20 Best Books On Intersectional Feminism (2023 Update)

The organizers of the international women’s strike “cut through the corporate feminist ‘lean in’ noise to offer a feminism rooted not just in intersectionality . . . but also in economic justice”—for readers of roxane gay and rebecca solnit (vogue). feminism shouldn’t start—or stop—with seeing women represented at the top of society. it should start with the 99%. unaffordable housing, poverty wages, inadequate healthcare, border policing, climate change—these are not what you ordinarily hear feminists talking about. but aren’t they the biggest issues for the vast majority of women around the globe? taking as its inspiration the new wave of feminist militancy that has erupted globally, this manifesto makes a simple but powerful case: feminism shouldn’t start—or stop—with the drive to have women represented at the top of their professions. it must focus on those at the bottom, and fight for the world they deserve. and that means targeting capitalism. feminism must be anticapitalist, eco-socialist and antiracist.

Chicana feminisms are living theory deriving value and purpose by affecting social change. advocating for and demonstrating the importance of an intersectional, multidisciplinary, activist understanding of chicanas, intersectional chicana feminisms provides a much-needed overview of the key theories, thinkers, and activists that have contributed to chicana feminist thought. aída hurtado, a leading chicana feminist and scholar, traces the origins of chicanas’ efforts to bring attention to the effects of gender in chicana and chicano studies. highlighting the innovative and pathbreaking methodologies developed within the field of chicana feminisms—such as testimonio, conocimiento, and autohistoria—this book offers an accessible introduction to chicana theory, methodology, art, and activism. hurtado also looks at the newest developments in the field and the future of chicana feminisms. the book includes short biographies of key chicana feminists, additional suggested readings, and exercises with each chapter to extend opportunities for engagement in classroom and workshop settings.

The thoroughly revised women in culture 2/e explores the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, gender identity, and spirituality from the perspectives of diverse global locations. its strong humanities content, including illustrations and creative writing, uniquely embraces the creative aspects of the field. each of the ten thematic chapters lead to creative readings, introducing a more readings throughout the text encourage intersectional thinking amongst students humanistic angle than is typical of textbooks in the field this textbook is queer inclusive and allows students to engage with postcolonial/decolonial thinking, spirituality, and reproductive/environmental justice a detailed timeline of feminist history, criticism and theory is provided, and the glossary encourages the development of critical vocabulary a variety of illustrations supplement the written materials, and an accompanying website offers instructors pedagogical resources

Nash reframes black feminism's engagement with intersectionality, often celebrated as its primary intellectual and political contribution to feminist theory. charting the institutional history and contemporary uses of intersectionality in the academy, nash outlines how women's studies has both elevated intersectionality to the discipline's primary program-building initiative and cast intersectionality as a threat to feminism's coherence. as intersectionality has become a central feminist preoccupation, nash argues that black feminism has been marked by a single affect—defensiveness—manifested by efforts to police intersectionality's usages and circulations. nash contends that only by letting go of this deeply alluring protectionist stance, the desire to make property of knowledge, can black feminists reimagine intellectual production in ways that unleash black feminist theory's visionary world-making possibilities.

Intersectionality theory has emerged over the past thirty years as a way to think about the avenues by which inequalities (most often dealing with, but not limited to, race, gender, class and sexuality) are produced. rather than seeing such categories as signaling distinct identities that can be adopted, imposed or rejected, intersectionality theory considers the logic by which each of these categories is socially constructed as well as how they operate within the diffusion of power relations. in other words, social and political power are conferred through categories of identity, and these identities bear vastly material effects. rather than look at inequalities as a relationship between those at the center and those on the margins, intersectionality maps the relative ways in which identity politics create power. though intersectionality theory has emerged as a highly influential school of thought in ethnic studies, gender studies, law, political science, sociology and psychology, no scholarship to date exists on the evolution of the theory. in the absence of a comprehensive intellectual history of the theory, it is often discussed in vague, ahistorical terms. and while scholars have called for greater specificity and attention to the historical foundations of intersectionality theory, their idea of the history to be included is generally limited to the particular currents in the united states. this book seeks to remedy the vagueness and murkiness attributed to intersectionality by attending to the historical, geographical, and cross-disciplinary myopia afflicting current intersectionality scholarship. this comprehensive intellectual history is an agenda-setting work for the theory.

