AustLit

This comparative study of Refractory Girl and Scarlet Woman documents the history of these key feminist journals from commencement until the early 1990s when Scarlet Woman closed. Using the theory of Antonio Gramsci, it examines how the journals contributed to and reflected the 'second wave' of feminism, resulting in the women's movement becoming a powerful counter-hegemonic force in Australian society. The study identifies trends in the journals' content and ideologies, and assesses the development of social, liberal and radical feminisms as presented by each. The thesis includes a useful discussion of feminist publishing within a socialist political theory framework.