The phrase ‘imperialist-white supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy’ might appear clunky and somewhat of a mouthful, but it is indicative of bell hooks’ conceptual and theoretical position: a position that is sensitive to the relational character of structures influencing the social order, while also seeking to locate these structures within a global and historical context.
More specifically, bell hooks has consistently shown how feminism as a lens and social movement exposes oppressive structures that are interlinked and sustain themselves via a system of ‘ imperialist-white supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy’. Two themes stand out across this diverse body of work 1) the insistence that feminism has the potential to better the lives of all people not just those gendered as women 2) a commitment to finding ways to collectively address oppressive structures that result in dehumanisation and environmental injustice.
This is reflected in her insistence on spelling her name lower case, in subversion of current grammar rules. A counter to this criticism might be that rather than lacking rigour, bell hooks is acutely aware that language is a site of struggle and opts not to conform to normative markers of academic rigour because they reinforce hierarchies. For critics, this pursuit of accessibility results in bell hooks’ scholarly writing lacking academic rigour. To some, the breadth of this work is testament to bell hook’s insistence on writing for and engaging with a range of audiences. Her work covers a range of issues and genres including, but not limited to gender, race/racism, class, sexual politics, spirituality, love, education and pedagogy, cultural criticism, poetry, and children’s fiction. Bell hooks (* 1952) is the pen name used by the American public intellectual, author and activist Gloria Jean Watkins.
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