Dead Dogma and the Limits of Feminist Political Imagination: Thinking #Metoo as Consciousness-Raising

Abstract:Commentators frequently describe the #metoo movement as a kind of "consciousness-raising." This language works to position #metoo within a radical, political tradition of feminist activism, yet obscures anti-political, dogmatic undercurrents in contemporary feminism. I analyze contemporary and second wave feminist writings to reveal three, anti-political uses of "consciousness-raising" common to both eras. I recover a fourth usage—revolutionary consciousness-raising—deriving from early radical feminists' experiences with various forms of leftist activism. Revolutionary consciousness-raising can inspire a revitalized political imaginary: one that is radically democratic, and that aims to unsettle all dogma—including feminist dogma.