Feminism is a major force for change in late twentieth century liberal democratic
political systems. This thesis is concerned with determining the factors involved
in successful feminist policy intervention. It achieves this by developing a set of
indicators by which to identify the presence of feminist influence and an
analytical model by which to explain the influence of feminism on public policy.
These are then applied to the development of abortion and equal pay policy,
between the mid 1960s and the mid 1990s, in Australia and the Republic of
Ireland.
The model contains three factors: the material, normative and analytical aspects
of feminist activity; the political, social and economic systems of national
receptivity; and the intensity and scope of conflict involved with particular policy
types. An examination of the lengthy history of feminist activism in Australia and
Ireland contrasts a highly conflictual policy (abortion) with one which is less
conflictual (equal pay); compares national variations in terms of predisposition to
feminist influence; and chronicles the ebb and flow of feminist policy
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/246220 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Shannon, EA |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds