Patricia Hill Collins, an active African American sociologist, is best known for her groundbreaking research in the areas of Black feminism and the extensive development of the concept of intersectionality, a term first popularized in 1989 by Kimberlé Williams. Patricia Hill Collins’ main goals are to better the black community through community work, and with her gift as a sociologist/ author. “Throughout her career Collins has advocated for the power of people, the importance of community building
Patricia Hill Collins focuses on marginalized groups in her theory of intersectionality. However, even individuals not subject to systems of oppression, such as Skylar in Good Will Hunting, can be understood using Hill Collins’ ideas of controlling images versus self-definition. Throughout the movie, Skylar is seen in a particular way by other characters, but her own view of herself is more complex and she resists being seen solely through the controlling images she is associated with. Skylar’s resistance
Patricia Hill Collins outlines the existence of three different dimensions of gender oppression: institutional, symbolic, and individual. The institutional dimension consists of systemic relationship of domination structured through social institutions, such as government, the workplace or education institutions. In other words, this dimension explains “who has the power”. This is completely related to a patriarchal society. Patriarchy is the manifestation and institutionalism of male dominance.
Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism, author Patricia Hill Collins, she discusses sexism, gender and the new racism. Collins discusses that heterosexuality operates as a hegemonic ideology that influences human sexuality, racism, and psychological processes (Collins 2004 p.37). This placement of heterosexuality at the top, positions it as the basis of understanding sexuality. For example Collins illustrates that the term sexuality itself is used so synonymously with heterosexuality
old myths of directly responsible villains, there remains a not unrelated urge still to describe and intellectually master (exert power over by gaining knowledge of) those who inhabit structural locations of privilege. Taking the case of Patricia Hill Collins’ black feminism, a rather nuanced understanding of such characters is developed to better know their place. However, the accounts of this sort of simplistic anti-domination critique ultimately replicates, in its theorizing, the assimilationist
how they operate as well as develop strategies to dismantle them. This embracing of sociopolitical dissonance embodies the spirit of dialectical practices in Black feminism. In the chapter “Distinguishing Features of Black Feminist Thought” Patricia Hill Collins emphasizes that
The dictionary defines Black Feminist, as a strand of feminist thought, which highlights the multiple disadvantages of gender, class and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women. Among the many Black Feminist advocates, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi fights for the many challenges African Woman endure. For her, a woman should be regarded with respect and comprehend that there is no limits to what she can achieve. Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi has done plenty for the advancement and empowerment of
past, this is no different in the manner that Patricia Hill Collins builds off W.E.B Du Bois understanding of double consciousness. In her essay, “Learning from the Insider Within: The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought”, Patricia Hill Collins analyses Black feminist thought through a discourse following three distinct themes that allow for Black Women within the field of sociology an unique perspective outside the boundaries. Collins diverges into the topic by breaking down the historical
In her seminal text, Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins codifies a vast literature on Black feminist thought to develop a coherent social theory. Collins draws from not only social scientific research, but literature, poetry, music and oral history. She highlights the existing exclusion and denial of intersection social identities and intersecting/overlapping systems and forms of domination experienced by sub-populations like Black women in America. Bringing together White myopia and Male
are perceived as aggressive, hypersexual, angry, dangerous, and animalistic each of these negative stereotypes stem from the adverse conditions black women suffered during slavery. In “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images,” by Patricia Hill Collins, she argues that controlling images such as mammies, matriarchs, jezebels, and the welfare queen which are all stereotypes generated by White Americans, produce and reinforce
The sociologist I chose is Patricia Hill Collins and W.E.B Dubois. Patricia was born May 1st, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the only child born to Eunice Randolph Hill and Albert Hill, a factory worker/veteran and a secretary. After obtaining her bachelor's degree from Brandeis University in 1969, she continued on to earn a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching from Harvard University in 1970. From 1970 to 1976, she was a teacher and curriculum specialist at St Joseph Community School
gender and race alone but is compelled to study other contributing factors. It is almost impossible to tackle the issue of sexism without mentioning racism because these two are intertwined. The black female feminist figure of my focus is Patricia Hill Collins, born in 1948 and famed for her book ‘Black Feminist Thought.’ and ‘On Intellectual Activism’. She is currently a respectable professor
What is a feminist standpoint epistemology? Evaluate Patricia Hill Collin’s feminist standpoint and her gender analysis of black political economy. The purpose of this paper is to analyse Patricia Hill Collin’s feminist standpoint and her gender analysis of black political economy. The first section will outline feminist standpoint epistemology, followed by an analysis that evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of Collin’s framework. This will be demonstrated by deconstructing Collin’s work on intersectionality
creed, national origin, sexual orientation and/or age (Patricia Hill Collins 1990). In 1990 Collins is credited with introducing the theory in her book Black Feminist Thought; Knowledge, consciousness and the politics of empowerment. As noted in her work, there are many different ways someone might experience domination or oppression. • Oppression of race, gender, sexuality or national origin intersect varying systems of power. Collins uses the phrase “intersectionality” to refer to concurrent
research from Patricia Hill Collins, the author of Black Women and Motherhood, and Shifting the Center: Race, Class, and Theorizing about Motherhood. In this paper, I will briefly highlight the history of black motherhood whilst weighing on the lasting trauma that affects these women today.
is a woman. Black feminist thought, hip hop feminism, and intersectionality theory possess differing and similar frameworks and together can be used in the analysis of Sammus’ music. I will discuss Black feminist thought with the work of Patricia Hill Collins; hip hop feminism with the
In the opening chapter of their book, Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge examine the meaning of intersectionality as they apply it to three distinct examples: the FIFA World Cup, a World Congress of Sociology, and the Brazilian festival of Latinidades. Intersectionality, as defined by the authors, refers to “a way of understanding and analyzing the complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences.” Intersectionality is often used as an analytic tool to better understand the social
differing characters are greatly influenced by the opposing cultural values of Latinas working in sweatshops and that of White-American feminists. According to Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought, these conflicting cultural values develop oppositional knowledge in these women, which alters their perception of the female sex appeal. Hill Collins also explains that when individuals communicate their diverse ideas in a unified manner, it precipitates a unanimous definition to a society. This theory
motherhood in the black culture is to first break its meaning down to the simplest form. In order to do that one must analyze all phases of what black motherhood is which transforms into true womanhood and equates to a “good” mother, according to Collins (Sealey-Ruiz 141-53). Motherhood is defined as the kinship between a mother and her offspring(s). Then we have womanhood which is merely just the state of being a woman. Now when you define what a “good” woman is one
REACTION PAPER WEEK 8 Bell Hooks ‘Black Women Shaping Feminist Theory’ first published 1984 edited by Kum-Kum Bhavnani (2001) Outlines a different theoretical and epistemological attitude in gender studies, ideal work at exposing the ruins of feminism as a liberal movement by privileged whites. The basis of hooks’ method are fundamentally Marxist approach, the conflict amid the oppressors and the repressed that exists in this case, she claims that Black women are discriminated also their status