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Teoria feminista: del marge al centre
«Estar al marge és ser formar part del tot, però fora del cos principal», escriu bell hooks. A partir de la seva trajectòria biogràfica en una comunitat negra al seu Kentucky natal, i més endavant com a estudiant i acadèmica negra en el moviment feminista, hooks ens ofereix una mirada particular, alhora des de dins i des de fora del nucli del domini capitalista, blanc i patriarcal.
La crítica teòrica de hooks és aguda: a la teoria feminista li manca totalitat, li manca l’anàlisi general que podria abraçar una varietat d’experiències humanes, perquè les seves promotores més visibles, dones blanques burgeses, han imprès un fort biaix de classe i de «raça» a les prioritats i propostes del moviment feminista. El feminisme persegueix el final de l’opressió sexual en totes les formes, no només la igualtat de les dones amb els homes o la llibertat individual de les dones.
La seva proposta encara és més forta: el feminisme s’ha de convertir en un moviment polític de masses. Perquè això sigui possible, s’han de transformar la teoria i la pràctica. El moviment feminista ha d’interpel·lar la gran majoria de dones i també la gran majoria d’homes. Perquè el feminisme sigui massiu i transformi la societat, ha de posar al centre els problemes dels immensos marges: la pobresa, el racisme, l’explotació laboral, i la falta de mitjans públics i comunitaris. Segons hooks, només establint aliances sense ocultar les desigualtats entre dones podrem arribar a una sororitat política, i només fent front a totes les opressions podrem canviar-les totes i cadascuna, i amb això, el nostre present i el nostre futur.
La crítica teòrica de hooks és aguda: a la teoria feminista li manca totalitat, li manca l’anàlisi general que podria abraçar una varietat d’experiències humanes, perquè les seves promotores més visibles, dones blanques burgeses, han imprès un fort biaix de classe i de «raça» a les prioritats i propostes del moviment feminista. El feminisme persegueix el final de l’opressió sexual en totes les formes, no només la igualtat de les dones amb els homes o la llibertat individual de les dones.
La seva proposta encara és més forta: el feminisme s’ha de convertir en un moviment polític de masses. Perquè això sigui possible, s’han de transformar la teoria i la pràctica. El moviment feminista ha d’interpel·lar la gran majoria de dones i també la gran majoria d’homes. Perquè el feminisme sigui massiu i transformi la societat, ha de posar al centre els problemes dels immensos marges: la pobresa, el racisme, l’explotació laboral, i la falta de mitjans públics i comunitaris. Segons hooks, només establint aliances sense ocultar les desigualtats entre dones podrem arribar a una sororitat política, i només fent front a totes les opressions podrem canviar-les totes i cadascuna, i amb això, el nostre present i el nostre futur.
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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About the author
bell hooks
172 books14.5k followersbell hooks (deliberately in lower-case; born Gloria Jean Watkins) was an African-American author, feminist, and social activist. Her writing focused on the interconnectivity of race, class, and gender and their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and domination. She published over thirty books and numerous scholarly and mainstream articles, appeared in several documentary films and participated in various public lectures. Primarily through a postmodern female perspective, she addressed race, class, and gender in education, art, history, sexuality, mass media and feminism.
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August 3, 2019
Another iconic feminist text from bell hooks. I love that hooks’s writing always takes mainstream feminist thinking and elevates it. She encourages us to deeply consider how racism and classism intersect with sexism to further marginalize women of color and poor women. She argues that we should conceptualize feminism as a radical, revolutionary movement as opposed to an individual lifestyle. Her writing, while intelligent and replete with critical analysis, remains accessible and close to the human lived experience. For example, here is a quote about how she interrogates why feminism is not just about equality with men, even though we often market it that way:
”Women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white, would not have defined women’s liberation as women gaining social equality with men since they are continually reminded in their everyday lives that all women do not share a common social status. Concurrently, they know that many males in their social groups are exploited and oppressed. Knowing that men in their groups do not have social, political, and economic power, they would not deem it liberatory to share their social status… from the very onset of the women’s liberation movement, [women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white] were suspicious of feminism precisely because they recognized the limitations inherent in its definition. They recognized the possibility that feminism defined as social equality with men might easily become a movement that would primarily affect the social standing of white women in middle and upper class groups while affecting only in a very marginal way the social status of working class and poor women.”
I would highly recommend this text to everyone, especially those who are interested in feminism who hold dominant identities (e.g., white, middle to upper middle class, etc.) hooks’s writing challenged me to think about my own complicity, both as a man and as someone who comes from a higher socioeconomic status. When she wrote about how writing about feminism is often too secluded and filled with academic jargon to be understandable, accessible, or even helpful at all for poor women and women who have not had access to education, I was forced to confront my own privilege of attending somewhat elite schools and universities throughout my life and my own complicity in classism. Even in sections where I disagreed with her – I felt that she could have done a better job discussing how heteronormative lifestyles do in fact perpetuate patriarchy, for example the wedding industrial complex – I still appreciated her thought process and her passion. I will end this review by integrating a few passages from an early section of the book, about feminism and its more revolutionary roots:
”The willingness to see feminism as a lifestyle choice rather than a political commitment reflects the class nature of the movement. It is not surprising that the vast majority of women who equate feminism with alternative lifestyle are from middle class backgrounds, unmarried, college-educated, often students who are without many of the social and economic responsibilities that working class and poor women who are laborers, parents, homemakers, and wives confront daily… Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any political movement that aims to have a radical transformative impact on society cannot be solely focused on creating spaces wherein would-be-radicals experience safety and support. Feminist movement to end sexist oppression actively engages participants in revolutionary struggle. Struggle is rarely safe or pleasurable.”
”Women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white, would not have defined women’s liberation as women gaining social equality with men since they are continually reminded in their everyday lives that all women do not share a common social status. Concurrently, they know that many males in their social groups are exploited and oppressed. Knowing that men in their groups do not have social, political, and economic power, they would not deem it liberatory to share their social status… from the very onset of the women’s liberation movement, [women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white] were suspicious of feminism precisely because they recognized the limitations inherent in its definition. They recognized the possibility that feminism defined as social equality with men might easily become a movement that would primarily affect the social standing of white women in middle and upper class groups while affecting only in a very marginal way the social status of working class and poor women.”
I would highly recommend this text to everyone, especially those who are interested in feminism who hold dominant identities (e.g., white, middle to upper middle class, etc.) hooks’s writing challenged me to think about my own complicity, both as a man and as someone who comes from a higher socioeconomic status. When she wrote about how writing about feminism is often too secluded and filled with academic jargon to be understandable, accessible, or even helpful at all for poor women and women who have not had access to education, I was forced to confront my own privilege of attending somewhat elite schools and universities throughout my life and my own complicity in classism. Even in sections where I disagreed with her – I felt that she could have done a better job discussing how heteronormative lifestyles do in fact perpetuate patriarchy, for example the wedding industrial complex – I still appreciated her thought process and her passion. I will end this review by integrating a few passages from an early section of the book, about feminism and its more revolutionary roots:
”The willingness to see feminism as a lifestyle choice rather than a political commitment reflects the class nature of the movement. It is not surprising that the vast majority of women who equate feminism with alternative lifestyle are from middle class backgrounds, unmarried, college-educated, often students who are without many of the social and economic responsibilities that working class and poor women who are laborers, parents, homemakers, and wives confront daily… Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any political movement that aims to have a radical transformative impact on society cannot be solely focused on creating spaces wherein would-be-radicals experience safety and support. Feminist movement to end sexist oppression actively engages participants in revolutionary struggle. Struggle is rarely safe or pleasurable.”
July 29, 2022
My very first bell hooks book, Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics, which I read about three years ago left me very unimpressed with her writing. I do not exactly remember why, but I'm mature enough to admit that it was mostly because of my own biases. I expected 'feminist theory' to fit into certain neatly defined boxes that were mostly built by academic upper/middle class white women, it was very naive of me honestly. I was also just getting out of my science-bro phase where I'd look at arguments and go 'where is the evidence for this? Where are the references and citations??' I still consider evidence to be very important, but by expanding my reading of feminist and critical theory texts, I have also come to appreciate anecdotal references. bell hooks doesn't just talk about feminism in a textual context, but she writes about it as a lived reality. And this style of approach, especially from someone who has always been on the margins, is invaluable. Besides, what sort of evidence or references could you possibly cite when you're amongst the first to bring a new, radical perspective to field wherein mainstream narratives have been very one-dimensional?
