Throughout the semester, prompts based on class readings, screenings, lectures, and discussions will be posted on this blog. Responses will be graded on their level of critical thinking, pertinence, engagement with class texts, and grammar/spelling/proofing/
length. Be sure to read the prompt carefully and fully engage with the content of the class materials. At the bottom of your response, type your FIRST NAME and the FIRST INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME (e.g. Claudia Z.).
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Week Four: Response 4.1
What does bell hooks find problematic about feminism’s focus
on patriarchal domination as the source of oppression?What else should be considered?
The problem with focusing on patriarchal domination as the source of oppression is that it does not hold all sources of domination responsible. While bell hooks does recognize the importance of sex in domination, she points out that women are not just “exclusive to the role of victim,” (p.20.) Instead, women can also be seen as “agents of domination.” This is possible with an expansion of feminism to see the complexities of domination. As we learned in the reading and class lecture, anyone can be the dominator and anyone can be dominated. Race and class must be considered. White middle class feminists have defined feminism as a struggle against patriarchy. This movement has problematically assumed that women are part of a big, similar sisterhood having a unifying and universal female experience. This is just not true. The example we covered in class about the upper class Black woman, middle class white woman, and lower class Latino man highlights the point that race and class are important parts of domination as well as sex. They together are “interlocking systems of domination,” (p. 21.) In today’s feminism, I often hear the simplistic notion that man is the enemy and women are the victims. I hear that feminists are just man-haters. Often times, feminists are middle class white women. They fail to realize that being middle class and white is itself a source of domination over others. This only serves to perpetuate and maintain these systems of domination. bell hooks reminds us that with thinking about all the paradigms of domination, this kind of feminism “must exist apart from and as a part of the larger struggle to eradicate domination in all its forms,” (p. 22.) Feminism works against just one of the three sources of oppression that we talked about. Therefore, one must not forget to combine it with work against race and class domination.
Bell Hooks finds that feminism’s focus on patriarchal domination as the source for oppression to be problematic because, “If focus on patriarchal domination masks this reality or becomes the means by which women deflect attention from the real conditions and circumstances of our lives, then women cooperate in suppressing and promoting false consciousness, inhibiting our capacity to assume responsibility for transforming ourselves and society” (Hooks). She goes on to talk about how important it is for people and feminists to understand that man is not the only enemy. That women too can act as dominators as well as victims. She mentions how critical it is for us to understand what dominance is and how everyone, no matter the gender, has the power to oppress another. If we are to hope for true liberation we must first understand that it is the capability to dominate that we ourselves must resist. Hooks in no way states that feminists shouldn’t struggle to end patriarchal domination, because she too sees that as the most likely form of dominance that woman are gong to experience in their lives. Hooks mentions that another consideration to help prevent the acceptance of dominance between sexes starts from the home and from family. “It is this convergence of two contradictory impulses-the urge to promote growth and the urge to inhibit growth-that provides a practical setting for feminist critique, resistance, and transformation” (Hooks). She talks about how growing up in a father dominated household she experienced adult male authority and how those painful experiences coming from somewhere as intimate as a home, leaving her feeling powerless against that authority, leaves almost no resistance or second thought if/when she experiences it again outside of the home. So Hook argues that feminism must not only fight against the patriarchal domination but from all forms of which domination may take place. “…That there is no hope that it can be eradicated while these systems remain intact.” (Hooks).
