What To Do About Feminism? | Xianan Jin
Rediscovering a politics of the body
Where do women fit into feminism today? This may seem like an odd, if not obvious, question but feminism today has expanded its definitions to include many different kinds of bodies and experiences. This diversity is no doubt a good thing, but the way it is sometimes practiced has caused tensions in the women's movement, whereby women and other marginalised groups are pitted against one another for resources, creating animosity where there should be solidarity.
Xianan Jin is a lecturer in politics at the University of Exeter where she researches and teaches queer theory and feminism. She joins me to discuss how queer theory and feminism overlap, opening up a very rich dialogue about our bodies, our lived experience, and the importance of maintaining some distinction between groups. Xianan offers some fascinating insight into how her students' perspectives on feminism have changed over time, particularly with regards to where men can take up space—and where they are barred from the conversation. We then have a fascinating discussion on reproductive labour, envisioning a world where breaking down gender roles actually becomes about what we do for one another, not just about how we identify.
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