Even after realising all of this, my journey so far with bell hooks has been difficult. Due to more biases, again. I did not like that some of her writing sounded very preachy and sermony. I did not like that she drew so much of her understanding from what she has learnt through Christianity and the church. What I forgot to consider of course, was how important the church has been as a unifying force for black communities. I am still wary of her Christianity related references, but I am now aware that I am judging it from a completely different historical context. I used to read her texts and go all 'well all of this sounds great, but how could one possibly implement this' and therefore judging her for being too 'ideological' and not speaking in terms of implementable solutions. This has probably been my harshest judgement of her, because I realised that I did not expect policy ideas or solutions from other theorists I read, I just read them to broaden my perspective.
So honestly, bell hooks has broadened my perspective a lot and this is the first book of hers that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, because I was finally aware of all my biases and could keep them aside. I could read bell hooks with the sort of dedication she deserves. It's been a long and arduous journey, and I think I will complete it with another book of hers, but this particular one was epiphany-inducing. I have always admired bell hooks for looking away from the binary of male perpetrator and woman victim while talking about feminism, for stating clearly that 'feminist' is not a prepackaged identity, it is not a lifestyle choice (which a lot of upper class women seem to think it is) but a political commitment, for speaking of the movement through a lens that is composed of the totality of gender, race and class. And now, I greatly appreciate her style too.
Even after realising all of this, my journey so far with bell hooks has been difficult. Due to more biases, again. I did not like that some of her writing sounded very preachy and sermony. I did not like that she drew so much of her understanding from what she has learnt through Christianity and the church. What I forgot to consider of course, was how important the church has been as a unifying force for black communities. I am still wary of her Christianity related references, but I am now aware that I am judging it from a completely different historical context. I used to read her texts and go all 'well all of this sounds great, but how could one possibly implement this' and therefore judging her for being too 'ideological' and not speaking in terms of implementable solutions. This has probably been my harshest judgement of her, because I realised that I did not expect policy ideas or solutions from other theorists I read, I just read them to broaden my perspective.
So honestly, bell hooks has broadened my perspective a lot and this is the first book of hers that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, because I was finally aware of all my biases and could keep them aside. I could read bell hooks with the sort of dedication she deserves. It's been a long and arduous journey, and I think I will complete it with another book of hers, but this particular one was epiphany-inducing. I have always admired bell hooks for looking away from the binary of male perpetrator and woman victim while talking about feminism, for stating clearly that 'feminist' is not a prepackaged identity, it is not a lifestyle choice (which a lot of upper class women seem to think it is) but a political commitment, for speaking of the movement through a lens that is composed of the totality of gender, race and class. And now, I greatly appreciate her style too.
October 11, 2020
The biggest challenge faced by feminists today concerns why the world and values envisioned by western Feminism continue to remain elusive despite nearly two centuries of struggle. Emerging from the embers of the Second Wave in the 1980s, bell hooks was one of the first to answer this question by bringing to attention the hitherto exclusionary nature of the movement and its limited focus on white women from middle-class backgrounds.
Published in 1984—five years before the term 'intersectionality' was coined— From Margin to Center brings the issues of women marginalised by race and class to the forefront of the struggle for feminist change, offering an effective critique of the Second Wave alongside a revolutionary manifesto for ending sexist oppression.
Indeed, hooks begins by challenging the broadly (or narrowly) defined feminist goal of making women the social equals of men: according to her, since all men aren't equal in a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want equality with? Implicitly she challenges White feminism's assertion of all women sharing a common fate by bringing to fore how each woman's material conditions (i.e. our location along the lines of racial and class privilege) act in conjunction with gender and sexuality to determine our vision for equality. hooks thus identifies a radical, systemic overhaul of a culture based in the domination of the many by the few as the only way to end sexist oppression and benefit all women.
Moreover, by talking of 'sexist oppression,' hooks identifies women and men as stakeholders of feminist change, and attacks the dualistic thinking that forces much of feminist energies on taking on male supremacy instead of also working on self-affirmation for women. Unlike many theorists of her time, hooks' approach is more holistic and radical—abolitionist rather than reformist—and takes into account the need for positive social as well as sexual identities that can be brought about by changing prevalent norms instead of advocating for the creation of 'safe spaces' within the present hegemonic and heteronormative structure.
From Margin to Center attempts to reorient feminist thought by centering the need to rethink the nature of work, bringing an end to hegemonic violence and sexual oppression, and the overall aim to effect revolutionary change instead of mere reforms that do not challenge the status quo. It recognises the gradual nature of change while also pressing on the need to avoid narrow and/or atomistic goals, and sheds new light on issues such as 'women's work,' heterosexism, and childrearing. With its call for re-organising the movement outside of hegemonic lines, the book also focuses on attending to basic and foundational goals such as literacy in addition to the programmes and concessions for more advanced strides by women that are already underway, thereby closing the gap between praxis and theory, and making a truly accessible, mass-based movement.
At a time where social conservatism and economic neoliberalism dominate, the ideas presented by bell hooks in this book resound with more urgency and vigour than ever before. As such, it remains the most comprehensive text on feminist radicalism in the West—the first chapter alone tackles enough dogma to radicalise anyone—and is highly recommended to all those who wish to understand feminism better.
In summary:
Published in 1984—five years before the term 'intersectionality' was coined— From Margin to Center brings the issues of women marginalised by race and class to the forefront of the struggle for feminist change, offering an effective critique of the Second Wave alongside a revolutionary manifesto for ending sexist oppression.
Indeed, hooks begins by challenging the broadly (or narrowly) defined feminist goal of making women the social equals of men: according to her, since all men aren't equal in a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want equality with? Implicitly she challenges White feminism's assertion of all women sharing a common fate by bringing to fore how each woman's material conditions (i.e. our location along the lines of racial and class privilege) act in conjunction with gender and sexuality to determine our vision for equality. hooks thus identifies a radical, systemic overhaul of a culture based in the domination of the many by the few as the only way to end sexist oppression and benefit all women.
Moreover, by talking of 'sexist oppression,' hooks identifies women and men as stakeholders of feminist change, and attacks the dualistic thinking that forces much of feminist energies on taking on male supremacy instead of also working on self-affirmation for women. Unlike many theorists of her time, hooks' approach is more holistic and radical—abolitionist rather than reformist—and takes into account the need for positive social as well as sexual identities that can be brought about by changing prevalent norms instead of advocating for the creation of 'safe spaces' within the present hegemonic and heteronormative structure.
From Margin to Center attempts to reorient feminist thought by centering the need to rethink the nature of work, bringing an end to hegemonic violence and sexual oppression, and the overall aim to effect revolutionary change instead of mere reforms that do not challenge the status quo. It recognises the gradual nature of change while also pressing on the need to avoid narrow and/or atomistic goals, and sheds new light on issues such as 'women's work,' heterosexism, and childrearing. With its call for re-organising the movement outside of hegemonic lines, the book also focuses on attending to basic and foundational goals such as literacy in addition to the programmes and concessions for more advanced strides by women that are already underway, thereby closing the gap between praxis and theory, and making a truly accessible, mass-based movement.
At a time where social conservatism and economic neoliberalism dominate, the ideas presented by bell hooks in this book resound with more urgency and vigour than ever before. As such, it remains the most comprehensive text on feminist radicalism in the West—the first chapter alone tackles enough dogma to radicalise anyone—and is highly recommended to all those who wish to understand feminism better.
In summary:
"Feminism is the struggle to end sexist oppression. Its aim is not to benefit solely any specific group of women, any particular race or class of women. It does not privilege women over men. It has the power to transform in a meaningful way all our lives. Most importantly, feminism is neither a lifestyle nor a ready-made identity or role one can step into(...)but a political commitment to radical change."
September 22, 2008
Reading this book immediately following hooks' first book, Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism reveals how much a writer and theorist can develop in just a few years. Where Ain't I a Woman suffered because of underdeveloped points and undertheorized intersections of class with race and gender, Feminist Theory from Margin to Center shines. Hooks here works to re-define feminism in a way that opens up the movement to women and men of all race and class backgrounds and allows feminism to work for more than the bourgeois white women who had previously been perceived as the face of the movement.
