Postcolonial feminism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since December 2005. |
Postcolonial feminism is a form of feminist philosophy which criticizes Western forms of feminism, notably radical feminism and its universalization of female experience. Cultures impacted by colonialism are often vastly different. For those cultures with traditions of stratification of power along lines of gender, the colonialist movement out of oppression may result in glorification of pre-colonial culture and the acceptance of, or refusal to deal with, inherent issues of gender inequality or abuse within the society.[1]
Post colonial feminists do not present a united front on this issue, rather what unites them is their shared desire to address, rather than ignore, gender inequality.
Many postcolonial feminists argue that oppressions relating to the colonial experience, particularly racial, class, and ethnic oppressions, have marginalized women in postcolonial societies. They challenge the assumption that gender oppression is the primary force of patriarchy. Also, they argue that oppressions cannot be ranked at all, as to do so would be to misrepresent their lived experiences. While challenging gender oppression within their own culture, postcolonial feminists also fight charges of being Western as some within their cultures would contend.
Contents |
[edit] History
The field of postcolonial feminism arose from the gendered history of colonialism. Colonial powers often imposed Westernized norms on colonized regions. In the 1940s and 1950s, after the formation of the United Nations, former colonies were monitored for what was deemed "social progress" by Western standards. The advancement of women, among other variables, has been monitored by arguably Western organizations such as the United Nations. As a result, traditional practices and roles taken up by women--seen as distateful by Western standards--can be considered a form of rebellion against colonial oppression. Postcolonial feminists today struggle to fight gender oppression within their own cultural models of society rather than through those imposed by the Western colonizers.
An underlying theoretical premise of postcolonial feminism is that concepts of freedom, equality, and rights stem from the Enlightenment and privilege Western and European norms, rather than representing a universal values system.
[edit] Related movements
Much postcolonial feminist writing overlaps with transnational feminism and Third-world feminism. Postcolonial feminism is also closely related to postcolonialism. There is a long-standing and important alliance between postcolonial feminists and black feminists. For both have struggled for recognition by not only by men in their own culture but also for recognition by western feminism[2].
[edit] Postcolonial feminist authors
Postcolonial feminist authors include:
- Gayatri Spivak, with her important "Can the Subaltern Speak?" (1988)
- Trinh T. Minh-ha, with her essay "Infinite Layers/Third World?" (1989)
- Chandra Talpade Mohanty, with her influential essay "Under Western Eyes" (1991)
- Uma Narayan, with her book Dislocating Cultures (1997) and her essay "Contesting Cultures" (1997)
- Kwok Pui-lan, with her book Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology (2005)
- Sara Suleri, Boys Will Be Boys: A Daughter's Elegy (2003)
- Lata Mani
- Kumkum Sangari
 |
This feminism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Postcolonial Feminism in Anthills of the Savannah by Andy Greenwald
- ^ Key Issues in Postcolonial Feminism: A Western Perspective by Chris Weedon, Cardiff University
