In Defence of Separatism

by Susan Hawthorne

In Defence of Separatism is a timely book. When it was first written in 1976, although it was an important subject of conversation among many feminists it was not welcomed by academics or publishers. When a political group wants to strategise so that its members can arrive at agreed-on political tactics and ideas, they call for, and create, separate spaces. These might be in coffee shops, in community centres, in one another's homes or in semi-public spaces such as workers clubs, even cinemas. When the proletariat was rebelling, they did not ask the capitalists and aristocracy to join them (even if a few did); when the civil rights movement started it was not thanks to the ideas and politics of white people (even though some whites joined to support the cause); when the women's liberation movement sprang into life, it was women joining together to fight against their oppression. The difference is that women are supposed to love men.Through careful argument, Susan Hawthorne takes us through the ideas which are central to her argument. She analyses the nature of power, oppression, domination and institutions and applies these to heterosexuality, rape and romantic love. She concludes with a call for women, all women no matter their sexuality, to have separate spaces so they can work together to change the world and end patriarchy.This 2019 edition includes a Preface, Afterword and additional commentary in italicised footnotes that bring the reader up to date on changes, developments and controversies in feminist theory.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Lesbian

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Susan Hawthorne is the author of six collections of poetry, a novel, political theory and a quiz book. Her poetry collections include The Language in My Tongue (1993), Bird (1999), The Butterfly Effect (2005), Unsettling the Land (with Suzanne Bellamy, 2008), Earth’s Breath (2009) and Cow (2011). Her other titles include The Falling Woman (1992), Wild Politics (2002) and The Spinifex Quiz Book (1993). Susan is a poet, novelist, aerialist, political activist and publisher.

Born in Wagga Wagga, she grew up in rural New South Wales. She has a BA (Hons) from La Trobe University in Philosophy, an MA (Prelim) in Ancient Greek language and a PhD in Political Science and Women’s Studies both from the University of Melbourne, and a Post-graduate Diploma in Sanskrit from La Trobe. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Writing Program at James Cook University, Townsville. In 2009, Susan was an Asialink Literature Resident at the University of Madras, Chennai. She has lectured, spoken and performed at festivals and conferences around Australia and in New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, India, France, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Spain, Fiji, South Africa, Uganda. She is also a publisher and Director of Spinifex Press and played a leading role among independent Australian publishers in innovative and eBook publishing.

Reviews

[Rebecca (Medusa's Rock Garden) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short and wonderful little book. It began life as Hawthornes uni thesis back in the 70s - but it was not well received by her sexist pig of a professor. She was then let down a bit by the feminist community who just ignored what she had written - in part because the world likes to ignore Aussies. I don't think it was anything purposeful, but it's sad to learn nonetheless.

I have never read a book about separatism before but it is something that has always appealed to me as an idea. And I do mean always, even as a girl, but then I had kids and one is a boy so there goes that idea lol. But what is nice about this book is it discusses multiple levels of separatism, not just the most extreme form. So of course there is the extreme versions of living in all women villages/towns away from men, or even more for lesbians they can have all lesbian communities that exclude hetero and bi women (I use exclude in a normal way here, exclusion is good sometimes). But there are also the not so extreme versions, the temporary ones - from simple bookclubs, to sporting events, to consciousness raising events, to festivals, to political plots to overtake the world. Hawthorne doesn't say that any are better than others, rather she points out that all forms of separatism are necessary and it is also fine for some women to not be separatists. Hawthorne absolutely respects the fact that some women just cannot or do not want to separate, and that is a good thing I think, as the separatist discussion can be a bit alienating for many women.

The book is not just about separatism however, it is also about why we might need it. She looks into how and why there are such massive power imbalances between men and women - and even how an individually powerful woman is still on the lower rung of power levels because of the social structure giving even mediocre men more power than powerful women. She admits it's not always true, because every rule has an exception that proves it. She looks into heterosexuality and how it has been used against women - she thankfully doesn't talk about political lesbianism, which is all sorts of controversial. But she does mention choosing to love women or become celibate, as options that we don't always recognise as existing. She looks at how sex based stereotypes work to make women devalue themselves and each other and how this only ever helps men, works against women.

She looks at several more things that show us why it's not always a good thing to be around men, and why we need to get away from men and be among women, even if only temporarily and occasionally.