In developing this stance, hooks takes on several key myths about feminism and about gender, including the idea that women are naturally superior, more caring, and more nurturing than men. She argues that this idea is counterproductive and simply untrue, stating instead that "[w]e who are concerned about feminism and militarism must insist that women (even those who are bearers of children) are not inherently non-violent or life-affirming. Many women who mother (either as single parents or in camaraderie with husbands) have taught male children to see fighting and other forms of violent aggression as acceptable modes of communication, modes that are valued more than loving or caring interaction" (128).
Further, since these gender roles are not fully cemented by nature, she calls into question the glorification of motherhood as well, providing two distinct alternatives. Rather than denigrating motherhood (the easy alternative for some to glorifying it), she proposes that we do not praise motherhood as the only true way to parent children. Instead, she says, we should teach men "ideally from childhood on, that fatherhood has the same meaning and significance as motherhood" (137). She continues, saying, "Women and men must define the work of fathering and mothering in the same way if males and females are to accept equal responsibility in parenting" (137). She goes beyond the nuclear family structure, however, to consider the benefits of communal parenting, for both the children, the parents, and the rest of the community involved in raising the children.
As interesting as I find these points, they are not the the most compelling part of this book. For me, that is found in hooks' two central points: the first is her clear distinction between identity politics and praxis and the second is her focus on struggle as a fundamental part of feminist political action. Hooks repeatedly insists that one's identity as a feminist is not at all the same thing as engaging in feminist action, writing that "[o]ften emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis" (28). To counter this false sense, she proposes a new way of conceiving one's position in the feminist movement that is based on action rather than identity:
"To emphasize that engagement with feminist struggle as political commitment we could avoid using the phrase 'I am a feminist' (a linguistic structure designed to refer to some personal aspect of identity and self-definition) and could state 'I advocate feminism'" (29).
While I see potential problems with this linguistic shift (although it does emphasize action instead of personal identity, it also risks feeling as if one is distancing oneself from the movement--I don't belong to it, but I support it), this is a fascinating idea that is worth considering.
Even more valuable than her suggestions regarding description and linguistic affiliation are her comments and suggestions regarding concrete action. One concrete action that she suggests is a focus on literacy. In order to make sure that feminist literature and ideas are able to reach those in need of them, the feminist movement must make sure that those people are able to read them. She advocates support of literacy programs as well as a reconsideration of the way that feminist theory is written:
"Many [feminist] theorists do not even intend their ideas to reach a mass public, and consequently we must take some responsibility for the superficial and perverted versions of feminist ideas that end up in the public imagination, via tv for example" (108).
This is an idea that I wish more feminist theorists would take to heart. Hooks goes on to acknowledge the pressures of the field and the publishing industry on academics who write feminist theory, but does not allow that acknowledgement to undermine her argument, writing that "[t]he ability to 'translate' ideas to an audience that varies in age, sex, ethnicity, degree of literacy is a skill feminist educators need to develop" (111).
Although I'd rather see all feminist theory written in a way that is understandable to more than a handful of experts, at the very least those ideas should be translatable to laypersons. If the ideas aren't translatable, perhaps they are not worth the effort; perhaps the effort would be better spent making a real difference in the real world. (On a more selfish note, I have to say that I can't help but think that if feminist theorists had taken up hooks' challenge, my feminist theory reading list would be a helluva lot easier to get through.)
Hooks' conclusion alone is worth the price of admission. She concludes by re-affirming the focus of feminism and establishing the necessity of struggle:
"Our emphasis must be on cultural transformation: destroying dualism, eradicating systems of domination. Our feminist revolution here can be aided by the example of liberation struggles led by oppressed peoples globally who resist formidable powers. The formation of an oppositional world view is necessary for feminist struggle. This means that the world we have most intimately known, the world in which we feel 'safe,' (even if such feelings are based on illusions) must be radically changed. Perhaps it is the knowledge that everyone must change, not just those we label enemies or oppressors, that has so far served to check our revolutionary impulses. Those revolutionary impulses must freely inform our theory and practice if feminist movement to end oppression is to progress, if we are to transform our present reality" (163).
This is a view of feminism that not everyone will agree with, but those who truly do want to see men and women of all races, classes, and ages able to be the best humans they can be will find this a satisfying vision of the world to work toward and a challenge worth taking up.
In developing this stance, hooks takes on several key myths about feminism and about gender, including the idea that women are naturally superior, more caring, and more nurturing than men. She argues that this idea is counterproductive and simply untrue, stating instead that "[w]e who are concerned about feminism and militarism must insist that women (even those who are bearers of children) are not inherently non-violent or life-affirming. Many women who mother (either as single parents or in camaraderie with husbands) have taught male children to see fighting and other forms of violent aggression as acceptable modes of communication, modes that are valued more than loving or caring interaction" (128).
Further, since these gender roles are not fully cemented by nature, she calls into question the glorification of motherhood as well, providing two distinct alternatives. Rather than denigrating motherhood (the easy alternative for some to glorifying it), she proposes that we do not praise motherhood as the only true way to parent children. Instead, she says, we should teach men "ideally from childhood on, that fatherhood has the same meaning and significance as motherhood" (137). She continues, saying, "Women and men must define the work of fathering and mothering in the same way if males and females are to accept equal responsibility in parenting" (137). She goes beyond the nuclear family structure, however, to consider the benefits of communal parenting, for both the children, the parents, and the rest of the community involved in raising the children.
As interesting as I find these points, they are not the the most compelling part of this book. For me, that is found in hooks' two central points: the first is her clear distinction between identity politics and praxis and the second is her focus on struggle as a fundamental part of feminist political action. Hooks repeatedly insists that one's identity as a feminist is not at all the same thing as engaging in feminist action, writing that "[o]ften emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis" (28). To counter this false sense, she proposes a new way of conceiving one's position in the feminist movement that is based on action rather than identity:
"To emphasize that engagement with feminist struggle as political commitment we could avoid using the phrase 'I am a feminist' (a linguistic structure designed to refer to some personal aspect of identity and self-definition) and could state 'I advocate feminism'" (29).
While I see potential problems with this linguistic shift (although it does emphasize action instead of personal identity, it also risks feeling as if one is distancing oneself from the movement--I don't belong to it, but I support it), this is a fascinating idea that is worth considering.
Even more valuable than her suggestions regarding description and linguistic affiliation are her comments and suggestions regarding concrete action. One concrete action that she suggests is a focus on literacy. In order to make sure that feminist literature and ideas are able to reach those in need of them, the feminist movement must make sure that those people are able to read them. She advocates support of literacy programs as well as a reconsideration of the way that feminist theory is written:
"Many [feminist] theorists do not even intend their ideas to reach a mass public, and consequently we must take some responsibility for the superficial and perverted versions of feminist ideas that end up in the public imagination, via tv for example" (108).
This is an idea that I wish more feminist theorists would take to heart. Hooks goes on to acknowledge the pressures of the field and the publishing industry on academics who write feminist theory, but does not allow that acknowledgement to undermine her argument, writing that "[t]he ability to 'translate' ideas to an audience that varies in age, sex, ethnicity, degree of literacy is a skill feminist educators need to develop" (111).
Although I'd rather see all feminist theory written in a way that is understandable to more than a handful of experts, at the very least those ideas should be translatable to laypersons. If the ideas aren't translatable, perhaps they are not worth the effort; perhaps the effort would be better spent making a real difference in the real world. (On a more selfish note, I have to say that I can't help but think that if feminist theorists had taken up hooks' challenge, my feminist theory reading list would be a helluva lot easier to get through.)
Hooks' conclusion alone is worth the price of admission. She concludes by re-affirming the focus of feminism and establishing the necessity of struggle:
"Our emphasis must be on cultural transformation: destroying dualism, eradicating systems of domination. Our feminist revolution here can be aided by the example of liberation struggles led by oppressed peoples globally who resist formidable powers. The formation of an oppositional world view is necessary for feminist struggle. This means that the world we have most intimately known, the world in which we feel 'safe,' (even if such feelings are based on illusions) must be radically changed. Perhaps it is the knowledge that everyone must change, not just those we label enemies or oppressors, that has so far served to check our revolutionary impulses. Those revolutionary impulses must freely inform our theory and practice if feminist movement to end oppression is to progress, if we are to transform our present reality" (163).
