This chapter has explored the varied meanings of equality by illustrating the particular predominance, and relative success, of liberalist rights — based arguments. Such arguments, summarized by Brine (1999) as formal equality, have been taken up in legislation that has argued for both individual and group rights through equal opportunities, affirmative and positive action policies. As this chapter has shown, equal rights are not the only conceptualization of equality that has been important to feminism nor have they been uncritically accepted. Rights-based arguments have been critiqued from a number of positions in terms of their propensity to maintain the hierarchical, competitive and individualizing organization of society. Deconstructive approaches to rights arguments by ethics of care feminists are further explored in Chapter 5.
This chapter has also drawn attention to the continuation of material inequalities. In this respect Skeggs (2001: 296) comments: ‘Recognition politics has shifted the terrain in terms of who can make political representations and be recognised as worthy of public legitimation. This shift has also enabled discourses of inequality to be replaced with those of difference.’ As a corollary to this, it should therefore be noted that an understanding of the varied meanings of equality cannot be fully appreciated without a similar exploration of conceptualizations of difference. These are considered in Chapter 3.
FURTHER READING
Bacchi, C. (1990) Same Difference: Feminism and Sexual Difference. St Leonards, NSW: Allen and Unwin.
Bacchi, C. (1996) The Politics of Affirmative Action: “Women’, Equality and Category Politics. London: Sage. The 1990 text by Bacchi offers an extremely useful
historical analysis of feminist debates on equality. The 1996 text undertakes an analysis of the problematic nature of affirmative action policies for feminist politics. Together they provide an excellent foundation for an analysis of contemporary issues.
Phillips, A. (1987) Feminism and Equality. Oxford: Blackwell. Phillips’ text provides a highly accessible introduction to a range of conceptualizations of equality and she links this to their implications for feminist politics.