CW: chapter 2 contains a detailed description of child abuse by a parent
Hello comrades, it’s time for our second discussion thread for The Will to Change, covering Chapters 2 (Understanding Patriarchy) and 3 (Being a Boy). Thanks to everyone who participated last week, I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts again. And if you’re just joining the book club this week, welcome!
In Ch.2 hooks defines patriarchy, how it is enforced by parental figures and society at large, and the struggle of antipatriarchal parents to raise children outside of these rigid norms when the border culture is so immersed in them. Ch.3 delves deeper into the effects of patriarchy on young boys and girls and the systemic apparatuses that reinforce gender norms.
If you haven’t read the book yet but would like to, its available free on the Internet Archive in text form, as well as an audiobook on Youtube with content warnings at the start of each chapter, courtesy of the Anarchist Audio Library, and as an audiobook on our very own TankieTube! (note: the YT version is missing the Preface but the Tankietube version has it)
As always let me know if you’d like to be added to the ping list!
Our next discussion will be on Chapters 4 (Stopping Male Violence) and 5 (Male Sexual Being), beginning on 12/11.
I think is part of the appeal of bell hooks is that she tells it how it is and doesn’t leave any group blameless. We (men, women, feminists, etc.) have made mistakes and we need to see them and correct from them. This is something that we as a society are terrible at and its good to see it called out. Part of this is because vested interested need to sow division and amplify those voices that help them. This includes the most Man Hating elements of feminism because its a great enemy to fight. I think often about how for reactionaries and bigot they need the enemy who are their allies in division. Their true enemy is those of us who reject their definitions of enemies and want us all to get along