This is a view of feminism that not everyone will agree with, but those who truly do want to see men and women of all races, classes, and ages able to be the best humans they can be will find this a satisfying vision of the world to work toward and a challenge worth taking up.
December 28, 2023
nie ze wszystkim się zgadzam, z perspektywy dzisiejszej brakuje szerszego spojrzenia na queerowość, ale to i tak potężna książka
February 15, 2025
A sadly still-relevant today piece of political writing that (rightfully) excoriates liberal feminism (especially white & bourgeois) for kinda selling out the revolution of the 70s.
bell hooks covers topics such as labor and work, equal pay, sexual liberation, childcare and the 'war of the sexes' in very clever, nuanced way. Sometimes she sends out a burn to someone or other and it's quite fun!
Sadly, I'm travelling these days so it's tough for me to gather up the energy or mindspace to write more. But this one's a banger. I needed this after the previous hooks book I read (All About Love) was somewhat a disappointment.
bell hooks covers topics such as labor and work, equal pay, sexual liberation, childcare and the 'war of the sexes' in very clever, nuanced way. Sometimes she sends out a burn to someone or other and it's quite fun!
Sadly, I'm travelling these days so it's tough for me to gather up the energy or mindspace to write more. But this one's a banger. I needed this after the previous hooks book I read (All About Love) was somewhat a disappointment.
February 10, 2015
I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in feminism or anyone who currently identifies as a feminist but hasn't yet read this. hooks has a very accessible writing style and does an impeccable job of pointing out the flaws in the feminist movement and putting forth ideas of what feminism as a movement should be if it has any hope of success.
July 5, 2020
When I started reading this book, it was tough for me to get through even the first few pages. The scathing criticism of feminist movements left me uncomfortable, which is the exact point of this book. While it did so, it also made me take a hard look at how I advocate for feminism, and made me aware of how privilege has shaped feminism. bell hooks reviews the movement in a very harsh light, but in a way that will allow feminism to grow more diverse. While the book addresses the downfalls of privileged feminism, it also focuses on what aspects need to be considered to enrich and sustain the movement. I have to admit I enjoyed reading the parts where the retrospection was less focused on and scope for progress was mentioned in more detail. In the end, it is important that feminism as a movement be criticised, and this book reminds me that feminism is flawed and that's ok as long as there are more such books which reflect on and transform the discourse of the movement to make it a sustainable effort for all.
September 9, 2024
Bell hooks is an extraordinary feminist theorist and this book is a foundational work for the movement. I found myself taking notes regularly while reading it because of how frequently I felt she had perfectly summarised or captured an idea. Throughout this book, Hooks resolves tensions within feminist ideology or factions with a surety that will leave you with decisive answers to many daunting questions.
Hooks threads the needle to create a feminist ideology that appeals to, and includes various opposing factions that historically may have felt excluded from the umbrella of feminism. This includes mothers and childfree women, academics and activists, and even men and women.
Hooks outlines a clear role for men in the feminist movement as well. While she doesn’t suggest men are equipped necessarily to lead a feminist movement, it is very much the role of men to take part in it. Her inclusion of men was a discussion I have not often seen within this subject and it was refreshing and insightful to be addressed by this work (even though I was not expecting to be given the subject).
Some highlights of the book include her discussion on fatherhood. Hooks suggests men will not share in the burden of child rearing until they are taught the father child relationship as equally valuable and important as the mother child relationship. To create this relationship men must push for it, but women must also give up space in this traditional role to allow for it. Allowing for a larger role of childfree men and women in child rearing within our communities to alleviate the burden of parenting and spread the social support of children was an equally interesting concept Hooks put forth.
Other insightful commentary by Hooks surrounds the limits of sex positivism and the sexual liberation movement. Emphasis on sexual freedom has never accounted for the choice or desire to not have sex. Anyone not interested in the amount or quality of sex they’re having is often seen as sexually frustrated or disturbed. It is as much an expression of sexual freedom to choose not to participate as it is to participate, however the primacy of sex in all life as advocated by the sex positive movement has neglected this detail. The stigma must be removed for sexual inactivity for sexual liberation to be truly comprehensive, rather than a movement that simply encourages more sexual activity often to the benefit of men.
I could keep writing for hours on all the other subjects Hooks decisively unpacks, such as differences in class dynamics between women and how sexism and the patriarchy has affected women of different economic backgrounds to not simply different degrees, but also in very different ways.
In a time when we see much backsliding on feminist ideals, and the return of conservative patriarchal values, I take heart from her closing remarks. Feminism until now has been a successful rebellion but not yet a successful revolution. The oppression men and women face from the patriarchy is more visible than before, but the road for wide reaching social change is still long ahead of us. There are many complexities to work through to enact inclusive and robust positive change for men and women, but we should not be paralysed by our imperfections when we attempt to enact change, because our political opponents will not be. Most importantly, we must always be guided by our aspirations and not our opposition when trying to affect change in the world we see around us.
This is a thorough exploration of feminist theory and practice, and anyone who considers themselves a proponent for feminism, or the liberation of men and women from patriarchal oppression generally should consider this book an absolutely necessary read.
Hooks threads the needle to create a feminist ideology that appeals to, and includes various opposing factions that historically may have felt excluded from the umbrella of feminism. This includes mothers and childfree women, academics and activists, and even men and women.
Hooks outlines a clear role for men in the feminist movement as well. While she doesn’t suggest men are equipped necessarily to lead a feminist movement, it is very much the role of men to take part in it. Her inclusion of men was a discussion I have not often seen within this subject and it was refreshing and insightful to be addressed by this work (even though I was not expecting to be given the subject).
Some highlights of the book include her discussion on fatherhood. Hooks suggests men will not share in the burden of child rearing until they are taught the father child relationship as equally valuable and important as the mother child relationship. To create this relationship men must push for it, but women must also give up space in this traditional role to allow for it. Allowing for a larger role of childfree men and women in child rearing within our communities to alleviate the burden of parenting and spread the social support of children was an equally interesting concept Hooks put forth.
Other insightful commentary by Hooks surrounds the limits of sex positivism and the sexual liberation movement. Emphasis on sexual freedom has never accounted for the choice or desire to not have sex. Anyone not interested in the amount or quality of sex they’re having is often seen as sexually frustrated or disturbed. It is as much an expression of sexual freedom to choose not to participate as it is to participate, however the primacy of sex in all life as advocated by the sex positive movement has neglected this detail. The stigma must be removed for sexual inactivity for sexual liberation to be truly comprehensive, rather than a movement that simply encourages more sexual activity often to the benefit of men.
I could keep writing for hours on all the other subjects Hooks decisively unpacks, such as differences in class dynamics between women and how sexism and the patriarchy has affected women of different economic backgrounds to not simply different degrees, but also in very different ways.
In a time when we see much backsliding on feminist ideals, and the return of conservative patriarchal values, I take heart from her closing remarks. Feminism until now has been a successful rebellion but not yet a successful revolution. The oppression men and women face from the patriarchy is more visible than before, but the road for wide reaching social change is still long ahead of us. There are many complexities to work through to enact inclusive and robust positive change for men and women, but we should not be paralysed by our imperfections when we attempt to enact change, because our political opponents will not be. Most importantly, we must always be guided by our aspirations and not our opposition when trying to affect change in the world we see around us.
This is a thorough exploration of feminist theory and practice, and anyone who considers themselves a proponent for feminism, or the liberation of men and women from patriarchal oppression generally should consider this book an absolutely necessary read.
March 18, 2012
Incredible book. Examines the issues around women liberation through the lens of race, class, and gender, and shows in amazing detail how ignoring just one of these would diminish the possibilities of the entire movement. One thing that I am absolutely reveling in is the way how bell hooks advocates for wholeness, how its not men who are the enemy but the whole capitalistic ethos that puts aggressive competition as its ultimate ideal. How even women can be oppressors, in family, at work, and on various other levels if they are immersed deep enough in such an ideology. The need to see 'the entire picture' seems to be her theme throughout and this emphasis on inclusion, as opposed to division, is very stimulating to read.