The most profound social ideology to govern human beings is by ways of domination through systematic institutions of oppression, which disfavor the oppressed and favor the oppressor. In recent Western culture, feminist movements developed due to the realization that institutions were dominantly patriarchal. Feminism arose and demanded equality among the sexes, which resulted in females evolving from housewives, to the opportunity to be independent individuals and have choices of their own. This significant feminist accomplishment, however, resulted in the deep-rooted notion that feminism is centered on defeating patriarchal domination as the significant source of oppression that affects humans globally. According to bell hooks, “such an assumption has fostered the notion that elimination of sexist oppression would necessarily lead to eradication of all forms of domination” (p. 19). Although hooks does not disregard that sexual politics plays a role in how individuals can, and are dominated, it is important to acknowledge that any individual can be dominated. For example, looking at the relationship mothers have between children depicts how domination can be deconstructed in order to reveal a pattern of oppression that is present between two individuals that does not necessarily rely on differences of sex. “It centrally names women as agents of domination, as potential theoreticians, and creators of a paradigm for social relationships wherein those groups of individuals designated as “strong” exercise power both benevolently and coercively over those designated as “weak”(hooks p. 20). This example shows how domination can be deconstructed, in order to reveal how males are not the exclusive source of oppression. “To understand domination, we must understand that our capacity as women and men to be either dominated or dominating is a point of connection, of commonality” (hooks p. 20). This commonality is important to note simply due to the fact that by eliminating sexist oppression will not, and can not be the only solution to a progressive society. It is important to consider that, “if we are unable to resist and end domination in relations where there is care, it seems totally unimaginable that we can resist and end it in other institutionalized relations of power” (hooks p. 22). As the movement grew, white middle class feminists did not consider that they themselves were oppressors both by class and race. Yet, decades after feminism arose, the predominant message still happens to be that women are victims and men are the enemy. This is problematic because this notion does not allow possible allies of feminism to understand that feminism needs to, and has expanded their understanding of oppression. Many fail to look at society through an intersectional lens in order to truly see how synergistic institutions of domination reinforce dominant ideologies of sex, race, and class. In order for there to be progression for a world where individuals can live freely, empathy must be taken into consideration. Once individuals are aware that everyone does not have the same privilege and experiences due to such institutions that keep them there due to sex, race and class, only then will there be room for progression of all.
Some feminist thinkers consider patriarchal domination as the main root of oppression. According to bell hooks, this outlook is problematic and can ultimately perpetuate themes of oppression amongst many individuals. Solely focusing on patriarchal domination as the source has led Western women to, as hooks states, “the assumption that resisting patriarchal domination is a more legitimate feminist action than resisting racism and other forms of domination” (hooks 19). Although sex and gender do play a role in domination, these factors are not to be considered the base of all domination. We must consider sex, race, and class altogether when discussing ways that domination is exhibited. Hooks states that, “While acknowledgement of the complex nature of woman’s status (which has been most impressed upon everyone’s consciousness by radical women of color) is a significant corrective, it is only a starting point” (hooks 22). Everyone, regardless of their sex, has the ability to be dominated and the ability to dominate. Recognizing this creates a commonality between men and women allowing them to unite together to end sexism or sexist oppression. Hooks explains that “Emphasizing paradigms of domination that call attention to woman’s capacity to dominate is one way to deconstruct and challenge the simplistic notion that man is the enemy, woman the victim” (hooks 20). As discussed in class, there are multiple instances in which woman and men alike can be dominated. In the case of an upper class black woman, a middle class white woman, and a lower class latino man discussing their experiences, one can conclude that they all are able to be dominated in different ways. Domination is complex and is not the result of a single factor. Hooks elaborates on this concept and explains that small group discussion engaging in feminist topics is a way to further feminist movement and educate on the ways in which sex, race, and class contribute to domination and individual experiences. Overall, hooks portrays that considering patriarchal domination as the sole factor of oppression is a negative outlook that can be fixed by reflecting on sex, race, and class altogether.
In a passage from feminism: a transformational politic, written by Bell Hooks, she delves into the issues with feminism concerning patriarchy as the root of oppression between sexes. We live in a patriarchal society, in which some feminists consider white males to be the dominant oppressor. Sex does not determine who is dominant and who is a victim. Each and every individual has different roles within their lives that are both dominating and being dominated, and these roles are a commonality between people of different demographics. By placing the blame on patriarchy as the source of oppression it deflects from the complicated conditions of everyday life, and shrugs women of taking responsibility for the power they possess. Women are not exclusively victims and men are not exclusively domineering. Moreover, another problematic issue Hooks has with feminism is the lack of intersectionality within the movement, there are other factors that play into the various roles of domination. For example, the experience of a black upper-class woman compared to that of a lower-class, white, gay woman would be very different and could have different perspectives on domination and patriarchy. By including these variables in the ideology behind feminism it counteracts the notion of ‘a universal female experience’ which is a more realistic approach because nothing is simply black and white in real life. Race, class, and sex must be considered which requires an expansion on the definition of domination within feminism. Intersectionality of the feminist ideology is the key to eradicating patriarchy and other forms of group oppression like racism. It addresses altering your person and your relationships with people, which will in turn change the world around you. It asks the individual to change, whether you feel superior, victimized, or both, to banish the system of domination. In order to do so, “it is first the potential oppressor within that we must resist- the potential victim within we must rescue-“ (Hooks 21).
