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kfergy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Required reading within the feminist space, especially by white feminists. It's not an easy read, and shouldn't be taken lightly but rather a resource to move forward in feminism for all and centering non-white feminism within a broader movement (and hopefully an inclusive and responsive broader movement is possible).
In a note to other reviews mentioning references: The reference system is entirely appropriate for the style of book; if you're less familiar with academic work, it may seem jarring to tell the difference between a fact or reference and then meditations and interpretations of these references, but taking your time and close (but not deep) reading should help. A thesis or dissertation would be both closely and deeply read by the opponent committee, but for a book written for a broad audience, it's less about interpreting the sources and their use but rather appreciating their presence in the text (sounds like bullshit, but nearly every non-fiction read is recognizing the expertise of the author and following them on the journey).
In a note to other reviews mentioning references: The reference system is entirely appropriate for the style of book; if you're less familiar with academic work, it may seem jarring to tell the difference between a fact or reference and then meditations and interpretations of these references, but taking your time and close (but not deep) reading should help. A thesis or dissertation would be both closely and deeply read by the opponent committee, but for a book written for a broad audience, it's less about interpreting the sources and their use but rather appreciating their presence in the text (sounds like bullshit, but nearly every non-fiction read is recognizing the expertise of the author and following them on the journey).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
stevia333k's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I feel like I've gotten updated on what was being talked about when i was a kid/teen. The oppression that happens in the colonies happens in the imperial core because it's the same dictators.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Deportation
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
mnatalie_writes's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
iamsammie27's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Abortion
Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, and Pregnancy
sunn_bleach's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
This book seeks to counteract and provide potential answers to the overarching issue of "whiteness" (as in, the paradigm of implicit white supremacy masquerading as solidarity) within feminism. It contains several in-depth and impassioned arguments about how white feminism has been historically and currently practiced has been about the support of white women and white women's issues while facilitating patriarchal norms and diminishing the voices of non-white persons.
Some of these essays are phenomenal and extremely eye-opening. The chapters on tokenist solidarity within women's organizations in the USA, the impression of NGOs' "solving" problems without consulting the people impacted, and the imperialist/capitalist hegemonic forces of whiteness in (for example) military dramas are... painful, in a good way.
But then there's the Female Genital Mutilation chapter, which Zakaria tries to euphemistically obfuscate by calling it Female Genital Cutting and saying it is often performed voluntarily. Here, Zakaria can't adequately state her opinions on the practice, at one point saying it's not really a problem and then another time saying how Black women have overwhelmingly rallied around reducing the practice prior to/without white NGOs' involvement. She also references a study that compares opinions of breast augmentation to FGM - saying it's not to conflate the two, then immediately does so anyway, almost implying a defense of extreme cultural relativism. Then there are her multiple assumptions (such as the very beginning of the book) that white women around her cannot have possibly experienced what she has, which provides the exact kind of identity-assumptions Zakaria eviscerates when applied to women of color.
There's also the "sex positivity" chapter, in which there's an important kernel of truth in how sex-as-empowerment is so strongly pushed among women. But Zakaria completely misdefines "sex positivity" to the extent I was pretty surprised it got through the publisher. Sex positivity is *not*, as she claims, the idea of talking openly about having sex or lots of sex as feminist empowerment. Sex positivity in all literature is defined as the ability to make personal decisions about sex based on one's own virtues free of coercion - be it from partners or social constructs. This is such a glaring omission that it undercuts the real importance of the rest of the text.
These aren't the only examples of this kind of inconsistency, but they are the most glaring ones - an inconsistency and implied inability to argue against it without defending whiteness that is similar to "White Fragility", though the latter is far more egregious.
Still, I cannot say I was bored by this book - and it certainly gave me plenty of things to consider and critique both toward white feminism and the answers provided here.
Some of these essays are phenomenal and extremely eye-opening. The chapters on tokenist solidarity within women's organizations in the USA, the impression of NGOs' "solving" problems without consulting the people impacted, and the imperialist/capitalist hegemonic forces of whiteness in (for example) military dramas are... painful, in a good way.