Basically I am in love with bell hooks right now and the beautifully cogent way she puts forward her arguments in this book. There is no academic jargon, or things that make reading such texts an excruciating process, nor could I detect any dumbing down. Reading it, and processing the arguments it makes, it feels like I can be whole again. With an understanding of my own oppressive circumstances. And the oppressive hierarchies I myself am involved in perpetuating. Still have 60 pages to go, this book might just change my life.
Basically I am in love with bell hooks right now and the beautifully cogent way she puts forward her arguments in this book. There is no academic jargon, or things that make reading such texts an excruciating process, nor could I detect any dumbing down. Reading it, and processing the arguments it makes, it feels like I can be whole again. With an understanding of my own oppressive circumstances. And the oppressive hierarchies I myself am involved in perpetuating. Still have 60 pages to go, this book might just change my life.
August 18, 2024
As with all of bell hooks’ remarkable work, this was impactful and educational beyond words. So worth the read, especially in the world we live in today.
March 3, 2010
Rarely have I felt alienated by a feminist text; I've read hooks on a few occasions (and enjoyed her), but I found this book to be both hostile and hypocritical. As hooks is arguing for an allowance of complexity and a breakdown of dualistic cultural thinking, the way she phrases both her issues with the 'white bourgeois femininst movement' (an appropriate critique at that historical moment, so foundationally, I agree) and possible solutions, she once again falls into reductive formulations and dualisms on race, class, sex/gender, and sexuality--it becomes an us vs. them sort of text, rather than one (as she 'claims') that seeks ways in which everyone can in fact work together for feminist movement. Which is not to say I naively believe in some utopic vision of 'solidarity'--but only that the venues of change hooks imagines presuppose very specific images of the 'good' feminist and the 'bad' one (or the 'enemy'). Which, to my mind, is wildly unproductive.
I give the book 3 stars, nonetheless, because I agree with many of the principles/problems hooks sets forth (the critique of white hegemony in feminist movement, her push for literacy and educational opportunity, her understanding of 'revolution' as a gradual process), but just not the way she articulates them, or many of the resolutions (which are often merely utopic, rather than pragmatic--despite her push for praxis). A seminal text, and I can always appreciate dated feminist books for their positions at a certain historical moment, but I have doubts about the efficacy of this one now.
I give the book 3 stars, nonetheless, because I agree with many of the principles/problems hooks sets forth (the critique of white hegemony in feminist movement, her push for literacy and educational opportunity, her understanding of 'revolution' as a gradual process), but just not the way she articulates them, or many of the resolutions (which are often merely utopic, rather than pragmatic--despite her push for praxis). A seminal text, and I can always appreciate dated feminist books for their positions at a certain historical moment, but I have doubts about the efficacy of this one now.
June 10, 2014
bell hooks is generally great, and this books has many strong points. Nonetheless, other parts left a bad taste in my mouth, but I think that might be the point. hooks didn't set out to write an authoritative manifesto on what feminism is or should be for all time; in fact, she explicitly set out to challenge such dogmatism.
That said, this is still worth a quick read; much of it is still very relevant, and while it's limited and dated in other parts it offers many generative passages that helped me think through some issues. At root, what hooks argues here is that the hegemonic second wave feminist movement was not a mass based movement built from the shared vision of the majority of US women, but rather a an outgrowth of white, bourgeois women's attempts to advance themselves without losing race or class status. She draws attention to some key ways in which whiteness and class privilege have shaped key areas of feminist thought, and offers some visions as how to re-radicalize feminism and grow its base.
I was made uncomfortable by hooks' repeated assertion that feminism had become too "anti-male." I understand the argument that not all nor most women can or desire to "separate" themselves from men, but in a sexist society, women are justified in displayed sentiments that could be described as "anti-male." I'm well aware of the limits of such as the basis for a politics, as well as the need to engage people of all genders in feminist thought, but this felt unnecessary. hooks also makes a point of attempting to redeem work as a concept or a practice (it's not clear); as an anarchafeminist I couldn't buy this argument, and hooks herself made several anti-capitalist statements that seemed to contradict her own "pro-work" attitude. Finally, as the book was written in 1984, much of it is somewhat dated, and trans* folks make no appearance. Neither does queerness at all for that matter, though hooks does address lesbian and gay rights briefly and from an "ally" perspective.
In all, it's worth a brief read if you have the time, but it definitely has its limits. hooks develops these ideas and removes some of the more problematic elements described above in her fantastic, later book "Feminism is for Everybody," and if you've read that, then you've read this and then some. And of course, the rest of hooks' stuff is really awesome!!!
That said, this is still worth a quick read; much of it is still very relevant, and while it's limited and dated in other parts it offers many generative passages that helped me think through some issues. At root, what hooks argues here is that the hegemonic second wave feminist movement was not a mass based movement built from the shared vision of the majority of US women, but rather a an outgrowth of white, bourgeois women's attempts to advance themselves without losing race or class status. She draws attention to some key ways in which whiteness and class privilege have shaped key areas of feminist thought, and offers some visions as how to re-radicalize feminism and grow its base.
I was made uncomfortable by hooks' repeated assertion that feminism had become too "anti-male." I understand the argument that not all nor most women can or desire to "separate" themselves from men, but in a sexist society, women are justified in displayed sentiments that could be described as "anti-male." I'm well aware of the limits of such as the basis for a politics, as well as the need to engage people of all genders in feminist thought, but this felt unnecessary. hooks also makes a point of attempting to redeem work as a concept or a practice (it's not clear); as an anarchafeminist I couldn't buy this argument, and hooks herself made several anti-capitalist statements that seemed to contradict her own "pro-work" attitude. Finally, as the book was written in 1984, much of it is somewhat dated, and trans* folks make no appearance. Neither does queerness at all for that matter, though hooks does address lesbian and gay rights briefly and from an "ally" perspective.
In all, it's worth a brief read if you have the time, but it definitely has its limits. hooks develops these ideas and removes some of the more problematic elements described above in her fantastic, later book "Feminism is for Everybody," and if you've read that, then you've read this and then some. And of course, the rest of hooks' stuff is really awesome!!!
January 20, 2022
This was a concise yet deep take on many issues related to feminism and its shortcomings that mostly felt like it was written today rather than the 1980s. I particularly loved hooks' take on how our society views power, and how changing that perception is a vital feminist project. hooks also does an incredible job of synthesizing complex issues, holding multiple views that have some truths to them in tension with each other at the same time, and refusing to promote solutions that "throw the baby out with the bathwater." I deeply appreciated her insight into how people who have been alienated in feminism from the movement are the key to it succeeding and why they have been so alienated.
A really great work that shows why she's been considered one of the great intellectual minds when it comes to feminism, race, and so on.
A really great work that shows why she's been considered one of the great intellectual minds when it comes to feminism, race, and so on.
March 4, 2024
literally an alphabet to understand the feminism and critical feminist theory
April 1, 2025
herkes için feminizm kitabı yerine bu kitabını okumak ya da ikisini birbirinin devamıymış gibi ard arda ara vermeden okumak gerekirmiş. çok beğendim. çok fazla altını çizdiğim yer oldu, müslüman feministlerle siyahi feministlerin yaşadıklarının benzerliğini tekrardan farklı perspektiflerden görmüş oldum
April 30, 2015
"the shift in expression from 'i am a feminist' to 'i advocate feminism' could serve as a useful strategy for eliminating the focus on identity and lifestyle. It could serve as a way in which women who are concerned about feminism as well as other political movements could express their support while avoiding linguistic structures that give primacy to one particular group. it would also encourage greater explorations in feminist theory."
"women will know that white feminist activists have begun to confront racism in a serious and revolutionary manner when they are not simply acknowledging racism in feminist movement or calling attention to personal prejudice, but are actively struggling to resist racist oppression in our society. Women will know they have made a political commitment to eliminating racism when they help change the direction of feminist movement, when they work to unlearn racist socialization prior to assuming positions of leadership or shaping theory or making contact with women of color so that they will not perpetuate and maintain racial oppression or unconsciously or consciously, abuse and hurt non-white women. These are the truly radical gestures that create a foundation for the experience of political solidarity between white women and women of color."
