Material feminisms

another third wave

Abstract

This article begins with a speculative gesture: imagining what third wave feminism would look like if it resulted from the lineage of Feminist Science and Technology Studies (FSTS), which emerged in the 1970s. Using the name "Material Feminisms," suggested by Stacy Alaimo and Susan Hekman, we group together a series of trends in feminist theory, both older and contemporary, that emphasize the connections between the material and the semiotic and engage deeply with knowledge-making practices. In this work, we present what these Material Feminisms consist of, using as an important example the philosophical theory of agential realism, conceived by Karen Barad, but also Stacy Alaimo's transcorporeal feminism, as well as contributions from other authors. Then, we delve into the theme of toxicity and environmental contamination, important topics in Material Feminisms because they posit a theoretical space where it becomes visible how the distinctions between subject and object, matter and discourse, body and environment, and nature and culture dissolve. In particular, we focus on the phenomenon of endocrine disruptors and their transcorporeal effects. With Material Feminisms, we intend to advance a theoretical and political proposition in tune with the ecological and social transformations of the present.