From pornography to sadomasochism: Reconciling feminist differences

Stemming from a belief in the deeply interconnected character of private an d public events, sexuality was a key part of second-wave feminist thought i n the 1960s and 1970s. In turn, feminism influenced academic interest in se xuality throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Yet, the sex debates, or sex wars, of the later decades have resulted in a recurrent division between feminist s. Some have emphasized the structural character of sexist subordination; o thers have paid relatively greater attention to individual experiences of s exual repression. This split between sexism and sex manifested itself in po larized feminist positions over a variety of issues. This article focuses s pecific attention on feminist divisions over pornography and sadomasochism, and it suggests synthetic positions beyond either-or divides. Suggestions are made for a third wave of feminism that avoids divisive pitfalls and inc ludes considerations of both differences and commonalities between women.