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ghsr's review
5.0
This was SO good! It is HUGE in the scope of issues covered, but very comprehensive and insightful. Koa Beck covers the history of feminism in the US, linking it clearly to problems encountered today with white feminism. Issues within the workplace and consumerist feminism are covered extensively. Although the subject matter can be heavy at times, the writing style is relatively easy and her arguments are clearly laid out. Made me question how I think about and feminism and activism in general, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A great critical overview of the various waves of feminism over the years and the MANY ways these efforts have mainly served white women, often completely ignoring or outright excluding women of color, queer women, disabled women, plus-sized women and Indigenous women (among others). I really enjoyed the journalistic nature of the book and how much research Beck put into the book - it's very detailed and covers a wide variety of issues and aspects of the shortcomings of modern feminism. Beck convincingly shows that privileged white women need to start caring for more than just themselves and start working with all women to overturn the structural inequality that is preventing a cohesive feminism. For fans of Hood feminism, Girl, gurl, grrl, White tears/Brown scars or Seven fallen feathers.
Favorite quotes:
"White feminism of then and now has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to focusing only on sexism and has deflected multi-generational attempts to expand this lens."
"White feminism is very singular in its execution. It is about getting ahead in the existing power structure regardless of the harm it causes to other people."
"Our country, our respective fields, our culture, has been very effective in taking us away from one another, even as certain rights have been achieved."
Favorite quotes:
"White feminism of then and now has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to focusing only on sexism and has deflected multi-generational attempts to expand this lens."
"White feminism is very singular in its execution. It is about getting ahead in the existing power structure regardless of the harm it causes to other people."
"Our country, our respective fields, our culture, has been very effective in taking us away from one another, even as certain rights have been achieved."
descartes's review
5.0
This book is our generations women,race, class by Angela Davis. The author Koa Beck manages to show how “white” women and men walk hand in hand with the patriarchy to create an exclusive club that benefits mainly a privileged few (usually white wealthy) women alongside men at the expense of poor, non conforming, women of color.
In the book, feminism specifically white feminism becomes a tool to uphold and even empower the patriarchy. And Beck manages to draw on how feminism has been used as a tool to keep women of color out since almost its inception relying on the historical context of the women’s suffragette movement which itself was propelled by women of color who were not given the same seat at the table as white women have.
If you have read women, race, class by Angela Davis you actually might notice some of the similarities as Koa Beck touches on many of the same topics. However a major difference is that this book is written for a much more modern period and so encases a lot of the current struggles and issues we have seen play over in the media. Beck showcases how society has tried to include women of color and queer women but only to the benefit of themselves or their company while continuing to allow for injustice and exploitation to happen on a large scale basically cleaning their hands of scandal by saying “hey we have a diversity hire”. I can hardly explain how well the author manages to show the hypocrisy inherent in how we view and treat women in our society without reading the book line for line as she manages to include SO much detail in such a succinct and easy way.
I’m serious this book is just filled to the brim with quotes, facts, sources etc which is a godsend to people who love to source their arguments.
I’d recommend this book for literally anyone. The only people who might not like this book are men who are inherently against feminism or women who are in positions of power who abuse their power or who have gotten them through privilege and do not want to admit it. However even Beck engages with them in the book and shows how people in positions of privilege can use their privilege to help and payback those who have been exploited.
All in all a must read from me.
In the book, feminism specifically white feminism becomes a tool to uphold and even empower the patriarchy. And Beck manages to draw on how feminism has been used as a tool to keep women of color out since almost its inception relying on the historical context of the women’s suffragette movement which itself was propelled by women of color who were not given the same seat at the table as white women have.
If you have read women, race, class by Angela Davis you actually might notice some of the similarities as Koa Beck touches on many of the same topics. However a major difference is that this book is written for a much more modern period and so encases a lot of the current struggles and issues we have seen play over in the media. Beck showcases how society has tried to include women of color and queer women but only to the benefit of themselves or their company while continuing to allow for injustice and exploitation to happen on a large scale basically cleaning their hands of scandal by saying “hey we have a diversity hire”. I can hardly explain how well the author manages to show the hypocrisy inherent in how we view and treat women in our society without reading the book line for line as she manages to include SO much detail in such a succinct and easy way.
I’m serious this book is just filled to the brim with quotes, facts, sources etc which is a godsend to people who love to source their arguments.
I’d recommend this book for literally anyone. The only people who might not like this book are men who are inherently against feminism or women who are in positions of power who abuse their power or who have gotten them through privilege and do not want to admit it. However even Beck engages with them in the book and shows how people in positions of privilege can use their privilege to help and payback those who have been exploited.
