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Outputs (53)

Gender Wars (2023)
Digital Artefact
Mackay, F. (2023). Gender Wars. [Television interview segment]

Interview with Finn Mackay, Senior Lecturer, UWE, Bristol in Channel 4 documentary 'Gender Wars'.

Left feminisms: Jo Littler in conversation with Finn Mackay (2023)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2023). Left feminisms: Jo Littler in conversation with Finn Mackay. In Left Feminisms: Conversations on the Personal and Political. London: Lawrence and Wishart

This book brings together a decade of interviews with key feminist academics. Through sensitive and nuanced conversations, Jo Littler brings to life actions, arguments and solutions generated by diverse feminist thinkers on the left. Beginning as... Read More about Left feminisms: Jo Littler in conversation with Finn Mackay.

You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill women’s peace camp (2023)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2023). You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill women’s peace camp. In Feminism and Protest Camps Entanglements, Critiques and Re-Imaginings. Bristol: Policy Press

This groundbreaking collection interrogates protest camps as sites of gendered politics and feminist activism. Drawing on case studies that range from Cold War women-only peace camps to more recent mixed-gender examples from around the world, dive... Read More about You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill women’s peace camp.

‘You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill Women’s Peace Camp (2023)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (in press). ‘You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill Women’s Peace Camp. In C. Eschle, & A. Bartlett (Eds.), Feminism and Protest Camps Entanglements, Critiques and Re-Imaginings. Bristol: University of Bristol Press

In the mid-1990s Menwith Hill Women’s Peace Camp outside the US National Security Agency military base in Yorkshire was the only full-time women-only peace camp in the UK and was wo-manned by several Greenham stalwarts. From whatever background, peac... Read More about ‘You can’t kill the spirit’ (but you can try): Gendered contestations and contradictions at Menwith Hill Women’s Peace Camp.

Queer (2022)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2022). Queer. Philosopher, Summer 2022(Summer),

Finn Mackay reviews the history of queer activism and queer theory, while situating this history in the context of our current fraught political situation.

"The politics of gender and identity": Finn Mackay in conversation with Jana Bacevic (2022)
Digital Artefact
Mackay, F. (2022). "The politics of gender and identity": Finn Mackay in conversation with Jana Bacevic. [Video]

Can we find a way through and even around the messy gender wars currently raging on- and offline? In this wide-ranging and timely conversation with Jana Bacevic, sociologist and activist Finn Mackay provides important theoretical background and conte... Read More about "The politics of gender and identity": Finn Mackay in conversation with Jana Bacevic.

Lesbian feminism (2022)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2022). Lesbian feminism. In The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Sex and Sexuality. London: Taylor & Francis (Routledge). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003286523-16

Lesbianism is the term used to describe a sexual orientation, sexual acts and desires, and romantic and sexual love between women. During the period known as the feminist Second Wave across the Western world, roughly from the late 1960s and into the... Read More about Lesbian feminism.

Still too hot to handle? Firebrand radical feminism (2022)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2022). Still too hot to handle? Firebrand radical feminism. Hypatia, 37(1), 216-220. https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2021.74

This is a particularly important time to be reconsidering and revisiting radical feminism. The contemporary visibility of trans rights movements, and the unsurprising, accompanying backlash from a variety of camps makes this a politically charged and... Read More about Still too hot to handle? Firebrand radical feminism.

Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars The Politics of Sex (2021)
Book
Mackay, F. (2021). Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars The Politics of Sex. London: Bloomsbury

Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars provides important theoretical background and context to the 'gender wars' or 'TERF wars' – the violent feminist fracture at the forefront of the LGBTQ international conversation. Using queer and female mascul... Read More about Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars The Politics of Sex.

Raising awareness and improving responses to gender-based violence: The contribution of feminist thought and activism (2021)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2021). Raising awareness and improving responses to gender-based violence: The contribution of feminist thought and activism. In Understanding Gender-Based Violence An Essential Textbook for Nurses, Healthcare Professionals and Social Workers (3-13). Springer Nature

Raising Awareness and Improving Responses to Gender-Based Violence: The Contribution of Feminist Thought and Activism

Finn Mackay on gender ideology (2020)
Other
Mackay, F. (2020). Finn Mackay on gender ideology

https://www.engender.org.uk/news/blog/f-words-what-is-gender-ideology/

Understanding the fight over trans rights – part 2 (2020)
Digital Artefact
Mackay, F. (2020). Understanding the fight over trans rights – part 2. [https://www.theguardian.com/society/audio/2020/oct/09/understanding-the-fight-over-trans-rights-part-2]

Joining Anushka Asthana to discuss the issue are the feminist author Finn Mackay, who believes that while feminist divisions over trans rights are not new, they need not be inevitable, and Kathleen Stock, a philosophy professor who describes herself... Read More about Understanding the fight over trans rights – part 2.

