Introduction: Transnational Feminism in Non-English Speaking Europe (1960–1990)

This introductory chapter briefly describes the book’s main premises. Kurvinen and Andeweg motivate the book’s focus on non-English-speaking European countries and the selected period between circa 1960 and 1990. They also introduce the usage of Lucy Delap’s conceptualisation of the mosaic of feminisms, which has revealed different trajectories of women’s second-wave feminist organising in the countries under scrutiny: Iceland, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Spain and Italy. While problematising the border crossing elements of feminist knowledge and practices within non-English-speaking Europe the editors engage in critical discussion of the concept of second-wave feminism and its relevance as an umbrella term in the history of feminism.