Paper on Feminism: A Transformational Politic by Bell Hooks & Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression:
The Role of Allies as Agents of Change
The Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian
Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression:
The Role of Allies as Agents of Change
The Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian
Andre talks about how people who have a dominant position in an issue should become allies to better bring change to the issue. To be an ally, as someone with privilege, one must take it upon his or herself to change the minds of people who are uninformed, reluctant, and/or ignorant, so effective changes can be made within his or her dominant community. This relates with Bell Hooks’s article because for change to happen in the feminist movement, men have to talk with other men to dismantle oppression together within their community of men. The same with how women have to speak with other women to recognize that they too can become oppressors. Of course, this all starts by being able to sit down and actually discuss this one on one rather than just being active in a protest or other movement activities. When someone who is of the same ‘kind’ can infiltrate their community and teach them as one of their own and change their minds to a positive mindset, this is when the cycle of oppression is interrupted. This may seem like nothing significant at first, since it is also a very difficult thing to do as an ally, but with small increments over time this can challenge the status quo and begin to make a meaningful impact.
Feminism: A Transformational Politic by Bell Hooks
It was interesting hearing about how patriarchy is seen as the root of all the problems in the world. Hooks explains that some feminists believe that sexual politics is the origin of this issue that the different statuses of men and women is an indication of patriarchal domination. If we eliminate sexist oppression, it would eradicate all forms of domination. The ideology of white Western women is that if there were no patriarchal domination, then all other forms of oppression would be eradicated. These feminists want to end patriarchal domination. Other feminists, especially women of color, question if this the right way to go. From what I understood in the reading, Bell thinks that these contemporary