Interview with Dr Finn Mackay for The Sociology Show (2020)
Digital Artefact
Mackay, F. (2020). Interview with Dr Finn Mackay for The Sociology Show. [https://www.spreaker.com/user/thesociologyshow/dr-finn-mackay-online-audio-converter-co]

In this episode, Matthew talks to Dr Finn Mackay from UWE Bristol about her book entitled 'Radical Feminism: Feminist activism in movement'. Finn explains the 4 main components of Radical Feminism and some of the misconceptions about the movement too... Read More about Interview with Dr Finn Mackay for The Sociology Show.

Always endangered, never extinct: Exploring contemporary butch lesbian identity in the UK (2019)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2019). Always endangered, never extinct: Exploring contemporary butch lesbian identity in the UK. Women's Studies International Forum, 75, Article 102241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2019.102241

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd This article presents empirical data from survey research into lesbian and queer masculinities in the United Kingdom, conducted in 2017, which garnered over two hundred responses. Four dominant themes emerged from the data gathere... Read More about Always endangered, never extinct: Exploring contemporary butch lesbian identity in the UK.

BBC The Big Questions (2019)
Other
Mackay, F. BBC The Big Questions. Brighton

Rachel Burden presents topical debate live from The Attenborough Centre at the University of Sussex in Brighton. Has social media ruined childhood? Is feminism in crisis?

No woman’s land? Revisiting border zone denizens (2019)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2019). No woman’s land? Revisiting border zone denizens. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 23(3), 397-409. https://doi.org/10.1080/10894160.2019.1565521

This article presents empirical data from survey research into lesbian and queer masculinities in the United Kingdom, conducted in 2017, which garnered over two hundred responses. Dominant themes emerged which addressed the differences between the se... Read More about No woman’s land? Revisiting border zone denizens.

The future of pornography - panel debate. Speakers | Finn Mackay, Rowan Pelling, Peter Tatchell (2018)
Other
Mackay, F. The future of pornography - panel debate. Speakers | Finn Mackay, Rowan Pelling, Peter Tatchell

Many believe that porn's dark fantasies risk corrupting relationships and society. Has this arisen because pornography is largely created by men? Could feminist pornography featuring authentic sex, diverse bodies and female perspectives offer a truly... Read More about The future of pornography - panel debate. Speakers | Finn Mackay, Rowan Pelling, Peter Tatchell.

Lesbian/queer masculinities (2017)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2017). Lesbian/queer masculinities

Questions about the resonance and relevance of this classic and much stereotyped lesbian identity are not, of course, new questions. Perhaps the most well-known interrogation occurred during the famous ‘sex-wars’ of the 1980s, but arguably these deba... Read More about Lesbian/queer masculinities.

Un-teaching for boys (2017)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2017). Un-teaching for boys

Ungendering our children - the harms of stereotyping and how to avoid them.

Book review: Being an early career feminist academic (2016)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2016). Book review: Being an early career feminist academic

Being an Early Career Feminist Academic: Global Perspectives, Experiences and Challenges, edited by Rachel Thwaites and Amy Pressland Young scholars tell it like it is but is knowledge of replaceability a bar to change? asks Finn Mackay

Farewell, dear friend: The sociology of pet grief (2016)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2016). Farewell, dear friend: The sociology of pet grief

An introduction to the sociology of pet grief, looking at data from the British Mass Observation Project and considering theories from the field of Animal Studies as well as Butler's theory of 'grievability'.

Andrea Dworkin - Behind the myths (2015)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2015). Andrea Dworkin - Behind the myths

There can be no better reason to discover the work of the late Andrea Dworkin, than all the various voices warning you not to!

Women are not their vaginas (2015)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2015). Women are not their vaginas

I had the honour to meet and debate with Naomi Wolf in May 2015, visiting the UK to appear on Al Jazeera and talk about her last book "Vagina: A New Biography".

Political not generational: Getting real about the Second Wave (2015)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2015). Political not generational: Getting real about the Second Wave. In M. Kiraly, & M. Tyler (Eds.), Freedom Fallacy: The Limits of Liberal Feminism. Victoria, Australia: Connor Court Press

In the 1990s you could not move for stories about the death of feminism, the lack of politics in younger women and indeed the political disengagement of youth as a whole. Now though the media are busy suggesting that our social movement is in fact en... Read More about Political not generational: Getting real about the Second Wave.

Political Not Generational: Getting Real About Contemporary UK Radical Feminism (2015)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2015). Political Not Generational: Getting Real About Contemporary UK Radical Feminism. Social Movement Studies, 14(4), 427-442. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2014.963545

© 2014 Taylor & Francis. In this article, I present data from qualitative research with 30 self-identified radical feminists who are currently active in the British feminist movement. I explore how participants defined their feminism, and threats t... Read More about Political Not Generational: Getting Real About Contemporary UK Radical Feminism.