"We discovered that we had a greater feeling of unity when people focused truthfully on their own experiences without comparing them with those of others in a competitive way."
"women's legacy of women hating, which includes fierce, brutal, verbal tearing apart of one another, has to be eliminated if women are to make critiques and engage in disagreements and arguments that are constructive and caring, with the intention of enriching rather than diminishing. Woman to woman negative, aggressive behavior is not unlearned when all critical judgement is suspended. it is unlearned when women accept that we are different, that we will necessarily disagree, but that we can disagree and argue with one another without acting as if we are fighting for our lives, without feeling that we stand to lose all self-esteem by verbally trashing someone else. Verbal disagreements are often the setting where women can demonstrate their engagement with the win or lose competitiveness that is most often associated with male interactions, especially in the arena of sports. Rule suggests women can disagree without trashing if they realize they do not stand to lose value or self worth if they are criticized: "no one can discredit my life if it is in my own hands, and therefore i do not have to make anyone carry the false burden of my frightened hostility."
"women will know that white feminist activists have begun to confront racism in a serious and revolutionary manner when they are not simply acknowledging racism in feminist movement or calling attention to personal prejudice, but are actively struggling to resist racist oppression in our society. Women will know they have made a political commitment to eliminating racism when they help change the direction of feminist movement, when they work to unlearn racist socialization prior to assuming positions of leadership or shaping theory or making contact with women of color so that they will not perpetuate and maintain racial oppression or unconsciously or consciously, abuse and hurt non-white women. These are the truly radical gestures that create a foundation for the experience of political solidarity between white women and women of color."
"We discovered that we had a greater feeling of unity when people focused truthfully on their own experiences without comparing them with those of others in a competitive way."
"women's legacy of women hating, which includes fierce, brutal, verbal tearing apart of one another, has to be eliminated if women are to make critiques and engage in disagreements and arguments that are constructive and caring, with the intention of enriching rather than diminishing. Woman to woman negative, aggressive behavior is not unlearned when all critical judgement is suspended. it is unlearned when women accept that we are different, that we will necessarily disagree, but that we can disagree and argue with one another without acting as if we are fighting for our lives, without feeling that we stand to lose all self-esteem by verbally trashing someone else. Verbal disagreements are often the setting where women can demonstrate their engagement with the win or lose competitiveness that is most often associated with male interactions, especially in the arena of sports. Rule suggests women can disagree without trashing if they realize they do not stand to lose value or self worth if they are criticized: "no one can discredit my life if it is in my own hands, and therefore i do not have to make anyone carry the false burden of my frightened hostility."
June 17, 2009
I just finished this book, and I found it challenging (in the sense that it challenges some generally accepted notions) and very thoughtful and well-written. She argues that mainstream feminism, which has been dominated by middle and upper-class white women, has not opened its doors adequately to non-white and working class women. she argues that part of the reason the movement has failed is because there has been an internalization of the sexist oppression paradigm by the leaders of the feminist movement (which manifests itself in the failure to recognize or address racism and classism in the movement). She says the movement definitely needs to be more democratic - rather than focus on advancing careers of white middle and upper class women, the focus needs to be on the poorer non-white women whose position in society has become worse/lower. she also argues that its absolutely essential to find ways to involve progressive men to advocate for feminism with other men who benefit from the patriachal hierarchy. As long as men are seen as "the enemy" it will be impossible for the movement to grow.
March 20, 2017
Terminei a leitura sonhando com uma forma de me dar esse livro de presente quando entrei para a faculdade. Teria sido uma revelação, porque talvez então eu tivesse conseguido elaborar toda a minha raiva (que era muito difusa) naquela época.
bel hooks mete a real: sem recorte de raça e classe o feminismo é só uma bandeira para mulheres bem nascidas - e se o foco não estiver na eliminação de injustiças sociais (para além das de gênero), a gente não vai sair do lugar. Eu conseguia no máximo intuir algumas das desvantagens que eu tinha em relação aos meus pares, mas imaginava que eram falhas minhas, incapaz de ver como a pobreza geracional da minha família e do lugar em que cresci influenciou minha vida. Embora hoje isso me pareça muito claro, eu não tinha como articular meu descompasso há 15 anos atrás, porque não me passava pela cabeça noções básicas de centro e margem.
bel hooks mete a real: sem recorte de raça e classe o feminismo é só uma bandeira para mulheres bem nascidas - e se o foco não estiver na eliminação de injustiças sociais (para além das de gênero), a gente não vai sair do lugar. Eu conseguia no máximo intuir algumas das desvantagens que eu tinha em relação aos meus pares, mas imaginava que eram falhas minhas, incapaz de ver como a pobreza geracional da minha família e do lugar em que cresci influenciou minha vida. Embora hoje isso me pareça muito claro, eu não tinha como articular meu descompasso há 15 anos atrás, porque não me passava pela cabeça noções básicas de centro e margem.
March 19, 2022
Teoria feminista fundamental, que me trouxe clareza em algumas coisas do movimento feminista: o porquê de haver mulheres que odeiam feministas, como o feminismo está historicamente designado para mulheres brancas da classe média alta como eu, a maternidade vista de lado dentro do movimento. Um livro feminista muito mais politicamente correto que angela davis ou dworkin, o que pode ajudar na desconstrucao do feminismo do status quo para mulheres brancas e ricas, mas muito mais teorico, o que pode afastar grande parte das mulheres (nao intelectualizadas). Aconselho ler everyone should be a feminist (ngozi adichie) woman hating (angela dworkin) women race and class (angela davis) e feminist theory (bell hooks), por ordem de introdução às temáticas feministas e complexidade da teorização
October 4, 2021
‘A central problem with feminist discourse has been our inability to arrive at a consensus of opinion on what feminism actually is. Without agreed upon definitions we lack a sound foundation on which to construct theory or engage in overall meaningful praxis.’
December 6, 2024
Changed my life ngl
Ondanks dat het niet echt een boek is dat door een anti-woker gelezen zou worden, en dus eigenlijk niet altijd zo laagdrempelig is in de nobele bedoeling het feminisme en haar belang uit te leggen aan het brede publiek (i had hoped to give it to my dad), is het wel een ongelooflijk leerrijk, goed geschreven en sympathiek boek en inhoudelijk heel sterk. En het slaagt er wel in hoor, alleen bv. “de witte racistische kapitalistische imperialistische patriarchale samenleving” komt veel voor en dan denk ik, mijn vader heeft na dit als eerste zinsdeel dat boek al neergelegd hoor. bell hooks dropt deze bombs continu (niet onterecht tho) maar geeft wel geen uitleg bij wat ze hiermee bedoelt, en over het algemeen ontbreken soms wat concrete voorbeelden want het blijft wat in theorie hangen (so it doesnt help om allemaal zwaar retorisch beladen ‘ismen’ woorden achter elkaar te droppen). hooks legt ook wat precies ‘visionaire feminisme’ is niet echt uit wat toch centraal staat (and she is a part of?)
This however is minor to me want in dit book haalt hooks continu dingen aan waarvan ik denk “ah ja” “ah” “ooh” en op zich is het ook niet dat ze het niet uit het abstracte haalt. bell hooks slaagt er heus wel in om een hele complexe geschiedenis van het feminisme dat zich toch vaak binnen het academische heeft gehouden, naar voren te brengen, zeker voor iemand die als ik niet zoveel afweet van de geschiedenis van het feminisme.
Beste hoofdstukken die voor mij het meest verrijkend waren:
- H5 reproductieve rechten, vooral de invloed van klasse hierin
- H6 mooi vanbinnen en vanbuiten (in the age of tiktok, c’mon)
- H8 feminisme wereldwijd (we kunnen ons idee van feminisme niet gewoon toepassen op dat van niet-westerse vrouwen, so don’t make women take off the hijab in front of a desk -i mean, de vrijheid van KEUZE is mss wel het centraalste within feminism)
- H11 en 13 (‘maak een einde aan geweld’ & ‘feministisch opvoeden’) wat zo mooi aantoont hoe patriarchaal denken, waarin dominantie centraal staat, op kinderen en moeder-kindrelaties een grote invloed hebben; en hoe mannelijk geweld gelinkt is aan mannelijke dominantie & het patriarchale denken!
