Feminism

• What are 4 black feminist studies that give reasons for ethnic inequalities?

  1. Lack of support from feminism --> bell hooks
  2. White privilege --> Eddo-Lodge + Ngozi Adichie
  3. Triple Oppression --> Brewer
  4. Colonisation --> Connel
• Black feminism arose out of dissatisfaction with feminism as they felt it ignored ethnic minority women and the challenges they faced.
• Which black feminist accused feminism of ignoring the specific oppression faced by ethnic minority women?

  bell hooks
• bell hooks argues that ethnic inequalities still exist for ethnic women because?

  feminism has served the needs of white women in relation to employment laws etc but has not addressed discrimination of all women.
• In bell hooks book "Aint I A Women: Black Women and Feminism" she states:

  “When people talk about the “strength” of black women they are referring to the way in which they perceive black women coping with oppression. They ignore the reality that to be strong in the face of oppression is not the same as overcoming oppression, that endurance is not to be confused with transformation”.
• In which book did bell hook address the ethnic inequalities of black women and the lack of support from feminism?

  Ain't I A Women: Black Women and Feminism
• Crenshaw develops bell hooks ideas with her concept of “intersectional feminism”. She argues that for feminism to be successful it must represent the struggles of all women and understand how all elements of a women’s identity can intersect. (supporting point for bell hooks)
• Eddo-Lodge in her book “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” describes white privilege as...?

  “an absence of the consequence of racism. An absence of structural discrimination, an absence of race being viewed as a problem first and foremost”.
• Which black feminist highlighted the multitude of ways black women face discrimination and oppression that white women do not in the book "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race"?

  Reni Eddo-Lodge
• Ngozi Adichie notes that white privilege exists -- for white people “race does not really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice”
• Why are both Eddo-lodges and Ngozi Adichie's points around white privilege criticised?

  The term white privilege has been long debated and contested. There is thought among white right-wing writers that it ignores that white people can also face discrimination eg the All Lives Matter movement.
• Which black feminist argues that black women are disadvantaged due to their gender, ethnicity and likelihood of being working-class?

  Brewer
• The problem with black women being disadvantaged due to gender, ethnicity and class is that the 3 reinforce each other -- Triple Oppression (Brewer)
• Davidson's “concrete ceiling” shows how ethnic minority women are victims of both racism and sexism in the world of work which prevents them from reaching promotions. (supporting point for Brewer)
• Connel - argues that gender inequalities experienced by ethnic minorities are caused by colonialism where these inequalities were the norm.
• Connel argues that ethnic inequalities are due to the time of the British Empire when British white men lived in the Caribbean and India; their racism and misogyny further developed. They often had mistresses who were local women and therefore saw these women as simply objects to fulfil their sexual needs. As a result, they saw ethnic minority women as lower than their white wives.
• Why is Connel's point about colonialism contested?

  Other feminists argue that by looking at the influence of colonialism we lose focus on gender inequalities. These issues were true of their time but are significantly outdated.