A new york times bestseller “the fights against hunger, homelessness, poverty, health disparities, poor schools, homophobia, transphobia, and domestic violence are feminist fights. kendall offers a feminism rooted in the livelihood of everyday women.” —ibram x. kendi, #1 new york times-bestselling author of how to be an antiracist, in the atlantic“one of the most important books of the current moment.”—time “a rousing call to action… mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues mikki kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. all too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few. that feminists refuse to prioritize these issues has only exacerbated the age-old problem of both internecine discord and women who rebuff at carrying the title. moreover, prominent white feminists broadly suffer from their own myopia with regard to how things like race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender. in her searing collection of essays, mikki kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hypersexualization, along with incisive commentary on reproductive rights, politics, pop culture, the stigma of mental health, and more, hood feminism delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux. an unforgettable debut, kendall has written a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement in thought and in deed.

A few years ago, chimamanda ngozi adichie received a letter from a dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist. dear ijeawele is adichie's letter of response. here are fifteen invaluable suggestions–compelling, direct, wryly funny, and perceptive–for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman. from encouraging her to choose a helicopter, and not only a doll, as a toy if she so desires; having open conversations with her about clothes, makeup, and sexuality; debunking the myth that women are somehow biologically arranged to be in the kitchen making dinner, and that men can "allow" women to have full careers, dear ijeawele goes right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first century. it will start a new and urgently needed conversation about what it really means to be a woman today."

'fabulously smart and entertaining . . . if virtue-signalling wokery drives you as nuts as it drives me, you will love it' piers morgan 'required reading for anyone needing an antidote to the mass hysteria of humanity's latest religion' entertainment focus after the success of her debut woke: a guide to social justice, radical slam poet and intersectional feminist titania mcgrath has turned her talents to the realm of children's non-fiction. aimed at activists from the age of six months to six years, titania's book will help cultivate a new progressive generation. in a series of groundbreaking and poignant chapters, she will take you on a journey with some of the most inspiring individuals in history, such as emmeline pankhurst, meghan markle, nelson mandela, hillary clinton, and joseph stalin. praise for woke: 'beautiful classic satire' ricky gervais 'the latest genius twist in britain's long tradition of satirical spoof' daily express 'titania mcgrath mercilessly satirises the left's online umbrage brigade, the permanently offended, those who have taken on the role of policing thoughts and words to the point of absurdity' the herald 'hilarious' evening standard 'hilarious' spectator 'hilarious' the times 'utterly unfunny' peter hitchens

In this study, irene i. blea describes the social situation of la chicana, a minority female whose life is influenced by racism and sexism. blea analyzes contemporary scholarship on race, class, and gender, scrutinizing the use of language and labels to examine how la chicana is affected by these factors. the wide-ranging study explores the history of chicanas and the meaning of the term chicana, and considers her socialization process, the consequences of deviating from gender roles, and the evolution of hispanic women onto the national scene in politics, health, economics, education, religion, and criminal justice. to date, little attention has been paid to the political, social, and cultural achievements of la chicana. the shared lives of mexican-american women and men at home and inside and outside of the barrio are also investigated. this unique volume highlights the variables that effectively discriminate against women of color.following a chapter that reviews the literature on chicanas and focuses on their participation in three major social movements, the text discusses the conquest of mexico and the blending of aztec and spanish cultures. next, the life of colonial hispanic women in mexico and the united states and the role of the mexican war in shaping the mexican-american experience are investigated. the following three chapters explore how americanization disempowered la chicana; discuss the contemporary cultural roles of la mujer (woman) and their impact on men's roles; and consider the lives of older women. chapter seven looks at how some women are defining new roles for la chicana. current social issues are compared with and contrasted to those of the 1960s. the final chapters develop a theory of discrimination based on the academic work of racial and ethnic minority scholars and feminist scholars, exploring new directions in the study of chicanas. this volume is valuable as an undergraduate or graduate text, and as a reference work, as well as a useful resource for social service providers.

