Ruth A. Symes

Celebrating Women’s Friendship : Past, Present and Future.

Edited by Ruth Symes, Heloise Brown and Ann Kaloski-Naylor.

(York: Raw Nerve Books, 1999). ISBN 0-9536585-1-1

Excerpt begins

Why does friendship matter to women?

In this book, feminists¹ from a range of disciplines assess current theories of friendship² and question how understandings of friendship relate to everyday experiences. Though this book as a whole unashamedly celebrates women’s friendships, this is not simple celebration. What expectations do we have of friendship? What happens when friendships fail? How has feminism affected women’s friendships?

The contributors to this volume discuss friendships that take place in such diverse contexts as domestic service, the suffragette³ movement, women’s studies courses, and the huge networks of cyberspace⁴. Whether friendships are formed between women who are colleagues, employers and employees, best friends or letter-writers who never actually meet face to face, the complexities and subtelties of women’s relationships are drawn out here and shown to merit far greater attention than they have as yet received.

This book will act as an exciting introduction to women’s studies, as the writers examine ideas of women’s friendships in relation to key key concepts in feminist theory. It includes original research which will be of interest to both students and academics but, importantly, the book is also accessible to women who want to buy it for what it ultimately is - a statement of the importance and vitality of friendships between women, and a reminder that, for many, their inspirations, achievements, pleasures and successes are the result of the support, stimulation and strategies for survival that friendships can provide.

Excerpt ends

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~~Dictionary~~
1 feminists
Definitions

1. the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2. organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

Pronounciation: ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm
Function: noun
Date: 1895
2 friendship
Definitions

1. the state of being friends
2. the quality or state of being friendly : friendliness

Pronounciation: ˈfren(d)-ˌship
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century
3 suffragette
Definitions

1. a woman who advocates suffrage for women

Pronounciation: ˌsə-fri-ˈjet
Function: noun
Date: 1906
4 cyberspace
Definitions

1. the online world of computer networks and especially the Internet

Pronounciation: -ˌspās
Function: noun
Date: 1982