What Bell Hooks finds problematic about the feminism's focus on patriarchal domination as the source of oppression is that the definition of feminism is being defined as a struggle against patriarchy by white middle class feminist. In the article, Hooks explains how contemporary feminists view the start of this problem through sexist politics. Where they focus on the difference between sex, males and females, as the focus of separation and domination between the two. Another issue that Hooks finds with this is that it assumes that, for one, if you get rid of the sexist domination than all other forms will go away as well. Secondly, it leads other women to believe that trying to prevent sexist domination has greater value that trying to stop any other forms of domination such as racism. Hooks proposes that the definition feminism should be expanded so that it can represent all the complexities of domination. In her article, she explains how people must look past the assumptions that because men are stronger than women it justifies why they would be dominating them. She says that any person can dominate or be dominated. An example from everyday life situation that she gives is, where a mother dominates her child, who gets dominated on by her husband, who just got home from work being dominated by his boss and so on. Hooks states "To understand domination, we must understand that our capacity as women and men to be either dominated or dominating is a point of connection, commonality." We as people are connected through domination even without realizing daily in multiple ways. Where Hooks explains that because of this we should not only look at sexism domination but must cover race and class as well to understand feminism. There are many reasons Hooks explains on why the definition of feminism needs to be expanded. It will include black women and other women of color and their experience of domination. It will include their feminist movements and the awareness that they created from their experiences. Hooks explains how there is no way you can look at domination through just sexism, and that you must include race and class. She says that these are all interlocking systems. One quote that stood out from her explanation of this is, "by calling attention to interlocking systems of domination sex, race, and class-black women and many other groups of women acknowledge the diversity and complexity of female experience, of our relationship to power and domination." For women, who have different stories, come from different backgrounds, who experience different struggles everyday will be able to be included in this fight over patriarchal domination helping women will have a better understanding of it. Which also, for Hooks, challenges the notion of a "unifying/universal" female experience, as we talked about in class. ( Lenora Curtis )
The problem with focusing on patriarchal domination as the source of oppression is that it does not hold all sources of domination responsible. While bell hooks does recognize the importance of sex in domination, she points out that women are not just “exclusive to the role of victim,” (p.20.) Instead, women can also be seen as “agents of domination.” This is possible with an expansion of feminism to see the complexities of domination. As we learned in the reading and class lecture, anyone can be the dominator and anyone can be dominated. Race and class must be considered. White middle class feminists have defined feminism as a struggle against patriarchy. This movement has problematically assumed that women are part of a big, similar sisterhood having a unifying and universal female experience. This is just not true. The example we covered in class about the upper class Black woman, middle class white woman, and lower class Latino man highlights the point that race and class are important parts of domination as well as sex. They together are “interlocking systems of domination,” (p. 21.) In today’s feminism, I often hear the simplistic notion that man is the enemy and women are the victims. I hear that feminists are just man-haters. Often times, feminists are middle class white women. They fail to realize that being middle class and white is itself a source of domination over others. This only serves to perpetuate and maintain these systems of domination. bell hooks reminds us that with thinking about all the paradigms of domination, this kind of feminism “must exist apart from and as a part of the larger struggle to eradicate domination in all its forms,” (p. 22.) Feminism works against just one of the three sources of oppression that we talked about. Therefore, one must not forget to combine it with work against race and class domination.
ReplyDeleteClaire P.
