1. Overview Quilt Multicultural Feminist Theories Combahee River Collective Wittig Barkley Brown

2. Multicultural Feminist Theories Thinkers –Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldua, Nancy Naples –Bell hooks, Patricia Hill Collins, Cherrie Moraga Description of Problem –Not woman’s oppression, but women’s –Interlocking oppression Sexuality, race/ethnicity, gender, class

3. Multicultural Feminist Theories Analysis –White, middle class, hetero, male norm –Continued patterns of disadvantage/ Cultural devaluation of “others” built into society Remedies –Equal access to jobs, education, power –Knowledge production that reflects subordinate groups’ perspectives –Cultural production of people of varied ethnic heritages

4. Multicultural Feminist Theories Contributions –Analysis of multiple oppressions –Development of a complex identity politics –Womanist fiction, art, poetry, music, productions from perspective of “other” or “outsider within” - Shortcomings –Alignment- men or color or white women –Lump African-American, Latina, Native American, Asian American women together –Coalition building?

5. Combahee River Collective Moved from gender oppression to multiple oppressions Participation of women of color, lesbians, and working class women Creation of identity politics –Beginning in unique experience (personal) Rethinking of analysis of economics, sexuality, etc. Change- destruction of capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy

6. Monique Wittig Many argue that women’s oppression lies in their biology, childrearing abilities –If you root oppression here, you assume that it is natural, inevitable Lesbianism is the practice of feminism Lesbian consciousness –Makes category of woman “unnatural” –Accused of not being real women –Wanting to be men

7. Monique Wittig Change in women’s oppression –Not assuming heterosexuality as inevitable –Refusal to be defined and limited by being “female” or “male” –Refusal of roles of women and power/privilege of men –Separatism –Destruction of heterosexuality

8. Elsa Barkley Brown Utilizing African-American culture to analyze and critique “norms” –Jazz, quilts –Nonlinear, in dialogue Not one woman’s history, but multiple histories –Doesn’t have to be one connection between women- loose connections -Multiple levels simultaneous, relational