bell hooks blog #1

1. I think of feminism as a baseline goal where all human beings are human beings, starting at the same point with all of the same opportunities. But then I stop and hear how idealistic this sounds. Different people have different opportunities for many reasons: socioeconomic status, country of origin, family history, year of birth, religion, government and gender. So feminism would be the process of crossing gender off that list.

            What I like about bell hooks’ definition of feminism is the succinct nature because it demonstrates that something as broad and complex as a social movement spanning a century can be accurately summarized in one sentence. This helps it feel accessible to anyone. I also appreciate the neutral wording that doesn’t say anything about either gender with words like women, men, female, male, etc. This embodies the core of true feminism, which is not just women’s rights as it is so often mistaken, but for humanity’s rights in terms of living in a world without sexism in any form. However, there is one thing that I do not like about bell hooks’ definition of feminism. It is defined as a movement against something, to end something. I prefer movements that work toward goals and create new things and ideas, which indeed the feminist movement does. An example of this difference is a quote I heard by Mother Teresa, “You’ll never see me at an anti-war protest, but I would attend a peace rally.” Same goal, different approach.

            I would like to add here that I have been trying to think all day of a new word for feminism. Don’t you agree? Let’s let go of a word that has a multitude of connotations and mistruths and is not as gender-neutral as it could be. Feminism/female/femme, etc. If we really want this word to represent a movement that is for humanity and not just females, let’s name it accordingly.

2. I hesitate to say yes or no that I am a feminist, and this surprises me. I think I get tripped up on not only the connotations of feminism, but also the multitude of situations in which I may or may not have a feminist value or action. Sometimes I have mixed feelings about the same thing, which is actually a term used in our textbook discourse: contradiction. An example is women in the workforce. I support a society in which women earn income through fulfilling careers outside of the household if they so choose. On the other hand I also have concern about the juggling act that ensues for a working mother and how multi-tasking and stress can affect her parenting. I think sometimes feminism is seen as a checklist: reproductive rights, career opportunities, voting rights, etc., and if someone doesn’t check one then they are not a true feminist. Take one topic, reproductive rights, and you have a major issue on your hands that cannot be easily broken down into component parts. It is a complex topic with overlapping areas such as history, religion, biology, ethics and so much more. And on top of that, often the “best” answer when it comes to reproductive rights differs on a case-by-case basis. So I would say that yes I am a feminist – but with my own footnotes.

3. Examples of patriarchy that come to mind:

            -children having their father’s last name instead of their mother’s (which is also her father’s)

            -most US currency represents historical male figures

            -all US presidents so far have been male

            -all US Federal Reserve Chairman have been men (person who heads US central banking)

            -all popes are male

These and other examples of patriarchy are perpetuated and maintained by tradition, status quo and power.