Bell Hooks finds that feminism’s focus on patriarchal domination as the source for oppression to be problematic because, “If focus on patriarchal domination masks this reality or becomes the means by which women deflect attention from the real conditions and circumstances of our lives, then women cooperate in suppressing and promoting false consciousness, inhibiting our capacity to assume responsibility for transforming ourselves and society” (Hooks). She goes on to talk about how important it is for people and feminists to understand that man is not the only enemy. That women too can act as dominators as well as victims. She mentions how critical it is for us to understand what dominance is and how everyone, no matter the gender, has the power to oppress another. If we are to hope for true liberation we must first understand that it is the capability to dominate that we ourselves must resist. Hooks in no way states that feminists shouldn’t struggle to end patriarchal domination, because she too sees that as the most likely form of dominance that woman are gong to experience in their lives. Hooks mentions that another consideration to help prevent the acceptance of dominance between sexes starts from the home and from family. “It is this convergence of two contradictory impulses-the urge to promote growth and the urge to inhibit growth-that provides a practical setting for feminist critique, resistance, and transformation” (Hooks). She talks about how growing up in a father dominated household she experienced adult male authority and how those painful experiences coming from somewhere as intimate as a home, leaving her feeling powerless against that authority, leaves almost no resistance or second thought if/when she experiences it again outside of the home. So Hook argues that feminism must not only fight against the patriarchal domination but from all forms of which domination may take place. “…That there is no hope that it can be eradicated while these systems remain intact.” (Hooks).
ReplyDeleteMaria R.
The most profound social ideology to govern human beings is by ways of domination through systematic institutions of oppression, which disfavor the oppressed and favor the oppressor. In recent Western culture, feminist movements developed due to the realization that institutions were dominantly patriarchal. Feminism arose and demanded equality among the sexes, which resulted in females evolving from housewives, to the opportunity to be independent individuals and have choices of their own. This significant feminist accomplishment, however, resulted in the deep-rooted notion that feminism is centered on defeating patriarchal domination as the significant source of oppression that affects humans globally. According to bell hooks, “such an assumption has fostered the notion that elimination of sexist oppression would necessarily lead to eradication of all forms of domination” (p. 19). Although hooks does not disregard that sexual politics plays a role in how individuals can, and are dominated, it is important to acknowledge that any individual can be dominated. For example, looking at the relationship mothers have between children depicts how domination can be deconstructed in order to reveal a pattern of oppression that is present between two individuals that does not necessarily rely on differences of sex. “It centrally names women as agents of domination, as potential theoreticians, and creators of a paradigm for social relationships wherein those groups of individuals designated as “strong” exercise power both benevolently and coercively over those designated as “weak”(hooks p. 20). This example shows how domination can be deconstructed, in order to reveal how males are not the exclusive source of oppression. “To understand domination, we must understand that our capacity as women and men to be either dominated or dominating is a point of connection, of commonality” (hooks p. 20). This commonality is important to note simply due to the fact that by eliminating sexist oppression will not, and can not be the only solution to a progressive society. It is important to consider that, “if we are unable to resist and end domination in relations where there is care, it seems totally unimaginable that we can resist and end it in other institutionalized relations of power” (hooks p. 22). As the movement grew, white middle class feminists did not consider that they themselves were oppressors both by class and race. Yet, decades after feminism arose, the predominant message still happens to be that women are victims and men are the enemy. This is problematic because this notion does not allow possible allies of feminism to understand that feminism needs to, and has expanded their understanding of oppression. Many fail to look at society through an intersectional lens in order to truly see how synergistic institutions of domination reinforce dominant ideologies of sex, race, and class. In order for there to be progression for a world where individuals can live freely, empathy must be taken into consideration. Once individuals are aware that everyone does not have the same privilege and experiences due to such institutions that keep them there due to sex, race and class, only then will there be room for progression of all.
ReplyDeleteClarisa G.
Some feminist thinkers consider patriarchal domination as the main root of oppression. According to bell hooks, this outlook is problematic and can ultimately perpetuate themes of oppression amongst many individuals. Solely focusing on patriarchal domination as the source has led Western women to, as hooks states, “the assumption that resisting patriarchal domination is a more legitimate feminist action than resisting racism and other forms of domination” (hooks 19). Although sex and gender do play a role in domination, these factors are not to be considered the base of all domination. We must consider sex, race, and class altogether when discussing ways that domination is exhibited. Hooks states that, “While acknowledgement of the complex nature of woman’s status (which has been most impressed upon everyone’s consciousness by radical women of color) is a significant corrective, it is only a starting point” (hooks 22). Everyone, regardless of their sex, has the ability to be dominated and the ability to dominate. Recognizing this creates a commonality between men and women allowing them to unite together to end sexism or sexist oppression. Hooks explains that “Emphasizing paradigms of domination that call attention to woman’s capacity to dominate is one way to deconstruct and challenge the simplistic notion that man is the enemy, woman the victim” (hooks 20). As discussed in class, there are multiple instances in which woman and men alike can be dominated. In the case of an upper class black woman, a middle class white woman, and a lower class latino man discussing their experiences, one can conclude that they all are able to be dominated in different ways. Domination is complex and is not the result of a single factor. Hooks elaborates on this concept and explains that small group discussion engaging in feminist topics is a way to further feminist movement and educate on the ways in which sex, race, and class contribute to domination and individual experiences. Overall, hooks portrays that considering patriarchal domination as the sole factor of oppression is a negative outlook that can be fixed by reflecting on sex, race, and class altogether.