But then there's the Female Genital Mutilation chapter, which Zakaria tries to euphemistically obfuscate by calling it Female Genital Cutting and saying it is often performed voluntarily. Here, Zakaria can't adequately state her opinions on the practice, at one point saying it's not really a problem and then another time saying how Black women have overwhelmingly rallied around reducing the practice prior to/without white NGOs' involvement. She also references a study that compares opinions of breast augmentation to FGM - saying it's not to conflate the two, then immediately does so anyway, almost implying a defense of extreme cultural relativism. Then there are her multiple assumptions (such as the very beginning of the book) that white women around her cannot have possibly experienced what she has, which provides the exact kind of identity-assumptions Zakaria eviscerates when applied to women of color.
There's also the "sex positivity" chapter, in which there's an important kernel of truth in how sex-as-empowerment is so strongly pushed among women. But Zakaria completely misdefines "sex positivity" to the extent I was pretty surprised it got through the publisher. Sex positivity is *not*, as she claims, the idea of talking openly about having sex or lots of sex as feminist empowerment. Sex positivity in all literature is defined as the ability to make personal decisions about sex based on one's own virtues free of coercion - be it from partners or social constructs. This is such a glaring omission that it undercuts the real importance of the rest of the text.
These aren't the only examples of this kind of inconsistency, but they are the most glaring ones - an inconsistency and implied inability to argue against it without defending whiteness that is similar to "White Fragility", though the latter is far more egregious.
Still, I cannot say I was bored by this book - and it certainly gave me plenty of things to consider and critique both toward white feminism and the answers provided here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Transphobia and Murder
samdalefox's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I read this as an audiobook, it transferred to the medium well but I think I'll be buying this and re-reading/referring to a physical copy.
The core concepts of 'Against White Feminism' are not new. To well-read intersectional feminists, if you've read Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Gayatri Spivak, you'll be familiar with the arguments made here. Several of the examples are already mentioned in other lay books such as the clean stove initiative; a case study already detailed in 'invisible wome'n by Caroline Criado-Perez. However, Zakaria brings her own personal experience to the narrative, and illustrates the arguments with examples focussing on the middle east and south asian countries, some of which were new to me (highlighted below). As such, I learnt many new things as well as hearing the already known and I would recommend all feminists reading it. I would also recommend it, perhaps even more so, to people new to intersectional feminism. Zakaria does an excellent job covering a huge amount of history and theory, whilst keeping the language and arguments largely accessible to likely shocked, defensive, white people.
The whole premise of the book is to describe white feminism, highlight its oppressive flaws, and explain the encompassing benefits of moving towards intersectional feminism. In order to do this white people must decenter and depiviledge ourselves and actively support and promote Black and POC people in the movement. Zakaria ever so briefly touches upon whether Black and POC should dissociate themselves entirely from the movement and have their own exclusive feminism, but ultimately argues for solidarity among all. A triumph of a book, I hope it reaches many people.
White feminist definition:
The core concepts of 'Against White Feminism' are not new. To well-read intersectional feminists, if you've read Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Gayatri Spivak, you'll be familiar with the arguments made here. Several of the examples are already mentioned in other lay books such as the clean stove initiative; a case study already detailed in 'invisible wome'n by Caroline Criado-Perez. However, Zakaria brings her own personal experience to the narrative, and illustrates the arguments with examples focussing on the middle east and south asian countries, some of which were new to me (highlighted below). As such, I learnt many new things as well as hearing the already known and I would recommend all feminists reading it. I would also recommend it, perhaps even more so, to people new to intersectional feminism. Zakaria does an excellent job covering a huge amount of history and theory, whilst keeping the language and arguments largely accessible to likely shocked, defensive, white people.
The whole premise of the book is to describe white feminism, highlight its oppressive flaws, and explain the encompassing benefits of moving towards intersectional feminism. In order to do this white people must decenter and depiviledge ourselves and actively support and promote Black and POC people in the movement. Zakaria ever so briefly touches upon whether Black and POC should dissociate themselves entirely from the movement and have their own exclusive feminism, but ultimately argues for solidarity among all. A triumph of a book, I hope it reaches many people.
