Feminism is for everybody.

It’s not about being anti male, but anti sexism. In Bell Hooks’s book, “Feminism is for everybody,” she looks at the stereotypes that feminism is defined under, and seeks to explain the error in the old definition, explaining that true “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” (Hooks viii).

This is something that I have personally studied a lot on, not because I hate men, but because I want to understand people. I think that sex is a consuming aspect in our lives, it’s how we are created, sex makes us who we are. But this book explains that sexual freedom isn’t the main goal, it’s a fight against violent acts and oppression.  When a person is sexually exploited, the impacts are far longer lasting than, for example, a car wreck. You can break bones, and they’ll heal. If you are raped or molested, trafficked or forced into other forms of prostitution, that changes you. “We are all participants in perpetuating sexism and until we change our minds and hearts, until we let go sexist thought and action and replace it with feminist thought and action.” (Hooks ix).

In Hooks eyes, patriarchy comes with a price. There are all different forms of patriarchy, but I’ll discuss it as a male dominant society that is enforced upon people. There are many benefits to this society for men who practice it. Higher wages, better benefits packages, but nothing comes without consequence, Men in these societies are required to dominate women, to exploit and to oppress, using violence if they must to keep patriarchy intact.

This isn’t easy for most people, because they have a sense of right and wrong. This unnatural tension is the cause of men’s hatred and fear of women. Instead of trying to understand it, they choose to fight it. ” They are not certain what will happen to a world they know most intimately if patriarchy changes. So they find it easier to passively support male domination even when they know in their minds and hearts that it is wrong.“ (Hooks ix).

Feminism is a very progressive, ideological approach to a political movement. It is possible, but highly unlikely in my lifetime. I love the way it sounds, and that the approach is absolutely non-violent. It focuses on understanding and celebrating differences of background, opinion, and gender, instead of fighting it. “Imagine living in a world where we can all be who we are, a world of peace and possibility. Feminist revolution alone will not create such a world; we need to end racism, class elitism, imperialism.” (Hooks x).

Hooks makes a point to say that feminism alone can’t change the world, but a change of mindset can. That is what the focus on fighting racism, classism, and imperialism is all about. One of the biggest obstacles women faced on the early stages of feminism wasn’t men, it was the sexist beliefs that women held against each other. Diana Press in Class and Feminism spoke on class divisions between women, and although it didn’t take away from the sisterhood of feminism, it did point out that women are capable of being equally sexist, that it wasn’t strictly a male problem. Women exploit other women through sex, class, and race. (Hooks 8).

According to Hooks, the beginnings of feminism started when women began examining sexist thinking and started creating strategies with the goal being to change attitudes, not to convert individuals. “Only through discussion and disagreement could we begin to find a realistic standpoint on gender exploitation and oppression.” (Hooks 8). I think that her choice of realistic is what makes her standpoints different from the stereotypical scary feminist. It is incredibly important to remember self control when actively working towards a goal that is difficult to achieve, or unpopular in a particular culture.

Another setback that feminists faced was the surplus of fair weather femmes, who donned the title when it suited them, but didn’t live out the lifestyle. The predominant reasons that Hooks mentioned were on college campuses and in the work field. “These career-based changes led to forms of career opportunism wherein women who had never been politically committed to mass-based feminist struggle adopted the stance and jargon of feminism when it enhanced their class mobility.” (Hooks 10).

Hooks explained that when women jumped on board with feminism without fully understanding it, that it hurt the entire movement more than it helped it. Instead of focusing on the fight against sexual exploitation, they focused on women being a ‘victim’ of gender equality deserving of reparations. “The idea that women needed to first confront their internalized sexism as part of becoming feminist lost currency.” (Hooks 10).

Feminism can be applied to any aspect of the human condition. Your focus can be human rights, or the fight against terrorism, and the principles of communication and understanding can apply to them all. “Everything we do in life is rooted in theory. Whether we explore the reasons we have a particular perspective or take a particular action there is also an underlying system shaping thought and practice.” (Hooks 19).