ReplyDeleteNicole H.
In a passage from feminism: a transformational politic, written by Bell Hooks, she delves into the issues with feminism concerning patriarchy as the root of oppression between sexes. We live in a patriarchal society, in which some feminists consider white males to be the dominant oppressor. Sex does not determine who is dominant and who is a victim. Each and every individual has different roles within their lives that are both dominating and being dominated, and these roles are a commonality between people of different demographics. By placing the blame on patriarchy as the source of oppression it deflects from the complicated conditions of everyday life, and shrugs women of taking responsibility for the power they possess. Women are not exclusively victims and men are not exclusively domineering. Moreover, another problematic issue Hooks has with feminism is the lack of intersectionality within the movement, there are other factors that play into the various roles of domination. For example, the experience of a black upper-class woman compared to that of a lower-class, white, gay woman would be very different and could have different perspectives on domination and patriarchy. By including these variables in the ideology behind feminism it counteracts the notion of ‘a universal female experience’ which is a more realistic approach because nothing is simply black and white in real life. Race, class, and sex must be considered which requires an expansion on the definition of domination within feminism. Intersectionality of the feminist ideology is the key to eradicating patriarchy and other forms of group oppression like racism. It addresses altering your person and your relationships with people, which will in turn change the world around you. It asks the individual to change, whether you feel superior, victimized, or both, to banish the system of domination. In order to do so, “it is first the potential oppressor within that we must resist- the potential victim within we must rescue-“ (Hooks 21).
ReplyDeleteEllen N.
What Bell Hooks finds problematic about the feminism's focus on patriarchal domination as the source of oppression is that the definition of feminism is being defined as a struggle against patriarchy by white middle class feminist. In the article, Hooks explains how contemporary feminists view the start of this problem through sexist politics. Where they focus on the difference between sex, males and females, as the focus of separation and domination between the two. Another issue that Hooks finds with this is that it assumes that, for one, if you get rid of the sexist domination than all other forms will go away as well. Secondly, it leads other women to believe that trying to prevent sexist domination has greater value that trying to stop any other forms of domination such as racism.
ReplyDeleteHooks proposes that the definition feminism should be expanded so that it can represent all the complexities of domination. In her article, she explains how people must look past the assumptions that because men are stronger than women it justifies why they would be dominating them. She says that any person can dominate or be dominated. An example from everyday life situation that she gives is, where a mother dominates her child, who gets dominated on by her husband, who just got home from work being dominated by his boss and so on. Hooks states "To understand domination, we must understand that our capacity as women and men to be either dominated or dominating is a point of connection, commonality." We as people are connected through domination even without realizing daily in multiple ways. Where Hooks explains that because of this we should not only look at sexism domination but must cover race and class as well to understand feminism.
There are many reasons Hooks explains on why the definition of feminism needs to be expanded. It will include black women and other women of color and their experience of domination. It will include their feminist movements and the awareness that they created from their experiences. Hooks explains how there is no way you can look at domination through just sexism, and that you must include race and class. She says that these are all interlocking systems. One quote that stood out from her explanation of this is, "by calling attention to interlocking systems of domination sex, race, and class-black women and many other groups of women acknowledge the diversity and complexity of female experience, of our relationship to power and domination." For women, who have different stories, come from different backgrounds, who experience different struggles everyday will be able to be included in this fight over patriarchal domination helping women will have a better understanding of it. Which also, for Hooks, challenges the notion of a "unifying/universal" female experience, as we talked about in class.
( Lenora Curtis )