Feminism – subject instead of identity

Feminist theory is in a dilemma: it must convey the knowledge of social conditions with a commitment to more equality and against social disadvantage of women. It is not just about words and terms, but about emancipatory action. However, this joint action not only contributed to the emancipation of women, but also caught up in those opposing conditions. On this ambivalence, the anthology “subject woman” published in the Tiamat publishing house comes from feminists Chantalle El Helou and Deborah Eller and takes on a lot. He wants to criticize criticism of previous feminist attempts to explain the being a woman to a different design of identity-i.e. being different from women.

In a successful way, the band always takes a look at debates in feminist theory in three parts. To do this, he initially devotes himself to that basis of sexual difference, the social circumstances of being a woman and finally the forms of exploitation of women. The band thus offers a highly topical and deep insight into debates in feminist theory – and is accordingly prerequisite.

Materialistic feminism

Directly in the foreword by Deborah Eller it becomes clear that the dilemma of feminist theory should be used: its necessary closeness to the practice, which results from suffering and insult by the hierarchical gender relationship. The editors locate themselves as part of a materialistic-psychoanalytic approach and thus in a feminist current, which-since 2010 and in response to queer feminism of the 1990s-revived the so-called second wave of the women’s movement with a theoretical connection of materialism, differential feminism and psychoanalysis.

The second wave of the women’s movement was created in Germany from the mid-1960s in the area of ​​the anti-authoritarian student movement. Socialist students in particular began to take a critical look at their role in society and politics. Despite socially widespread demands on participation and self -determination, they came across male -dominated structures – also in the left. A central trigger for the broad movement was the protest against the abortion ban in Paragraph 218 of the Criminal Code; The female body focused on attention. However, while differential feminism emphasizes the peculiarity of female experiences and body, the materialistic approach focuses on social and economic conditions under which gender is formed.

With its reference to this theoretical connection, the band also stands in a line with the materialistic approach of the anthology »bite reflexes« (2017), which caused excitement in the left debate due to his sharp criticism of queer feminism. The queer theory and practice, for example, was accused by the activist and author Koschka to ignore social foundations and economic constraints through her focus on the deconstruction of sexual identities. This would not only make the material of body and nature inaccessible in the feminist debate, but also contribute to the invisibility of being a woman again.

Agreed subject status

The editors Deborah Eller and Chantalle El Helou now establish the subject term woman again and lead him against the understanding of being a woman established in queer feminism as an identity under many in many. In the introduction “Why subject woman?” As well as the article “Binary gender”, El Helou sometimes refers to existing materialistic and psychoanalytic theories that ask about the role of physicality in the socialization of women in a two-sex matrix, the childhood ability or mother-child relationship: Left-hand, but also to the sociologist Karina Korecky Philosopher Alexandra Colligs or psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin. All those feminists unite their closeness to the critical theory of the Frankfurt school and the conviction that women are historically, politically and historically discussed the subject status.

El Helou determines the concept of subject in contrast to the concept of identity: Under the given conditions of an exploratory – spoken to Theodor W. Adorno and the Frankfurt School – “false” society is universal. Women are a subject, which is particularly offended, the exploitation of which works primarily through the specific female physicality. Identity, on the other hand, would recurrence to self -determination and power that could not be redeemed in the wrong life of the prevailing social situation.

Here, too, the dilemma comes into play: for example, El Helou criticizes psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin, who in 1988 in the work »Bonds of Love. Feminism, Psychoanalysis, and the Problem of Domination «formulated a psychoanalytic theory of recognition. This says that all people are dependent on others to recognize themselves as a subject. The basis for this is the Herr-Knecht dialectic, which Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel designs in the “phenomenology of the spirit”. In the section to Benjamin, El Helou suspects that the dialectic is dissolved towards dependence – even “devotion to fainting”.

In turn, Benjamin intervened as a feminist in the field of psychoanalytic theory formation in order to show how deep human relationships are generally shaped by the tension between dependency and autonomy. She used the image of “Lord and Knecht” as an analysis tool for understanding asymmetrical conditions – for example between mother and child, therapist and patient and perpetrator. For Benjamin, the question of how people in close relationships have to recognize each other as independent subjects is central to Benjamin, despite their mutual dependency. She also criticizes the Freudian idea of ​​an original symbiosis between mother and child.

From Benjamin’s point of view, it is precisely the experience of separation and foreignness that shapes motherhood. Benjamin sees this tension between closeness and distance, dependency and autonomy as fundamental here – and demands not to suppress this conflict, but to endure. One can now criticize Benjamin that her concept of subject does not urge the changing practice, but is primarily devoted to an understanding of the subjecting. However, how El Helou does to assume devotion to fainting is without the theoretical basis.

Rauer tone and melancholy

There has been a rough tone between the camps and queer feminism for a long time. While in “bite reflexes” there was still the need to justify this rough tone and the dwindling solidarity, the failure of the cooperation in the anthology available here is a matter of course. In addition, the contributions often build up argumentatively on the canon of materialistic feminists, but the thought leaders are not explicitly mentioned, then criticized again or – at least prematurely – with the theories that actually question them.

This partially culminates in formulations in which the above critics of queer feminism themselves are thrown into a pot with prominent representatives of the same, such as Judith Butler. As entertaining as polemics read, but their argumentative foundation must be so good. However, when reading the band, however, the impression arises that the theories from which the authors differentiate themselves are not interpreted in their different disciplinary contexts; Many of the articles seem to be knitted with the hot needle. Here the volume runs the risk of contributing to an indignant warehouse formation.

When reading, the fighting spirit that the introduction promises and melancholy spreads out, in view of the unsuccessful dispute over a deeper understanding of the ongoing oppression of women. Again and again one remembers the so -called post -feminist conviction that is now over 30 years old that feminism has actually failed. Because women in this country are currently legally and equal to citizens in the labor market. At the same time, it became more difficult to name, understand, understand and specifically tackle the oppression of women.

This development was also favored by the depoliticized takeover of feminist demands – for example in the institutionalization of gender mainstreaming. Self -determination and participation in working life were sensibly adopted into the state equality policy, but also served the neoliberal softening of family structures. The resulting tangible changes in the gender relationship are welcome. However, real, everyday inequalities in the context of the ongoing devaluation of women, the gender -specific division of labor, emotional care or sexual exploitation were largely untouched.

This situation can also be observed in the current discussions about a Flinta*waggon for protection against sexual violence in the Berlin subway: As comprehensible as the need for protection is, such a measure, as is fragile, unresolved and hopeless, shows the struggle for basal rights such as physical integrity in everyday public space. Being a woman has always been associated with a large dose of mourning.

Chantall El Helou and Debora Eller (ed.): The subject woman. Gender relationship and sexual difference. Edition Tiamat 2025, 420 pages, Br., 26 €.