:17:32Z")

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Yup. That book is essentially a reader containing influential writings that helped shape Second Wave feminism over a period of several decades, and kooky as MacKinnon is in many ways, you can’t argue that she wasn’t an important voice in the movement.