Critiques of Second-Wave Feminism
While CR became widely adopted in many different feminist groups it lost much of its radical nature in this process.
Each topic in the NOW CR Guidelines (shown to the left) had political points to recognize, inquiry questions, and an action ending with suggested activities. The action ending removed the radical nature of consciousness-raising and diluted its political force. By having established methods of addressing the issues, a group could neatly tie up a session and leave with a checklist of items they could do. This did not inspire new change but probably felt like a happy note to end on. CR was never intended to be the final action but rather a starting point to incite a larger change.
Kathie Sarachild, a member of the New York Radical Women, in a "Consciousness-Raising: A Radical Weapon" admonishes any "formalized 'rules' or 'guidelines' for consciousness-raising which have been published and distributed to women's groups with an air of authority and as if they represented the original program of consciousness-raising. But new knowledge is the source of consciousness-raising’s strength and power. Methods are simply to serve this purpose, to be changed if they aren’t working." This talk given in 1973 by Sarachild predates the publication of the NOW Guidelines but already shows dissatisfaction with how the movement had transformed. Other original organizers of CR groups note that within a few years the composition of the groups had changed and many women didn't know why they were really there.
Consciousness-raising was intended as a political act but by its very nature is also a therapeutic experience. The small group setting resembled therapy groups or others such as T-groups, encounter groups, and sensitivy training. Although CR was not initally adopted by less radical groups (such as NOW), it quickly became widespread. It became popular. It became a buzzword. It became the thing to do and without the mindset going into it with the intention to incite political change the political action is lost.The adoption of CR by reformist groups while still addressing a diverse set of issues and stating the same intentions as the radical groups that formulated them transformed CR from its activist roots and ushered in a new usage as therapeutic support and eventually non-feminist activities such as management education.