Feminism Is For Everybody Summary

Inclusivity
Feminism is for Everybody also provides an account of the challenges and struggles that the feminist movement faces. Her account opposes the anti-feminist public voice in contemporary culture which argues that feminism seeks to harm or oppress men. In this book she aims to educate men on feminism because “they would find in feminist movement the hope of their own release from the bondage of patriarchy.” In this context, instead of a division of roles that are aimed for mutual benefit, hooks describes patriarchy as a system of domination. By doing this, hooks equates patriarchy with oppression. However, she firmly invites men to take on a positive, active role in the feminist movement because she believes that feminism is only possible if men and women work hand in hand to support
She suggests that the movement cannot succeed without the collective participation of males in the movement. Her understanding is that “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.” She reiterates that feminism seeks to eliminate sexism not only for the benefit of women but to liberate society from sexist oppresion as a whole. Hooks understands sexism as harmful to both men and women. For men, sexism forces men to adhere to one specific ideology of “masculinity”. Sexism creates a trend in society whereby men are often ridiculed for showing emotional wweaknesses, choosing to diverge from normative heterosexuality or showing interests in activities that are traditionally considered feminine. These oppressions affect the nature of men in that they encourage violence and aggression and can cause emotional repression. Hooks goes on to claim that women, specifically mothers, play a significant role in contributing to the attitudes and behaviour of men. because mothers are responsible for raising boys to men, they have a significant influence on the ideologies and traditions that boys will adapt and . She explores this in the