Confessions of a Bad Feminist – Ted Talk by Roxanne Gay
· According to Roxanne Gay, What is a “Bad Feminist”?
· Why does she want to knock herself off the pedestal before anyone else can even put her up there?
· How did feminism help her regain her voice? What does she use her voice to talk back against?
· What are you taking away from this video? How has it confirmed or challenged your ideas about what feminism is?
Reading 1 “Claiming an Education” Adrienne Rich
1. What is the main message of Rich’s article? How does it relate to the founding of Women’s Studies as a discipline?
2. Explain in your own words what it means to talk about the androcentrism of the academy (acedmic institutions).
3. Rich discusses that there students should take responsibility for themselves – what does she mean by this?
4. What is the difference between claiming and receiving an education? What does claiming an education imply?
5. Do you feel that you are claiming an education or receiving one? Justify your answer.
Reading 3 – “Feminist Politics, Where We Stand” bell hooks
1. Why did hooks like her stated definition of feminism? What does she think is what most people believe when they define feminism?
2. According to hooks, the struggle for contemporary feminism is not against patriarchy alone – what other systems must be challenged?
3. This piece was written in 2000 and ends with a statement that feminist politics is losing momentum – what does she identify as the reason for this? Do you think anything has changed over the last 18 years?