INTRODUCTION

In this chapter I take a feminist perspective on career theory. There is no one feminism; rather this umbrella label covers many diverse perspectives held together by several broad uniting themes. Feminists tend to share a belief that women are oppressed in a society dominated by men (patriarchy) and concerns to change this situation and to honor and voice women's experiences and meanings. Beyond this there is considerable variety. Neither is feminism static: It is lived, in the sense that it arises from and informs being and doing and is continually evolving and changing. I cannot therefore speak for other women, although I draw on and value their work and experiences. This chapter is my current personal perspective, one story from a range of possibilities.

The chapter is in two main parts: The first offers some core strands in feminist thinking, which are then woven together in the second part, which explores their relevance to career theory. The first part is a brief tour of a vast and complex area. It starts with a selective history of the development of feminism. A historical perspective is necessary in order to understand the social context within which theory about women is developing. There have been major changes since 1960 in women's roles in society and in their attitudes toward employment. Feminism's potential contribution to career theory is shaped by these changes.

Within feminism, writers have offered a wide range of approaches to understanding women's experiences and their traditionally subordinate social position; these explanations range from the psychological to the structural, from the biological to the social and so on.