-H15: feministische sekspolitiek, want macht & seks
- H18 feministische spiritualiteit (duh!)
Persoonlijk i couldnt agree more & vind idd dat dit een goede opstap is om het belang van het feminisme en wat de beweging is, een inclusieve liefdevolle beweging voor mannen én vrouwen tégen ongelijkheid, dominantie en het patriarchaat dat schadelijk is, wat ook via alle topics van de essays naar voren komt, naar voren te brengen (wauw wat een zin). Sorry this is all new to me en is de eerste keer i have read about this stuff waar we zoveel over spreken
Het boek toont goed hoe het patriarchaat raakt aan zovele aspecten van ons leven en denken en maakt uiteindelijk zo ook duidelijk WAAROM patriarchaal denken zo schadelijk is, en waarom ook gesprekken over klasse en ‘ras’ naast gender NODIG zijn
ty for my ted talk
Ondanks dat het niet echt een boek is dat door een anti-woker gelezen zou worden, en dus eigenlijk niet altijd zo laagdrempelig is in de nobele bedoeling het feminisme en haar belang uit te leggen aan het brede publiek (i had hoped to give it to my dad), is het wel een ongelooflijk leerrijk, goed geschreven en sympathiek boek en inhoudelijk heel sterk. En het slaagt er wel in hoor, alleen bv. “de witte racistische kapitalistische imperialistische patriarchale samenleving” komt veel voor en dan denk ik, mijn vader heeft na dit als eerste zinsdeel dat boek al neergelegd hoor. bell hooks dropt deze bombs continu (niet onterecht tho) maar geeft wel geen uitleg bij wat ze hiermee bedoelt, en over het algemeen ontbreken soms wat concrete voorbeelden want het blijft wat in theorie hangen (so it doesnt help om allemaal zwaar retorisch beladen ‘ismen’ woorden achter elkaar te droppen). hooks legt ook wat precies ‘visionaire feminisme’ is niet echt uit wat toch centraal staat (and she is a part of?)
This however is minor to me want in dit book haalt hooks continu dingen aan waarvan ik denk “ah ja” “ah” “ooh” en op zich is het ook niet dat ze het niet uit het abstracte haalt. bell hooks slaagt er heus wel in om een hele complexe geschiedenis van het feminisme dat zich toch vaak binnen het academische heeft gehouden, naar voren te brengen, zeker voor iemand die als ik niet zoveel afweet van de geschiedenis van het feminisme.
Beste hoofdstukken die voor mij het meest verrijkend waren:
- H5 reproductieve rechten, vooral de invloed van klasse hierin
- H6 mooi vanbinnen en vanbuiten (in the age of tiktok, c’mon)
- H8 feminisme wereldwijd (we kunnen ons idee van feminisme niet gewoon toepassen op dat van niet-westerse vrouwen, so don’t make women take off the hijab in front of a desk -i mean, de vrijheid van KEUZE is mss wel het centraalste within feminism)
- H11 en 13 (‘maak een einde aan geweld’ & ‘feministisch opvoeden’) wat zo mooi aantoont hoe patriarchaal denken, waarin dominantie centraal staat, op kinderen en moeder-kindrelaties een grote invloed hebben; en hoe mannelijk geweld gelinkt is aan mannelijke dominantie & het patriarchale denken!
-H15: feministische sekspolitiek, want macht & seks
- H18 feministische spiritualiteit (duh!)
Persoonlijk i couldnt agree more & vind idd dat dit een goede opstap is om het belang van het feminisme en wat de beweging is, een inclusieve liefdevolle beweging voor mannen én vrouwen tégen ongelijkheid, dominantie en het patriarchaat dat schadelijk is, wat ook via alle topics van de essays naar voren komt, naar voren te brengen (wauw wat een zin). Sorry this is all new to me en is de eerste keer i have read about this stuff waar we zoveel over spreken
Het boek toont goed hoe het patriarchaat raakt aan zovele aspecten van ons leven en denken en maakt uiteindelijk zo ook duidelijk WAAROM patriarchaal denken zo schadelijk is, en waarom ook gesprekken over klasse en ‘ras’ naast gender NODIG zijn
ty for my ted talk
November 22, 2024
A bourgeois white woman hates to see bell hooks coming.
It begs the question, if we all listened to bell hooks, would girlboss ever happened? Would female chauvinist pigs? Growing up, feminism was in such a bleak place: Pick-me behaviour, being chill, girls gone wild all in the face of believing it was better than feminism, that being ok with disrespect, that being in on the joke of the dehumanization of your sex assigned at birth or your gender identity was how you gained your power back. As a woman, it will not protect you from the same treatment as your sisters to hate on women because you're not like other girls.
Feminism was a bad word until it became capitalized, pinkwashed, but bell hooks already speaks to how the movement was not mass-based, was fractured. We need to know our history to change it. So much of what I see happening now I can see it in what she details 30, 40, 50 years ago, particularly in her chapters on work, on motherhood, and on sexual expression. It is not liberating/fulfilling to work if your job is menial. It is not liberating/progressive to believe womanhood is motherhood. And it is not feminist to believe sexual expression in and of itself is transgressive/freeing. What I appreciated was how hooks showed how these feminist beliefs can undermine the movement, not just from women themselves with vested class interests, but also from men. The chapter on work and how women going to the workplace while there are calculated men who stay at home but women are still expected to do all the household work? ... one hundred per cent.
Perhaps one of the most surprising facts was when hooks shared history and context: I did not know that there were sects of feminist thinkers that posited being a lesbian was the most politically correct choice for a feminist. Girl what. Also I didn't realize there were strands of feminist thinkers who did hate men lol. Again, hooks shows how this draws attention away from the oftentimes white feminist thinkers who were also complicit in imperialistic attitudes, racist beliefs as those men. I genuinely thought that those two ideas of feminists were just anachronistic, stereotypical smears. It is true tho, and I remember now that some of the pagan witchy books that were written from that period I would find misandrist rhetoric. However, this stance takes away from the agency of women and men to be part of a mass-based feminist movement for all.
It begs the question, if we all listened to bell hooks, would girlboss ever happened? Would female chauvinist pigs? Growing up, feminism was in such a bleak place: Pick-me behaviour, being chill, girls gone wild all in the face of believing it was better than feminism, that being ok with disrespect, that being in on the joke of the dehumanization of your sex assigned at birth or your gender identity was how you gained your power back. As a woman, it will not protect you from the same treatment as your sisters to hate on women because you're not like other girls.
Feminism was a bad word until it became capitalized, pinkwashed, but bell hooks already speaks to how the movement was not mass-based, was fractured. We need to know our history to change it. So much of what I see happening now I can see it in what she details 30, 40, 50 years ago, particularly in her chapters on work, on motherhood, and on sexual expression. It is not liberating/fulfilling to work if your job is menial. It is not liberating/progressive to believe womanhood is motherhood. And it is not feminist to believe sexual expression in and of itself is transgressive/freeing. What I appreciated was how hooks showed how these feminist beliefs can undermine the movement, not just from women themselves with vested class interests, but also from men. The chapter on work and how women going to the workplace while there are calculated men who stay at home but women are still expected to do all the household work? ... one hundred per cent.
Perhaps one of the most surprising facts was when hooks shared history and context: I did not know that there were sects of feminist thinkers that posited being a lesbian was the most politically correct choice for a feminist. Girl what. Also I didn't realize there were strands of feminist thinkers who did hate men lol. Again, hooks shows how this draws attention away from the oftentimes white feminist thinkers who were also complicit in imperialistic attitudes, racist beliefs as those men. I genuinely thought that those two ideas of feminists were just anachronistic, stereotypical smears. It is true tho, and I remember now that some of the pagan witchy books that were written from that period I would find misandrist rhetoric. However, this stance takes away from the agency of women and men to be part of a mass-based feminist movement for all.