This vital new collection presents new marxist-feminist analyses of capitalism as a gendered, racialized social formation that shapes and is shaped by specific nature-labour relationships. leaving behind former overtly structuralist thinking, marxist-feminist theories and struggles today interweaves strands of ecofeminism and intersectional analyses to develop an understanding of the relations of production and the production of nature through the interdependencies of gender, class, race and colonial relations.with contributions and analyses from scholars and theorists in both the global north and south, this volume offers a truly international lens that reveals the the vitality of contemporary global marxist-feminist thinking, as well as its continued relevance to feminist struggles across the globe.

Gendered lives: intersectional perspectives, seventh edition, is an interdisciplinary text-reader that provides an introduction to women's and gender studies within a global context by examining the diversity of us women's lives across categories of race-ethnicity, class, sexuality, gender expression, disability, age, and immigration status. substantial chapter introductions provide statistical information and explanations of key concepts and ideas as a context for the reading selections. each chapter includes reading questions and suggestions for taking action, to help students link what they learn to their own lives and to the world around them.

When feminist theory: from margin to center was first published in 1984, it was welcomed and praised by feminist thinkers who wanted a new vision. even so, individual readers frequently found the theory "unsettling" or "provocative." today, the blueprint for feminist movement presented in the book remains as provocative and relevant as ever. written in hooks's characteristic direct style, feminist theory embodies the hope that feminists can find a common language to spread the word and create a mass, global feminist movement.

Ranging from the age of slavery to contemporary injustices, this groundbreaking history of race, gender and class inequality by the radical political activist angela davis offers an alternative view of female struggles for liberation. tracing the intertwined histories of the abolitionist and women's suffrage movements, davis examines the racism and class prejudice inherent in so much of white feminism, and in doing so brings to light new pioneering heroines, from field slaves to mill workers, who fought back and refused to accept the lives into which they were born. 'the power of her historical insights and the sweetness of her dream cannot be denied' the new york times

Habeas viscus focuses attention on the centrality of race to notions of the human. weheliye develops a theory of "racializing assemblages," taking race as a set of sociopolitical processes that discipline humanity into full humans, not-quite-humans, and nonhumans. this disciplining, while not biological per se, frequently depends on anchoring political hierarchies in human flesh. the work of the black feminist scholars hortense spillers and sylvia wynter is vital to weheliye's argument. particularly significant are their contributions to the intellectual project of black studies vis-à-vis racialization and the category of the human in western modernity. wynter and spillers configure black studies as an endeavor to disrupt the governing conception of humanity as synonymous with white, western man. weheliye posits black feminist theories of modern humanity as useful correctives to the "bare life and biopolitics discourse" exemplified by the works of giorgio agamben and michel foucault, which, weheliye contends, vastly underestimate the conceptual and political significance of race in constructions of the human. habeas viscus reveals the pressing need to make the insights of black studies and black feminism foundational to the study of modern humanity.

Arguing that a small but powerful group has used misinformation campaigns to promote the idea of women as victims of the "patriarchy," an expose of these ideologues maintains that extremists damage the cause of equality

The concept of intersectionality has become a central topic in academic and activist circles alike. but what exactly does it mean, and why has it emerged as such a vital lens through which to explore how social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability, and ethnicity shape one another? in this fully revised and expanded second edition of their popular text, patricia hill collins and sirma bilge provide a much-needed introduction to the field of intersectional knowledge and praxis. analyzing the emergence, growth, and contours of the concept of intersectionality, the authors also consider its global reach through an array of new topics such as the rise of far-right populism, reproductive justice, climate change, and digital environments and cultures. accessibly written and drawing on a plethora of lively examples to illustrate its arguments, the book highlights intersectionality’s potential for understanding complex architecture of social and economic inequalities and bringing about social justice-oriented change. intersectionality will be an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with the main ideas, debates, and new directions in this field.

