Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument : Beyond the Trope of the Angry Feminist

Are feminists really angry, unreasoning, man-haters who argue only from an emotional perspective as some claim? Does the incessant repetition of this trope make anti-feminism and misogyny a routine element in everyday speech? And does this repetition work towards delegitimizing feminist arguments and/or undermining feminist politics? How do skilled feminist writers deploy affect to advance feminist ideas? In Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument, Barbara Tomlinson addresses these questions, providing a lucid examination of the role of affect in feminist and antifeminist academic arguments. Using case studies from controversies in socio-legal studies, musicology, and science studies, among other disciplines, Tomlinson examines the rhetorics of anger, contempt, betrayal, intensification, and ridicule. She employs a set of critical toolsofeminist "socio-forensic" discursive analysisothat will prove indispensible for understanding and countering tropes like that of the angry feminist. Moreover, these tools will advance feminism, which, she argues, is generated in and by arguments with allies and antagonists. In an era of debates that generate more heat than light, Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument offers a timely provocation for transforming the terms of reading and writing in scholarship and civic life.

Are feminists really angry, unreasoning, man-haters who argue only from an emotional perspective as some claim? Does the incessant repetition of this trope make anti-feminism and misogyny a routine element in everyday speech? And does this repetition work towards delegitimizing feminist arguments and/or undermining feminist politics? How do skilled feminist writers deploy affect to advance feminist ideas? In Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument, Barbara Tomlinson addresses these questions, providing a lucid examination of the role of affect in feminist and antifeminist academic arguments.
Using case studies from controversies in socio-legal studies, musicology, and science studies, among other disciplines, Tomlinson examines the rhetorics of anger, contempt, betrayal, intensification, and ridicule. She employs a set of critical tools-feminist socio-forensic discursive analysis-that will prove indispensible for understanding and countering tropes like that of the angry feminist. Moreover, these tools will advance feminism, which, she argues, is generated in and by arguments with allies and antagonists.
In an era of debates that generate more heat than light, Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument offers a timely provocation for transforming the terms of reading and writing in scholarship and civic life.

Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 1. Transforming the Terms of Reading: Ideologies of Argument and the Trope of the Angry Feminist......Page 10 2. Ideologies of Style: Discursive Policing and Feminist Intersectional Argument......Page 40 3. Anger: Grammars of Affect and Authority......Page 65 4. Tough Babies, or Anger in the Superior Position......Page 96 5. Faux Feminism and the Rhetoric of Betrayal......Page 123 6. Intensification and the Discourse of Decline......Page 151 7. Ridicule: Phallic Fables and Spermatic Romance......Page 176 8. The Labor of Argument and Feminist Futures......Page 200 Notes......Page 214 References......Page 254 Index......Page 282 Transforming The Terms Of Reading : Ideologies Of Argument And The Trope Of The Angry Feminist -- Ideologies Of Style : Discursive Policing And Feminist Intersectional Argument -- Anger : Grammars Of Affect And Authority -- Tough Babies, Or Anger In The Superior Position -- Faux Feminism And The Rhetoric Of Betrayal -- Intensification And The Discourse Of Decline -- Ridicule : Phallic Fables And Spermatic Romance -- The Labor Of Argument And Feminist Futures. Barbara Tomlinson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The trope of the angry feminist : politics and affect at the scene of argument Ideologies of style : discursive policing and feminist intersectional argument Anger : grammars of affect and authority Tough babies : tough babies, or anger in the superior position Faux-feminism and the rhetoric of betrayal Intensification and the discourse of decline Ridicule : phallic fables and spermatic romance The labor of argument and feminist futures. "Cover Art: "Enchanted Rider." Artist: Bob Thompson. Smithsonian American Art Museum Accession Number: 1975.21. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson. Martha Jackson Memorial Collection. Used with the kind permission of the Smithsonian American Art Museum."--Jacket Showing how both feminist and anti-feminist arguments work, and providing tools for social justice and changing civic life