Hence the mushing around. With respect to the movement, however, academics remain powerful. Because their views receive publicity, their caution and conservatism retard it. It must try to recoup the target population, answering spurious academic-inspired objections to old theses, rather than developing their complexity. Simultaneously, factions must defend new ideas against the academic dislike for innovation.
Academics can easily pass off their platitudinous studies as the only movement theorizing.
If academic feminists supply most of the tools and information to the movement's target population, that population won't necessarily accept academic views. No matter how tightly a milquetoast group controls media access, it can't brainwash all of the people all of the time. But its effect is to discourage the development of a base for more thoroughgoing protest. They also have the resources to set up action organizations. Consequently, they can channel the energies of many people who seek ways to implement a desire for change.