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June 24, 2022Sin duda una de las mejores aproximaciones preliminares a la teoría feminista. Al partir de una perspectiva interseccional que reconoce la importancia de la raza y la clase en la opresión sexista bell hooks se deshace de muchas de las telarañas y obstáculos de otras perspectivas feministas más centradas en una supuesta opresión universal y homogénea sufrida por todas las mujeres casi por igual. A su vez, hooks sabe ver el feminismo como parte de un conjunto más aplio de movimientos políticos entrelazados, lo que hace que sus reflexiones siempre toquen aspectos muy variados, a veces aparentemente alejados del feminismo. Gracias a eso este movimiento y su teoría se pueden politizar de una manera más transversal y abarcadora. No sé si este libro será suficiente para que el feminismo amplio, antirracista, anticapitalista y antiimperialista que hooks propone pueda extenderse y calar, pero es un paso acertado en una dirección ciertamente esperanzadora y aporta espacio e ideas para una lucha necesaria.
October 28, 2018
Iako razumem svrhu postojanja one teorije koja ide ispred iskustva, mislim da nam je ovakva teorija iz iskustva višestruko dragocenija. Pomalo je obeshrabrujuća spoznaja da se od objavljivanja ove knjige do danas malo toga promenilo, ako govorimo o aktivnostima Pokreta. S druge strane, autorka nas na samom kraju podseća da je feministička revolucija proces, i da joj to ipak ne oduzima na revolucionarnosti.
November 23, 2022
Bell Hooks consegue recentrar sempre o debate, no que toca à luta feminista, mesmo que depois não concordemos ou fiquemos necessariamente satisfeitos com as propostas. Esta foi uma qualidade que lhe reconheço desde a primeira obra que me chegou às mãos. Recomendo vivamente a leitura dos capítulos em torno da participação dos homens (camaradas) na luta e das questões da maternidade e do trabalho.
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January 10, 2022primeiro livro do ano e começa muito bem he he he
January 2, 2025
thank you bell hooks for teaching me about white imperialist capitalist patriarchal systems of oppression. (in 2025 let’s reject the notion that barbie was a feminist movie, separatism is not kenough!!!)
June 26, 2013
Although this book presented a critical challenge to feminist orthodoxy at the time it was published, it has ironically become the contemporary feminist party line. There are some aspects of this book I find praiseworthy and other elements I find problematic, but regardless of which arguments fall in which categories, I think today's feminists would do well to take up hooks's call to continually re-evaluate whatever the hegemonic consensus of the day is.
On the positive side, hooks is excellent at identifying problems and courageous at putting forth potential solutions. She proposes concrete practices which align with her theoretical proclamations. Most importantly, she airs some of the perspectives which are common among poor or non-white women yet neglected by white bourgeois feminists. However, in her attempt to introduce these valuable perspectives, I think hooks ultimately reinforces the binary logic of domination she considers to be the root of oppression. By relying on a version of standpoint epistemology in which the most marginalized people have the greatest access to truth, hooks provides a rationale for the "oppression olympics" in which the "most victimized" status is coveted, even as she critiques the victim mentality within the feminist movement. The contrasts she sets up between white women and women of color sometimes ring false or just too strongly worded (for example, she states that black women are raised communally while white women are not), which seems to reinforce barriers between women rather than breaking them down. Furthermore, she seems to neglect other axes of oppression beyond gender, race, and class. She does not talk at all about disability, immigration status, or trans/non-binary gender identity. Her discussion of LGB individuals is either in the service of making points about heterosexuality, trite, hetero-splaining, or non-existent (e.g. heterosexuality is not per se oppression any more than lesbianism is per se liberation, separatism is undesirable, lesbians should make sure there are men involved in their kids lives, etc). Lastly, she seems to be holding out for a utopian world in which there is no domination, which seems impossible if perhaps desirable as an ideal.
Despite my reservations, this book is definitely worth a read. It clarifies much of the logic behind contemporary feminist thinking, and reading it will help you understand where hooks's thinking has become hegemonic within the movement vs. where it has not gained such currency. It's also integral to the history of feminist theory.
On the positive side, hooks is excellent at identifying problems and courageous at putting forth potential solutions. She proposes concrete practices which align with her theoretical proclamations. Most importantly, she airs some of the perspectives which are common among poor or non-white women yet neglected by white bourgeois feminists. However, in her attempt to introduce these valuable perspectives, I think hooks ultimately reinforces the binary logic of domination she considers to be the root of oppression. By relying on a version of standpoint epistemology in which the most marginalized people have the greatest access to truth, hooks provides a rationale for the "oppression olympics" in which the "most victimized" status is coveted, even as she critiques the victim mentality within the feminist movement. The contrasts she sets up between white women and women of color sometimes ring false or just too strongly worded (for example, she states that black women are raised communally while white women are not), which seems to reinforce barriers between women rather than breaking them down. Furthermore, she seems to neglect other axes of oppression beyond gender, race, and class. She does not talk at all about disability, immigration status, or trans/non-binary gender identity. Her discussion of LGB individuals is either in the service of making points about heterosexuality, trite, hetero-splaining, or non-existent (e.g. heterosexuality is not per se oppression any more than lesbianism is per se liberation, separatism is undesirable, lesbians should make sure there are men involved in their kids lives, etc). Lastly, she seems to be holding out for a utopian world in which there is no domination, which seems impossible if perhaps desirable as an ideal.
Despite my reservations, this book is definitely worth a read. It clarifies much of the logic behind contemporary feminist thinking, and reading it will help you understand where hooks's thinking has become hegemonic within the movement vs. where it has not gained such currency. It's also integral to the history of feminist theory.
May 2, 2011
bell hooks kicked open the door, and said that feminism was pretty much available in only one flavor, making it difficult, if not impossible, for women of other races and classes to join in. Feminism lacked diversity (barring lip service) because it didn't accommodate all women. It did not hear or see women whose lives did not mirror those of middle or upper class, college-educated Caucasian women.
Then she broke down the next door and declared that no one even knew what Feminism was. It's not being man-haters, not about lesbianism. It's not even about equal pay for women, although that is a positive change facilitated by the movement. The main message was lost, if it ever was clearly defined in the first place. Many who agree with the idea of the movement still won't admit to advocating feminism, because they don't know what it means. bell hooks (she adopted her grandmother's name as a pen name, using lowercase to differentiate herself) made this necessary point: If you don't define the thing, no one will want be associated with it, nor will they feel compelled to try to understand it.
If Feminism means everything, then it means nothing, hooks said. Her definition: "Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression."
So Feminism has a definition, thanks to hooks, but it still has some heavy lifting to do. If feminists won't address and fight racism and class injustice for worry of getting sidetracked from movement goals, then it is the same as putting a Keep Out sign on the door. Exclusionary behavior narrows the thinking, putting people in a Lesser Evil state of mind, making it so much easier to gloss over the pain of other human beings and look the other way.
Today it seems as if feminism risks becoming assimilated by mainstream culture in its most generic, clone-like form. Sexism is as prevalent as ever, for both women and men. This book was written in the mid-eighties, but nearly thirty years later the issues she addressed remain.
Luckily, she is still writing books, delivering social commentary with a "snappy and bold tongue," like the grandmother whose name she cribbed.
Then she broke down the next door and declared that no one even knew what Feminism was. It's not being man-haters, not about lesbianism. It's not even about equal pay for women, although that is a positive change facilitated by the movement. The main message was lost, if it ever was clearly defined in the first place. Many who agree with the idea of the movement still won't admit to advocating feminism, because they don't know what it means. bell hooks (she adopted her grandmother's name as a pen name, using lowercase to differentiate herself) made this necessary point: If you don't define the thing, no one will want be associated with it, nor will they feel compelled to try to understand it.
If Feminism means everything, then it means nothing, hooks said. Her definition: "Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression."
So Feminism has a definition, thanks to hooks, but it still has some heavy lifting to do. If feminists won't address and fight racism and class injustice for worry of getting sidetracked from movement goals, then it is the same as putting a Keep Out sign on the door. Exclusionary behavior narrows the thinking, putting people in a Lesser Evil state of mind, making it so much easier to gloss over the pain of other human beings and look the other way.
Today it seems as if feminism risks becoming assimilated by mainstream culture in its most generic, clone-like form. Sexism is as prevalent as ever, for both women and men. This book was written in the mid-eighties, but nearly thirty years later the issues she addressed remain.
Luckily, she is still writing books, delivering social commentary with a "snappy and bold tongue," like the grandmother whose name she cribbed.
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