Think Like a Feminist

May 18, 2020
Hay (Kantianism, Liberalism, and Feminism), a philosophy professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, explores the philosophical frameworks of feminism and addresses the movement’s “PR problem” in this accessible, idea-centered account. After sketching the histories of first-, second-, and third-wave feminism as a series of “course corrections” to make the movement more intersectional and inclusive, Hays examines how the stereotypes of “Angry Feminism” and its mirror opposite, “Girl Power Feminism,” allow those invested in maintaining the status quo to rob feminism of its “radical potential.” She analyzes feminist ideas related to oppression, privilege, and identity through philosophical metaphors such as “The Birdcage” and “The Panopticon”; tracks historical conceptions of sex, gender, and gender roles; discusses ideological differences between “anti-porn” and “sex positive” feminists; highlights women’s internalized objectification as a roadblock to advancing feminism; dissects the meaning of “rape culture”; and calls on women and men to examine the subconscious ways in which they support the patriarchy. Hay succeeds in clarifying abstract—and often sobering—concepts with straightforward terminology and a dash of irreverent humor. This crisp, well-informed primer on feminist theory will resonate with young women and experienced activists alike.

June 1, 2020
How--and why--do young feminists' goals differ from those of their mothers and grandmothers? A philosophy professor has answers. Despite its title, this energetic overview of several centuries of feminist thought offers few self-help tips until, late in the book, Hay suggests ways to deal with annoyances like "manspreading" and "mansplaining." Instead, with a winning mix of scholarship and irreverence, the author lays out the philosophical underpinnings of feminism and how they have evolved through three waves: the first focused on female suffrage, the second on political and legal goals, and the third on the intersection of sexism and injustices such as "racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, or transphobia." Hay traces women's oppression partly to the unequal results of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden: Adam simply "gets kicked out of his parents' basement and told he has to grow up and get a job" while Eve and her descendants were thrown "under a bus." The author also shows the clashing responses that women's predicaments have inspired in fervent theorists and activists--e.g., Aristotle and John Stuart Mill, "Angry Feminists" and "Girl Power Feminists," "trans-inclusive feminists" and "trans-exclusionary radical feminists." Hay doesn't mention Gloria Steinem but sums up the impact of many other signal figures, including Mary Wollstonecraft, Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Audre Lorde, Susan Brownmiller, Shulamith Firestone, and Kimberl� Crenshaw. Hay's approach has its limits: Focused on theories born in capitalist economies, she takes too little note of the ideas of feminists outside North America whose support for socialist programs has helped their democracies race past the U.S. and Canada in achieving widely shared goals such as paid parental leave. Still, this book speaks to second- and third-wavers alike and could build worthy intergenerational bridges. A lively compendium of what Gloria Steinem didn't tell you about feminist ideas and why they matter.

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August 1, 2020
Feminism means so many different things to different people that any attempt to conclusively define it may be doomed from the beginning. But author Hay (Kantianism, Liberalism, and Feminism, 2013) makes a strong start in this short yet thorough introduction to some of feminism's central tenets. Hay begins with a concise history of Western feminism, celebrating its accomplishments without minimizing the prejudices and failures of each wave of the movement. She then describes the problems that feminism endeavors to solve and the multiple and varying ways that misogynist oppression manifests itself for women from all walks of life. The book is first and foremost an introductory text, but it does not elide nuance, as when it presents the social/biological model for gender and sex, but then explores critiques and complications around that model. Hay also points readers to prominent feminist writers and philosophers, making further reading on the subject easy for interested readers. This smart, accessible primer will appeal to lifelong feminists as well as to those less familiar with the principles and history of feminism.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 28, 2020

Hay (philosophy, Univ. of Massachusetts Lowell) offers a useful primer on the state of feminism in the MeToo era, delineating the history of feminism's various "waves," and how they led to where we are today. The author applies a series of metaphors to break down the levels of oppression that women contend with, and her chapters on gender and sex as social constructions are straightforward and instructive. She also discusses the controversial sect of TERFS (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) and argues that "the future of the feminist movement is one that includes trans women." Hay acknowledges that feminism is as varied as the women who subscribe to it, all of whom have vastly different experiences with regard to race, class, sexuality, and ability. However, that women are disadvantaged in a man's world, and the belief that this reality can and should be changed, remains a core, unifying tenet. Many feminist texts render themselves inaccessible to lay readers; in seeking to avoid this, Hay can sometimes come across as awkwardly chatty, with gratuitous asides. Any primer runs the risk of being reductionist, which Hay occasionally is, but it doesn't undermine the book's overall effectiveness. VERDICT Recommended for all readers, especially those new to feminism.--Barrie Olmstead, Lewiston P.L., ID

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