I love every part of this book to be honest, but I think the best thing is perhaps that Hawthorne does make this accessible to all women. She provides examples and encouragement of less extreme forms of separatism that are likely available to most of us - even those of us with sons. That makes this a very, well, inclusive book, in my opinion.

Highly recommend it.

[delievi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

this book is somehow very accesible and not in the same time. before relaying its actual arguments, it explains quite fundamental terms, however this is done through a philosophical standpoint (not that this is a “bad” thing, just makes it less accessible to the general public). i dont think this topic in particular is meant for the “general public” so it’s not that big of a deal, i guess.

my actual issue with it is that even though the arguments are comprehensive and well-put, i think the whole book (or thesis) lacks the depth and further discussion the topic requires. i mean the book never claimed that it would do such thing, but since the name suggests a “defense” i was hoping for a more thorough and long one.

regardless, it can said to be a good beginners book on separatism to understand the central reasons and criticism.

[Heidi Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional theisis on lesbian separatism originally written in 1976. This succinct piece outlines what separatism is and how it operates to open up a woman centred consciousness in daily life.

Additionally foot notes from 2019 add to the ongoing political relevance of separatism in today's world of #metoo

[Louise Hewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could have had access to and read this book twenty-five years ago, although I acknowledge that I might not have understood it as well without the insights gained through my own experiences, however painful they have been with regard to having been complicit in my own subjugation for a long time. Now, I am so glad to have read this book, In Defence of Separatism, and to have it in my store of feminist reference and inspiration. The book unfolds coherently in three stages, with preface and afterword to add context for the original text and the 2019 publication. Whilst confronting the need for understanding of core issues of power and the inherent coercive and often violent expression of that power, as well as the ideology that has been attached to heterosexual relations and which has formed so deeply the structure of patriarchal cultures, Hawthorne highlights the value in the radical and lesbian feminist consciousness, and practise of separatism. There is also acknowledgement of the complexity of the subject in a world where women's lives are often entangled with men's, and having committed to the journey of being woman-identified, particularly for the past decade, at the same time as being a mother to three sons, I experience this complexity keenly. As a fledgling writer focusing on a vision of partnership with matristic values, I find it's always challenging. The book ends with the hopefulness of her "optimism of feminism" in the fact of the human capacity for change.

[Elif Genç]

Hawthorne, separatism (ayrılıkçılık) tezini yayınlatacak bir platform bulmanın, tezi ilk ortaya koyduğu dönem olan 70'lerdeki zorluğuyla günümüzdeki zorluğu arasında bir tür kıyasla kitaba başlıyor. Tecavüzü hırsızlıkla eş değer gören bir hocasından ve ikinci dalga feminist hareketin ses getirici coşkusuna rağmen ayrılıkçı bir hareketi ideolojik ve pratik düzeyde desteklemenin kabul edilemez olduğu dönemden, ayrılıkçılığın bir tür transfobi içerdiği ve feminizmin boynuna geçirilen "kapsayıcı" olma zincirinin halkalarına takıldığı bu günlere kurduğu bağlantıda, bir nevi ayrılıkçılığın karşı karşıya olduğumuz mizojin gelenekle mücadelede ne kadar hayati bir metod olduğunu tarihsellik üzerinden ortaya koyuyor.
Kısa bir anlatımı var ayrılıkçılık tezinin. Öncelikle kadın ve erkeklerin güce (power) erişimi ve gücü pratik etme noktalarında imtiyazlarının ne ölçüde geniş olduğundan bahsediyor. Tüm erkeklerin güce erişiminin tüm kadınlardan daha fazla olduğu yönünde bir ibaresi var hatta. Kendisi her ne kadar yer yer toplumsal hiyerarşiyi belirleyen diğer dinamiklerden (örneğin ekonomi, ırk, cinsel yönelim vs.) bahsetse de cinsiyet üzerindeki vurgunun diğerlerini biraz gölgede bıraktığı izlenimi uyandırdı bende.
Kendisi bu temel kabulden, yani erkeklerin farklı güç formlarına erişimlerinin ve uygulama yetkilerinin kurumsal olarak çok daha fazla olmasından hareketle 7 tür güçten bahsediyor. Dolayısıyla kadın-erkek ilişkisinin özünde güç bazlı ve hiyerarşik bir ilişki olduğunu kitap boyunca hatırlatıyor.
İlerleyen noktalarda baskı, sömürü ve zorunlu heteroseksüelliğe yönelik açıklamalarını görüyoruz. Özellikle kadınların bir sınıf olarak beden parçalarına ve arzu nesnelerine dönüştürülme süreçlerini baskı (oppression) mekanizmasının kurulumunun ön koşulu olarak ele aldığı bölüm dikkate değer. Kitabın en temel noktası ise tabii ki, zorunlu heteroseksüelliğin kurumsallaşmasının kadın mücadelesinde ayrılıkçı hareketi zaruri kılan doğası üzerine olan kısımlar. Ezen sınıf olan erkeklerle girilen duygusal ilişkilerin feminist bilinç ve politikalar üzerindeki inkar edilemez geriletici etkisinden bahsediyor Hawthorne ve tümden ayrılıkçı bir hareketin hem mümkünsüzlüğü hem geri kalan heteroseksüel kadınları feminist hareketten yabancılaştırıcı bir izolasyon yaratacağını göz önünde bulundurarak ayrılıkçılığı kadın özgürleşmesi için politik bir yöntem olarak tekrar gündeme getirmeye çalışıyor.
Kadına içselleştirilen patriyarkal değerler, ezenle (erkek) özdeşleşmiş kimlik algısının kadının hem kendisine hem diğer kadınlara karşı yabancılaştırıcı etkisi, "düşmanını sevmenin" yarattığı politik tahribatın ayrıntılı incelemesi, merkezinde erkeğin olduğu kadın cinselliği gibi birçok konuda basit anlatım ve genelgeçer örnekler sunarken diğer yandan eleştirileri de cevaplamayı göz ardı etmiyor Hawthorne. Velhasıl "In Defence of Separatism" feminizm üzerine düşünen tüm kadınlara giriş mahiyeti sunan kıymetli bir kitap.

