Nuova DWF. Donna Woman Femme
Quaderni di studi internazionali sulla donna
Roma, Coines Edizioni, then Editrice coop. UTOPIA, 1976-1985

The site of hypotheses, 1981, n. 15

EDITORIAL, pp. 3-7

Starting with this issue, there is a new, smaller editorial board, with a wide and diversified advisory committee. The reasons for re-thinking the interpretative categories guiding the journal's first phase are explained, with a reflection on the meaning of a women's scientific-cultural journal in the present political situation, both in general and with regard to the feminist movement; a new phase is beginning, requiring a wider initiative and scope.

COSTANTINI Silvia - GAGLIASSO Elena -TAGLIAFERRI Maricla, The Place of Hypotheses, pp. 9-27

The 1970's were characterised by a profound change in the basic premises of epistemology and by the need to revise the traditional models of scientific explanation and the cognitive theories connected to them. Within this framework, has feminism produced a cognitive theory? The article, which is a group effort involving not only the authors but the entire staff of the journal, analyses the principal theoretical conclusions reached by the feminist movement and, in particular, the theory of sexuality intended as a "model" to describe and to explain reality. The analysis is conducted on two planes that intersect: the "internal" or theoretical one of individual and group efforts by women to achieve a new awareness of themselves; and the "external" or historical one of the political progress of the feminist movement and of individual feminist intellectuals in dealing with cultural institutions.

BIMBI Franca, Scientific legitimisation or self-legitimisation of heresy? Feminism and the presence of women in the academic, pp. 29-45

Beginning from the end of the 1960s' there is in Italy a definite increase in the number of women involved in intellectual activities - at the same time the Feminist Movement becomes an important political factor and Feminism itself a tool for changing both social and individual identity. On such assumptions the author suggests an exploration of female intellectuality - specifically relating to the university - as a whole made up of feminism, work and intellectual production and its impact on the theoretical and political models of the 1970s. The author focuses on various aspects such as: the effects of a woman's view on scholarship and scientific philosophical and political research; the furthering of areas of research on women's condition; the transformation in women's relationship with cultural structures; the political and cultural production of the feminist movement.

TURNATURI Gabriella, Returning to Max Weber's, pp. 47-59

In its politics and research, feminism has defined certain categories for interpreting social reality. Some of them, cast doubt upon models and categories that are currently central to sociological research. For example, there are the concepts of the public area and the private area, socialisation, social stratification and social action. The author analyses feminism's contribution to a theory and research that would correspond more closely to the needs of women.

ZIMBALIST ROSALDO Michelle, On the use and abuse of anthropology, pp. 61-87

Feminist research has asked anthropology to highlight truths and origins which might be veridical for all cultures, in order to explain current sexual oppression. But in so doing it committed the same error of traditional social sciences, and ended up using interpretive categories which don't refer to socio-cultural differences between men and women but rather to their physiological differences. But the use of very general cathegories such as public-private, apparently existing in all cultures, leads to the realization that private and public, as separate spheres, don't originate from men's and women's biological functions, but from their social functions. What is therefore important is not the search for oppression's initial causes, but the study of the specific social forms gender asymmetry assumes in different societies.

BUTTAFUOCO Annarita, On "mothers" and "sisters"… Fragments on women, feminism and historiography, pp. 89-104

Research by feminist historians has created a mass of information and data on the lives and struggles of women who had previously been ignored by male historians. However, there is a need for deeper reflection on the methods of research and, above all, to define the theoretical field - both scientific and political - of "women's history". Certain subjects like that of collective historical memory, for example, have not been given careful treatment by feminist historians. Moreover, the research has been done without clarifying the various connotations of words like women and feminism, which are not automatically interchangeable. The article is based primarily on research in social and political history done by feminists in the United States.

IACCARINO Bianca, About ancient fears… Freud and his enigma, pp. 105-114

Through an exploration of the literature of the last two decades this paper aims at pointing out elements of change in the current stage of psychoanalytic thought, specifically with regard to feminine psychology. The author suggests that such theorical changes do have occurred but their understanding is limited to scholars. On the level of therapeutic situations the need is felt for investigations together with psychoanalysts on changes in therapy sessions with women. In this field lack of theory is stronger, specifically regarding the nodal mother-daughter relationship. For both aspects of the problem what remains to be done is an analysis of the importance of the feminist movement in stimulating such changes.

PERROT Michelle, The Rebellious Common Woman, pp. 115-138

Economic history considers woman unproductive and therefore ignores her. Social history stresses class and disregards the sexes. The history of ideas speaks of Humanity but ignores its sex. Moreover, historians use a body of material produced by men, who hold a monopoly on information and all things public; and this material excludes the working classes and women. Starting from this premise, the author analyses western European women of the l9th century and gives a voice to those "housewives" who history would have us believe were quiet and docile but are shown to be active rebel and real protagonists in the uprisings of the working class.

TRISTANO Caterina, A trial for "suspected pregnancy" (1542), pp. 139-145

A survey of the trials held by the Tribunal of the Governor for Rome and its province, and a detailed list of trials against women in the period 1505-1599, with a closer examination of one of these trials. The minutes of the witnesses' depositions are also published.

CHIARETTI Giuliana - PIAZZA Marina, Intellectual women: a research in progress, pp. 146-152

A reflection stemming from the research on this theme suggested by the GRIFF and carried on by a large team. The authors outline the problems of that "new type" of woman -intellectual, mother, wife, politically engaged, feminist… - who is now present in large numbers; they also point out the contradictions of an emancipative model which reduces or at least "normalises" the drive for change.

CHEMELLO Adriana, Between everyday life and mass media. Thoughts on research on women's cultural identity, pp. 153-162

Personal thoughts stemming from an experience carried on with other women in an adult education course organised at the University of Padua in 1979-80.

TUCHMAN Gaye, Public sphere and domestic sphere. A survey of recent sociological research in the U.S.A, pp. 163-182

The author analyses some feminist studies along with recent research, especially regarding women's work, taking into account also several new theoretical developments, in particular concerning the need for a new interpretation of the relationship between the public and the domestic spheres.