bell hooks (1991). ‘Theory as Liberatory Practice.’ Yale Journal of Law & Feminism 4.1
[also in: Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (1994)]
"When our lived experience of theorising is fundamentally linked to processes of self-recovery, of collective liberation, no gap exists between theory and practice. Indeed, what such experience makes more evident is the bond between the two - the ultimately reciprocal process wherein one enables the other." p.2
"the privileged act of naming often affords those in power access to modes of communication that enable them to project an interpretation, a definition, a description of their work, actions, etc. that may not be accurate, that may obscure what is really taking place." p.3
"academic production of feminist theory formulated in hierarchical settings often enables women, particularly white women, with high status and visibility to draw upon the works of feminist scholars who may have less or no statues, less or no visibility, without giving recognition to these sources" p.3
"the production of feminist theory is complex... it is less the individual practice... and usually emerges from the engagement with collective sources." p.3
"the efforts of black women/women of colour to challenge and deconstruct the category "woman," the insistence on recognition that gender is not the sole factor determining constructions of femaleness was a critical intervention which led to a profound revolution in feminist thought, one that truly interrogated and disrupted the hegemonic feminist theory produced primarily by academic women, most of whom were white." p.4
"Work by women of colour and marginalised groups of white women (for example, lesbians, sex radicals), especially if written in a manner that renders it accessible to a broad reading public, even if that work enables and promotes feminist practice, is often de-legitimised in academic settings." p.4
"any theory that cannot be shared in everyday conversation cannot be used to educate the public" p.5
"As feminist activists we might ask ourselves what use is feminist theory that assaults the fragile psyches of women struggling to throw off patriarchy's oppressive yoke." p.5
"of what use is feminist theory that literally beats [women] down, leaves them stumbling bleary-eyed from classroom settings feeling humiliated" p.5
The feminist struggle "must be rooted in a theory that informs, shapes, and makes feminist practice possible" p.5
hooks often found herself remaining quiet in groups of black people, because she didn't want to be seen as uppity if she pushed the notion that reading widely, and theory, were important. However, when she did speak up, that their words were as important as action, that their "collective struggle to discuss issues of gender and blackness without censorship was as subversive a practice." p.6
"It seemed ironic that at a gathering called to honour a black male leader who had often dared to speak and act in resistance to the status quo, black women were still negating our right to engage in oppositional political dialogue and debate, especially since this is not a common occurence in black communities" p.7
bell hooks mentions that black women are silenced, censored and feel anti-intellectualism in institutions and in black settings because their work isn't seen as theoretical enough. p.7
Define interpolated: inserted into something else
bell hooks says that the damage done by promoting anti-intellectualism and declaring theory as worthless does as much harm as white theorists defining "blackness" without consulting or discussing with POC. p.8
"contempt and disregard for theory undermines collective struggle to resist oppression and exploitation" p.8
"we must continually claim theory as a necessary practice within a holistic framework of liberatory activism." p.8
"theory emerges from the concrete, from my efforts to make sense of everyday life experiences, from my efforts to critically intervene in my life and the lives of others" p.8
"Personal experience is such fertile ground for the production of liberatory feminist theory because usually it forms the base of our theory-making." p.8
"It is not easy to name our pain, to theorise from that location". p.11
"If we create a feminist theory, feminist movements that address this pain, we will have no difficulty building a mass-based feminist resistance struggle. There will be no gap between feminist theory and feminist practice." p.12
[also in: Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (1994)]
"When our lived experience of theorising is fundamentally linked to processes of self-recovery, of collective liberation, no gap exists between theory and practice. Indeed, what such experience makes more evident is the bond between the two - the ultimately reciprocal process wherein one enables the other." p.2
"the privileged act of naming often affords those in power access to modes of communication that enable them to project an interpretation, a definition, a description of their work, actions, etc. that may not be accurate, that may obscure what is really taking place." p.3
"academic production of feminist theory formulated in hierarchical settings often enables women, particularly white women, with high status and visibility to draw upon the works of feminist scholars who may have less or no statues, less or no visibility, without giving recognition to these sources" p.3
"the production of feminist theory is complex... it is less the individual practice... and usually emerges from the engagement with collective sources." p.3
"the efforts of black women/women of colour to challenge and deconstruct the category "woman," the insistence on recognition that gender is not the sole factor determining constructions of femaleness was a critical intervention which led to a profound revolution in feminist thought, one that truly interrogated and disrupted the hegemonic feminist theory produced primarily by academic women, most of whom were white." p.4
"Work by women of colour and marginalised groups of white women (for example, lesbians, sex radicals), especially if written in a manner that renders it accessible to a broad reading public, even if that work enables and promotes feminist practice, is often de-legitimised in academic settings." p.4
"any theory that cannot be shared in everyday conversation cannot be used to educate the public" p.5
"As feminist activists we might ask ourselves what use is feminist theory that assaults the fragile psyches of women struggling to throw off patriarchy's oppressive yoke." p.5
"of what use is feminist theory that literally beats [women] down, leaves them stumbling bleary-eyed from classroom settings feeling humiliated" p.5
The feminist struggle "must be rooted in a theory that informs, shapes, and makes feminist practice possible" p.5
hooks often found herself remaining quiet in groups of black people, because she didn't want to be seen as uppity if she pushed the notion that reading widely, and theory, were important. However, when she did speak up, that their words were as important as action, that their "collective struggle to discuss issues of gender and blackness without censorship was as subversive a practice." p.6
"It seemed ironic that at a gathering called to honour a black male leader who had often dared to speak and act in resistance to the status quo, black women were still negating our right to engage in oppositional political dialogue and debate, especially since this is not a common occurence in black communities" p.7
bell hooks mentions that black women are silenced, censored and feel anti-intellectualism in institutions and in black settings because their work isn't seen as theoretical enough. p.7
Define interpolated: inserted into something else
bell hooks says that the damage done by promoting anti-intellectualism and declaring theory as worthless does as much harm as white theorists defining "blackness" without consulting or discussing with POC. p.8
"contempt and disregard for theory undermines collective struggle to resist oppression and exploitation" p.8
"we must continually claim theory as a necessary practice within a holistic framework of liberatory activism." p.8
"theory emerges from the concrete, from my efforts to make sense of everyday life experiences, from my efforts to critically intervene in my life and the lives of others" p.8
"Personal experience is such fertile ground for the production of liberatory feminist theory because usually it forms the base of our theory-making." p.8
"It is not easy to name our pain, to theorise from that location". p.11
"If we create a feminist theory, feminist movements that address this pain, we will have no difficulty building a mass-based feminist resistance struggle. There will be no gap between feminist theory and feminist practice." p.12
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