[M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm saying but I'm not saying but also I'm saying and not saying it.

"I'm a separatist, you're separatist, we're separatist, everyone is a separatist".

One might wonder why I have chosen to pick this in the first place: I'm no stranger to radical feminism and despite coming from a different place ideologically, I'm not afraid to disagree or to have texts challenge me.

I find Hawthorne's arguments partly interesting, mostly unconvincing but I can't deny that she's aware that this would be a minoritary option in its most extreme form.

I also find them swinging: throughout the book and towards the end she makes the concession that separatism doesn't give you this special 'best feminist' status and that, even women romantically related to men could earn the separatist label by having women-centered time in their schedule, therefore adhering to a minimal of existence outside patriarchal norms. This becomes too broad, and kind of reminds me of when acknowledging women's humanity made you a feminist on Tumblr in 2014, even against your own will. I definitely and wholeheartedly stand with her on issues like self ID, pornography and dangerous dynamics of the current sexual culture.

In any case, it's interesting to see how her thought changes and evolves with time by looking at the 2019 footnotes.

[Ujala Chaudhry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an eye opening and intelligent book. Even though I knew some of the ideas beforehand, they were written in such detail and simplicity that I feel enlightened now.

If you are a heterosexual woman who has ever dated men you will definitely relate to and understand a lot of concepts written in this book.

One thing that really surprised me in the end is that this book isn't anti-men at all (which most feminist books are and ofc I am okay with it because they are our oppressors).

She says that men are also capable of change and they can be allies to Feminist causes. Something I also believe in. I don't believe men can be Feminists. Feminism is a woman's liberation movement. However men who are aware of and working against the oppression of women can surely be allies to our causes.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good primer on power structures in a patriarchal society, and a case for feminist separatism in varying degrees. I would have liked to see more emphasis, including specific ideas and examples, on how women can practice separatism in their day to day lives and become less male-identified.

[✩☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid intro to separatism, good 101 to read before delving deeper.

[mína · Rating 5 out of 5]

"being a feminist means that we assume that we can change and that men too can change" 🤍

[Mayroytt · Rating 5 out of 5]

为性别分离（的哲学）辩护。写于1976年的荣誉论文，在2019年整理出版，作者在脚注对原部分内容作了修正与延伸，增添了前言与���记。总的来说是蛮清晰的论证，比较基础，有助于梳理思路。
虽然前言的a note on language那里让人无奈，但后记里作者仍然保持着乐观的态度，让人感动。
Humans are capable of change.