Over
the last decade, feminist scholarship has undergone a transformative phase,
enriched by critiques stemming from the experiences of women in the Third
World. These critiques, emanating from conferences like the pivotal 1983
gathering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, known as
"Common Differences: Third World Women and Feminist Perspectives,"
have reshaped the theoretical landscape of feminist discourse, particularly
within Western academia. This book stands as a testament to the endeavor to
redefine the boundaries of feminist scholarship, contributing to an ongoing
dialogue on Third World women.
The
chapters and case studies within the book grapple with two key sets of
questions. The first seeks to offer an expanded definition of the Third World
concept, while the second aims to contextualize the diverse experiences within
the Third World. As Chandra Mohanty emphasizes in her introduction, these
essays intend to guide future work, especially as second-wave White Western
feminist analysis undergoes scrutiny from race and post-colonial studies.
The
book establishes Third World women as an analytical category, acknowledging its
contentious nature. This analytical category proves valuable in constructing an
imagined community that fosters alliances, collaborations, and comradeship
among women involved in oppositional struggles. Mohanty's introductory essay
outlines the tasks for feminists: rethinking praxis and suggesting provisional
sites for feminist analysis. Subsequent chapters delve into representations of
gender in theory and culture, ideological constructions of gender in state and
public policy, nationalism and sexuality, and identity and feminist practice.
The
essays in the first section are thoughtfully crafted and compelling in their
arguments about the politics of representations. They challenge conventional
theoretical practices, relevant not only to feminists but also to critical
social science in general. Chandra Mohanty's essay, "Under Western
Eyes," has become essential reading for anyone undertaking comparative
research on Third World women. It not only challenges assumptions about such
research but also elucidates how theoretical underpinnings can create
essentialist and universalist constructions of the category "Woman."
However, a paradox emerges in Mohanty's political project and deconstructionist
practice, as she seeks to retain the notion of "Woman" as an
analytical category for political purposes while suggesting its abandonment in
theoretical work. Within this conceptual framework, feminist praxis becomes a
complex undertaking. Rey Chow's essay, "Violence in the Other
Country," highlights the centrality of ontology in exploring questions of
gender. When grappling with events like the Tiananmen Square incident of 1989
in the People's Republic of China, it is insufficient to merely ask how to
interpret the events in terms of gender; rather, the focus should be on what
these events reveal about gender as a category, especially concerning Third
World women.
The
subsequent chapters delve into the nuanced understanding that the term
"Third World" is not solely a geopolitical designation but can also
function as a shorthand term to signify conditions of subordination. However,
the quality of these chapters tends to be uneven, lacking in robust
conceptualization. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the editors could have
curated case studies offering a more diverse array of cross-cultural examples.
Nevertheless,
the chapters within the section on public policy effectively illustrate how
ostensibly neutral language embedded in state policies contributes to the
construction of gender ideologies. Jacqui Alexander's essay, for instance,
illuminates how the state's discourse on morality shapes sexual politics. The
section dedicated to national liberation and sexual politics delves into the
integral role of sexuality in nationalism. It's worth mentioning a notable
limitation: all three essays in this section hail from nations identifying as
Islamic states. This raises concerns about the selection bias and underscores a
point made by Mohanty regarding research on women in the Third World. The
assertion that women in Islamic states face a heightened degree of sexist
oppression compared to their Western counterparts, and hence warrant deeper
analytical scrutiny, is reflected in this section.
However,
there is room for improvement in illustrating the interplay between nationalist
and gender ideologies. This could be achieved by selecting case studies that
extend beyond the conventional examples of state-building in Islamic nations,
providing a more comprehensive portrayal of how these ideologies intersect.
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