Author and women's studies scholar Kathy Davis presented a lecture on Monday night to promote her new book, "The Making of Our Bodies, Ourselves: How Feminism Travels Across Borders." In the presentation, Davis discussed the far reaching consequences of "Our Bodies, Ourselves," a popular manual about women and their bodies first published in 1970.
Davis asserted that "Our Bodies, Ourselves" could stand as American feminism's most popular export. She also discussed the implications of publishing the popular and somewhat controversial book in countries with varying political and social climates.
It took Davis nine years to complete her book, which she started in the fall of 1998. The initial direction of the book changed dramatically during the course of her research, she said.
"My own thinking about it was changing the entire time," Davis said. "I started out in a very different way than the way I finished the project. I really think that the topic finds me, and then I get engaged with it."
According to Davis, people must view feminism not as outdated, but as an amorphous term whose meaning and purpose changes depending on time, period and location.
"I think if you define feminism as something that can be a very different thing for different women and men, I have no sense that it's no longer necessary," she said.
She said that most people today associate feminism of the '60s and '70s with middle-class white women campaigning for expanded rights and opportunities. Today, however, Davis said feminists can fill a different role in society.
"Never before have young women had more issues and difficulties with their bodies than now," she said. "There are eating disorders, cutting, cosmetic surgery; all of these things are relevant for young women today, and feminists have a lot to say about these issues, and a feminist perspective could be very helpful for these issues."
Professor of Social Sciences Susan Bell invited Davis to return this fall to Bowdoin, 15 years after Davis's first lecture at the College. Bell herself wrote the chapters devoted to birth control in the 1984, 1992, and 1998 editions of "Our Bodies, Ourselves."
Davis's lecture addressed issues in a wide range of fields, including sociology, anthropology and the gender and women's studies departments, Bell said.
"I've taught [Davis's] books in previous courses and I knew she would be a successful speaker," Bell said.
Though outnumbered, some men also attended Davis's lecture. Davis stressed that the feminist movement is not confined to solely female participants.
"It seems to me that feminism is not just about women," she said. "Certainly the way we talk about feminism is always in terms of gender relationships, which involve men as much as they involve women. It's always been my experience talking to audiences, that there are many men in the audiences, and I have no sense that these issues don't make men think about the world they live in."
Bell added that many campus organizations, while not overtly feminist in their missions, still promote or work to further the position of women in society.
"We have a Gender and Women's Studies program and a Gay and Lesbian Studies minor at Bowdoin," she said. "If you look at the other organizations that may not be defined as feminist, you can see feminist actions being done whether or not they're being labeled as feminist."
Many students wrongfully view feminism as an antiquated movement, said Alison Driver '08, co-leader of the Bowdoin Women's Association.
"It is important that people recognize that young women and men are still active in the feminist movement," she said. "It is a crazy idea that the majority of women take advantage of the feminists of the past. All women at Bowdoin can thank feminists for being here."
Davis plans to continue her book tour and hold discussions before embarking on any future projects.
"I have never been so ready for a book to be done," she said. "Now I am enjoying talking to people about the book. I am going to do more with it than I had anticipated. I think it's the kind of book that really needs to be discussed with different audiences."