All in all a must read from me.
jonapelson's review against another edition
4.0
"The sinister nature of white decency is one of our biggest threats"
I especially loved the expansive dive into how white feminism (the ideology) is deeply rooted in and continues to perpetuate capitalism, white supremacy, and relies on the belief and success of the individual over the collective. I also loved her analysis of corporatized feminism (the future is female etc) and how activism and diversity became part of brand strategy "Instead of a protest vehicle, feminism became a brand"
I struggled with the structure of the book and found some of it (especially the earlier sections on history) a bit all over the place. Another reviewer summed it up for me, "I find the narrative repetitive and difficult to follow; it vacillates between history and social commentary, and perhaps as a consequence it reads like a lot of ideas yoked together that vaguely connect to a very broad thesis (i.e. the title)" and while she does mention trans and nonbinary folks, I felt their presence and perspective could have more plentiful/nuanced.
Another random aside - my first book that mentioned COVID19!
I especially loved the expansive dive into how white feminism (the ideology) is deeply rooted in and continues to perpetuate capitalism, white supremacy, and relies on the belief and success of the individual over the collective. I also loved her analysis of corporatized feminism (the future is female etc) and how activism and diversity became part of brand strategy "Instead of a protest vehicle, feminism became a brand"
I struggled with the structure of the book and found some of it (especially the earlier sections on history) a bit all over the place. Another reviewer summed it up for me, "I find the narrative repetitive and difficult to follow; it vacillates between history and social commentary, and perhaps as a consequence it reads like a lot of ideas yoked together that vaguely connect to a very broad thesis (i.e. the title)" and while she does mention trans and nonbinary folks, I felt their presence and perspective could have more plentiful/nuanced.
Another random aside - my first book that mentioned COVID19!
jessmcsweeney's review
5.0
This book is 100% required reading for anyone who's ever called themselves a feminist, specifically white women and people who've ever asserted their own privilege or a view of feminism as reaching some metaphorical corporate peak. I've already seen some reviews on here about the use of the word "white" and I'm like . . . that's the whole point. If you've ever considered intersectionality within feminism "divisive," you need this book and it will change your life.
I took a ton of notes reading this, and my biggest takeaways were around the problems of white feminism as:
- An individual pursuit rather than a collective one (ascending within the existing capitalist power structure and gaining access to resources, rather than examining what basic resources and human rights aren't afforded to marginalized groups).
- A product to be sold in a capitalist structure (selling #TheFutureIsFemale gear but again, ignoring systemic issues)
- Performative - what does "smash the patriarchy" really mean if we are measuring our success by patriarchal standards of wealth and power? Why do we assume any one single female CEO is automatically feminist? Why is one token hire "enough"?
Beck explored those points (and SO many others!) with tons of historical research, case studies, and pop cultural examples via contemporary articles. There's also a lot of practical advice about how communal organizing is the key to a more impactful and inclusive feminism. My favorite piece came in a later section of the book about how the things that were once radical are now commonplace, and how that alters our view of change as being possible within the status quo of this company or this structure. In reality, change comes from "things that will get you in trouble."
I could not recommend this book more - it's excellently researched, uncomfortable, and damning. I barely touched on all of the gems within and hope you'll pick it up! I will also note I'm not a huge nonfiction reader but really loved this.
I took a ton of notes reading this, and my biggest takeaways were around the problems of white feminism as:
- An individual pursuit rather than a collective one (ascending within the existing capitalist power structure and gaining access to resources, rather than examining what basic resources and human rights aren't afforded to marginalized groups).
- A product to be sold in a capitalist structure (selling #TheFutureIsFemale gear but again, ignoring systemic issues)
- Performative - what does "smash the patriarchy" really mean if we are measuring our success by patriarchal standards of wealth and power? Why do we assume any one single female CEO is automatically feminist? Why is one token hire "enough"?
Beck explored those points (and SO many others!) with tons of historical research, case studies, and pop cultural examples via contemporary articles. There's also a lot of practical advice about how communal organizing is the key to a more impactful and inclusive feminism. My favorite piece came in a later section of the book about how the things that were once radical are now commonplace, and how that alters our view of change as being possible within the status quo of this company or this structure. In reality, change comes from "things that will get you in trouble."
I could not recommend this book more - it's excellently researched, uncomfortable, and damning. I barely touched on all of the gems within and hope you'll pick it up! I will also note I'm not a huge nonfiction reader but really loved this.
ncrozier's review
4.0
This book is an excellent exploration of an important topic, and left me with a lot of notes and thoughts. I did find the book a little chaotic structurally sometimes.