Radical feminism: Feminist activism in movement (2015)
Book
Mackay, F. (2015). Radical feminism: Feminist activism in movement. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137363589

© Finn Mackay 2015. Feminist activism is enjoying a global resurgence. A new wave of feminists is taking to the streets in protest against rape, abuse, prostitution and inequality, and asserting a powerful new vision for women's liberation. The futur... Read More about Radical feminism: Feminist activism in movement.

Feminism in London Conference closing speech 2014 (2014)
Presentation / Conference
Mackay, F. (2014, October). Feminism in London Conference closing speech 2014. Presented at Feminism in London Conference 2014, Institute of Education, London, England, UK

The practice of patriarchy as a form of social governance has brought us to the brink of a planet crisis. The current model is bankrupt. In the run up to the UK general election in 2015, Finn Mackay urges feminists to engage in all forms of political... Read More about Feminism in London Conference closing speech 2014.

Rethinking feminism (2014)
Digital Artefact
Mackay, F. (2014). Rethinking feminism

What goals should modern feminists adopt? “World-changing woman” (Guardian) and founder of the London Feminist Network Dr Finn Mackay outlines a bold new manifesto. Why is there an epidemic of violence against women? Are men to blame? Where is the... Read More about Rethinking feminism.

Feminist activism in movement: UK activism against VAW (2014)
Book Chapter
Mackay, F. (2014). Feminist activism in movement: UK activism against VAW. In N. Aghtaie, & G. Gangoli (Eds.), Understanding Gender Based Violence: National and International Contexts (81-94). London: Routledge

This chapter will look at UK feminist activism against male violence against women, from the 1970s to the present day. From the often controversial theories of Radical and Revolutionary Feminists, theory and activism against male violence appears tod... Read More about Feminist activism in movement: UK activism against VAW.

Feminism then & now (2014)
Digital Artefact
Alibhai-Brown, Y., Bennett, N., Kumar, C., Mackay, F., Patel, P., & Segal, L. (2014). Feminism then & now

Speaker(s): Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Natalie Bennett, Camille Kumar, Finn Mackay, Pragna Patel, Professor Lynne Segal Recorded on 21 January 2014 in Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, London School of Economics, London, UK. With the arri... Read More about Feminism then & now.

Mapping the Routes: An exploration of charges of racism made against the 1970s UK Reclaim the Night marches (2014)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2014). Mapping the Routes: An exploration of charges of racism made against the 1970s UK Reclaim the Night marches. Women's Studies International Forum, 44(1), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2014.03.006

This article addresses early charges of racism, made against the original UK Reclaim the Night (RTN) marches in the 1970s. These charges appear to have stuck, and been accepted almost as a truism ever since, being maintained in several academic texts... Read More about Mapping the Routes: An exploration of charges of racism made against the 1970s UK Reclaim the Night marches.

Feminism: We're not calling for equal inequality (2013)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2013). Feminism: We're not calling for equal inequality

Speech given to the Feminism in London Conference 2013 and published in Open Democracy in English and Turkish.

WTAF is intersectionality? (2013)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2013). WTAF is intersectionality?

What on earth does the term intersectionality mean, where does it come from and what can we do with it?

A movement of their own: Voices of young feminist activists in the London Feminist Network (2011)
Journal Article
Mackay, F. (2011). A movement of their own: Voices of young feminist activists in the London Feminist Network

A so-called “resurgence” of feminist activism in the UK is currently being reported by journalists, commentators and academics, with young women seemingly at the fore. This is remarkable given the reported backlash against feminism and the widely hel... Read More about A movement of their own: Voices of young feminist activists in the London Feminist Network.

Rethinking feminism debate
Other
Mackay, F. Rethinking feminism debate

We think feminism fights for equality for everyone. But from the right to wear headscarves to the refusal of contraception, ideas of what is fair and what equality is vary dramatically. Does feminism lack a universal goal because its an impossible dr... Read More about Rethinking feminism debate.

Philosophy in the bedroom
Other
Mackay, F. Philosophy in the bedroom. London

For 250 years de Sade's writing was outlawed. Yet Fifty Shades has turned the exploration of pain and pleasure into an oddly commonplace entertainment. Do these pursuits embed undesirable power relations or are they essential to our sexuality and a r... Read More about Philosophy in the bedroom.

How to be human
Other
Mackay, F. How to be human. London

The word “humane” conjures the best we can be: kind, empathetic, considerate. Yet as a species we are uniquely competitive and warlike. Is this who we really are, and the source of our success? Should we encourage competition in our culture? Or seek... Read More about How to be human.

Myths about feminism
Other
Mackay, F. Myths about feminism. London

What is Feminism anyway, and what is it not? Mackay tackles some of the most well known myths about feminism, showing that this political theory is not about burning bras, wearing natural makeup or wasting our energies hating men.