This book develops an intersectional feminist approach to moral responsibility. it accomplisheses four main goals. first, it outlines a concise list of the main principles of intersectional feminism. second, it uses these principles to critique prevailing philosophical theories of moral responsibility. third, it offers an account of moral responsibility that is compatible with the ethos of intersectional feminism. and fourth, it uses intersectional feminist principles to critique culturally normative responsibility practices.this is the first book to provide an explicitly intersectional feminist approach to moral responsibility. after identifying the five principles central to intersectional feminism, the author demonstrates how influential theories of responsibility are incompatible with these principles. she argues that a normatively adequate theory of blame should not be preoccupied with the agency or traits of wrongdoers; it should instead underscore, and seek to ameliorate, oppression and adversity as experienced by the marginalized. apt blame and praise, according to her intersectional feminist account, is both communicative and functionalist. the book concludes with an extensive discussion of culturally embedded responsibility practices, including asymmetrically structured conversations and gender- and racially biased social spaces.an intersectional feminist approach to moral responsibility presents a sophisticated and original philosophical account of moral responsibility. it will be of interest to philosophers working at the crossroads of moral responsibility, feminist philosophy, critical race theory, queer theory, critical disability studies, and intersectionality theory.

The concept of intersectionality has become a central topic in academic and activist circles alike. but what exactly does it mean, and why has it emerged as such a vital lens through which to explore how social inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, ability, and ethnicity shape one another? in this fully revised and expanded second edition of their popular text, patricia hill collins and sirma bilge provide a much-needed introduction to the field of intersectional knowledge and praxis. analyzing the emergence, growth, and contours of the concept of intersectionality, the authors also consider its global reach through an array of new topics such as the rise of far-right populism, reproductive justice, climate change, and digital environments and cultures. accessibly written and drawing on a plethora of lively examples to illustrate its arguments, the book highlights intersectionality’s potential for understanding complex architecture of social and economic inequalities and bringing about social justice-oriented change. intersectionality will be an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with the main ideas, debates, and new directions in this field.

A major publishing event, the collected writings of the groundbreaking scholar who "first coined intersectionality as a political framework" (salon) for more than twenty years, scholars, activists, educators, and lawyers–inside and outside of the united states–have employed the concept of intersectionality bothto describe problems of inequality and to fashion concrete solutions. in particular, as the washington post reported recently, "the term has been used by social activists as both a rallying cry for more expansive progressive movements and a chastisement for their limitations." drawing on black feminist and critical legal theory, kimberlé crenshaw developed the concept of intersectionality, a term she coined to speak to the multiple social forces, social identities, and ideological instruments through which power and disadvantage are expressed and legitimized. in this comprehensive and accessible introduction to crenshaw's work, readers will find key essays and articles that have defined the concept of intersectionality, collected together for the first time. the book includes a sweeping new introduction by crenshaw as well as prefaces that contextualize each of the chapters. for anyone interested in movement politics and advocacy, or in racial justice and gender equity, on intersectionality will be compulsory reading from one of the most brilliant theorists of our time.

A major publishing event, the collected writings of the groundbreaking scholar who "first coined intersectionality as a political framework" (salon) for more than twenty years, scholars, activists, educators, and lawyers–inside and outside of the united states–have employed the concept of intersectionality bothto describe problems of inequality and to fashion concrete solutions. in particular, as the washington post reported recently, "the term has been used by social activists as both a rallying cry for more expansive progressive movements and a chastisement for their limitations." drawing on black feminist and critical legal theory, kimberlé crenshaw developed the concept of intersectionality, a term she coined to speak to the multiple social forces, social identities, and ideological instruments through which power and disadvantage are expressed and legitimized. in this comprehensive and accessible introduction to crenshaw's work, readers will find key essays and articles that have defined the concept of intersectionality, collected together for the first time. the book includes a sweeping new introduction by crenshaw as well as prefaces that contextualize each of the chapters. for anyone interested in movement politics and advocacy, or in racial justice and gender equity, on intersectionality will be compulsory reading from one of the most brilliant theorists of our time.