Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center

hooks frequently quotes major feminist texts, post-colonial texts, and social criticism within her own writing. How does this reflect her understanding of community, education, and solidarity?

Explain hooks’s understanding of solidarity. How would it change the feminist movement? How does hooks propose bringing about this solidarity within the movement?

What are hooks’s beliefs surrounding the family, and how do these compare or contrast with the ideological family present in Western society?

How does imperialism influence feminism? In what ways does imperialistic thought organize the power structures of Western society?

What does it mean to move from margin to center, as the title of hooks’ book suggests? Does the book succeed in conveying a feminist praxis that would achieve this move? Why or why not?

Consider bell hooks’s legacy in contemporary feminist thought. Is Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center still applicable to literary and philosophical discussions today? In what ways has she influenced the feminist movement?

Describe hooks’ theory of power and systems of oppression. In what ways does the private, domestic sphere of the family display this theory? In what ways does the national feminist movement do the same?

Describe hooks’ theory of power and systems of oppression. In what ways does the private, domestic sphere of the family display this theory? In what ways does the national feminist movement do the same?