White feminist definition:
A person [of any race] who..." fails to consider the role that whiteness and the racial privilege attached to it have played… in universalizing white feminist concerns, agendas, and beliefs as being those of all feminists."
Bits I particularly liked
- I particuarly loved the numerous case studies made within British colonialism of India
- The explanation of compulsorary sexuality and comparison to eastern countries' cultures
- The entire chapter on FGM and 'honour killings'
- Emphasising Nancy Fraser, that redistribution is more important and impactful that recognition
- We need sisterhood and solidarity, not exploitation of intimate spaces for individualistic gain
Bits I think could be improved
- Class anylases. Zakaria absolutely does perform class anayses throughout. She looks at warfare, white women becoming the oppressor of 'others' in order achieve dominance parity with white men, levels of poverty and access to opportunities, capitalism affecting women through compulsorary sexuality and consumerism etc. But for me the clarity of thought came late in the book and seemed secondary. The class system and capitalism is the generating force behind these things, I strongly believe it should be identified clearly as the primary oppressing structure from which all others are interconnected upon, included white feminism. "Individualism in a very crucial sense is a building block of capitalism". (Produce women as economic producers and consumers, capitalists try to depoliticise as much as possible, and push into meaningless competition instead of solidarity), this should have been indentified clearly in the introduction, not stated 90% of the way through.
New bits for me
- Gayatri Spivak's subaltern essay - a landmark writing I haven't read
- Rebellion rather than resilience is recognised in white feminism
- 'Sultana's dream' - Indian separatism feminist fiction
- The origins of the definition of 'Empowerment'
- Gita Sen - notable Indian feminist scholar
- 'Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur'an' - Asma Barlas
- The Hindu legal system before British colonialism/imperialism
- Doctrine of qisas in Sharia (Islamic) law
- 'Choice feminism' actually gives me pause for thought. I had never considered the negative implications before. I'm still not sure I fully understand the argument againist it, so I will reread the chapter. I wish Zakaria had actually given examples of which ones (choices) we should critique in order to champion POC. From inference, perhaps challenging centering sex positive capitalism?
Favourite quotes:
"Documentation of experience is also valuable as an affirmation of humanity, solidarity, and collective experience. Which are important kinds of self care for women or colour and other marginalised women"
"It is not enough for alternative narratives for women of colour simply to exist, they must actually alter the content and course of the movement for gender parity. And before this can happen, white women must reckon with just how much white privilege has influenced feminist movements and continues to influence the agenda of Feminism today"
"Part of the problem is... the universal authoritative voice, usually white make subjectivity masquerading as non racial, non gendered, objectivity, is merely transferred to those who but for gender, share many if the same cultural economic and social characteristics. In other words, white women take on the voices of white men and that is considered progress".
"It is still so tempting for white women to interpret their own assent as a matter of pure mertit and their own quest for parity the most urgent priority."
"It is most often easier to inhabit the systems that we find ourselves in than to dismantle them due to their inequity"
"I cannot hide my anger to spare you guilt or hurt feelings... It trivialises our efforts....Guilt is not a response to anger, it is a response to ones own actions or lack of action"
"The change that we need, that feminism needs, is transformational change. The analysis of how and where to make that change must be intersectional. Considering race and class and gender, and the redress must be redistributive and recognitive."
"White feminists must accept that true solidarity, where all races if women interact at a level of parity, means accomodating and valuing many different kinds of knowledge and expertise first and foremost the kind that comes from lived experience. Accomplishing equality will require lifting up woken who are not slick with jargon rhetoric and venerating their contributions as much as those who know how to package themselves appealingly".
"To stand for something inherently means that some will choose not to stand with you. This is essential for the Constitution of a movement. Not a harbinger of its inadequacy."
"Without community, there is no liberation...but community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist." - Audre Lorde
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, War, and Classism
mscalls's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
aargot1's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Gaslighting