The Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change

by Angela McRobbie

Congratulations to Dr. McRobbie! This book has been named to the list of books for the 2009 Critics Choice Book Award of the American Educational Studies Association (AESA).

These essays show Angela McRobbie reflecting on a range of issues which have political consequence for women, particularly young women, in a context where it is frequently assumed that progress has been made in the last 30 years, and that with gender issues now ′mainstreamed′ in cultural and social life, the moment of feminism per se is now passed. McRobbie trenchantly argues that it is precisely on these grounds that invidious forms of gender -re-stabilisation are able to be re-established. Consumer culture, she argues, encroaches on the terrain of so called female freedom, appears supportive of female success only to tie women into new post-feminist neurotic dependencies. These nine essays span a wide range of topics, including - the UK government′s ′new sexual contract′ to young women, - popular TV makeover programmes, - feminist theories of backlash and the ′undoing′ of sexual politics, - feminism in a global frame - the ′illegible rage′ underlying contemporary femininities.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Academic, Sociology, Gender, Gender Studies, Politics

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[D. Travers]

McRobbie's great and I really liked how she began this book critically reflecting on her earlier work. Her approach to the sometimes confusing and contested topic of postfeminism or postfeminist culture is one that I appreciate and align with most -- and it's fairly pessimistic, natch. No celebration of Sex & the City and thong-wearing here, but it's not a Second Wave nostalgia trip, either.

My only complaint is, although I see why see brings in Lacanian psychoanlysis, I find it an unnecessary digression. She could've argued her case without it, and devoted the space to more concrete examples and case studies.

[Vera]

Would give five stars to her discussion of "What not to wear" tv shows as perpetuating symbolic violence in terms of class distinctions

[Sophie]

I would push this book in everyone's face if it didn't make me look super weird. It was SO interesting.

[Kaylin]

A great exploration of ‘post-feminism’ and the way neoliberal capitalism has appropriated feminist causes while nonetheless still perpetuating racism, classism and sexism.

I would have given half a star less, for the digression into psychoanalysis. Like others, I feel this was unnecessary for the book and her overall analysis, and if anything took away from it (something I think Judith Butler can get a bit lost with, too). Though perhaps Lacanian psychoanalysis just isn’t my thing.

Otherwise loved this book, nuanced, interesting and insightful - an incredibly useful critique of the state of neoliberal ‘feminism’ and the challenges it poses for women.

[Andrea]

This is a fantastic book - the insights, which take into account the class aspect liberal feminism is so oblivious of, are incredibly astute and McRobbie's arguments are easy to follow. Some of the examples are a bit drab, like chapters on makeover shows or photographic images, mostly because these phenomena feel outdated, but this book definitely could, and should, be applied to 2010 postfeminist favorites such as Gilmore Girls or RuPaul's Drag Race.

[S.C]

I feel like if you're able to understand this book you're already aware of most of the things described in it, while if you're new to feminist non-fiction this book is not exactly inviting as it's rather wordy and hard to read. There are way too many technical terms thrown at the reader without any further explanation. Also, why exactly did we have to bring Freud into feminist theory? Or any theory, for that matter.

[Kim]

I would potentially have a different rating/reaction to this book had I read it not in 2025, but even five years ago, but assuredly when it was first published. While in general, I am not a fan of McRobbie’s style, the book often feels like a literature review. I am happy to increase my list of books to read, but feel as though the overall aims were not achieved in the monograph.

[Caitlin Kyle]

People don’t write like this anymore 😭

[ashlin]

It is important to have integrity in research and when you extend that quality to your own previous works, it shows character. Loved the intervention of this book. It is a very relevant understanding of feminism especially today, as we live it.

[AJ Conroy]

Referenced in Oregon Humanities article

[Teyah Miller]

ily angela