Serene J. Khader - "Faux Feminism" - Luvell Anderson
For readers of Hood Feminism and Against White Feminism
An incisive examination of why the pillars of feminism have eroded—and how all women, not just the #girlbosses, can rebuild them
Serene Khader will discuss Faux Feminism: Why we fall for white feminism and how we can stop. She will be joined in conversation by Luvell Anderson.
At the Co-op
RSVP Here (Please note that your RSVP is requested but not required.)
About the Book: After over 175 years, the feminist movement, now in its fourth wave, is at risk of collapsing on its eroding foundation. In Faux Feminism, political philosopher Serene Khader advocates for another feminism—one that doesn’t overwhelmingly serve white, affluent #girlbosses. With empathy, passion, and wit, Khader invites the reader to join her as she excavates the movement’s history and draws a blueprint for a more inclusive and resilient future.
A feminist myth buster, Khader begins by deconstructing “faux feminisms.” Thought to be the pillars of good feminism, they may appeal to many but, in truth, leave most women behind. Khader identifies these traps that white feminism lays for us all, asking readers to think critically about
–The Freedom Myth: The overarching misconception that feminism is about personal freedom rather than collective equality
–The Individualism Myth: The pervasive idea that feminism aims to free individual women from social expectations
–The Culture Myth: The harmful misconception that “other” cultures restrict women’s liberation
–The Restriction Myth: The flawed belief that feminism is a fight against social restrictions
–The Judgment Myth: The fallacy of celebrating women’s choices without first interrogating the privileges afforded or denied to the women
In later chapters, Khader draws on global and intersectional feminist lessons of the past and present to imagine feminism’s future. She pays particular attention to women of color, especially those in the Global South. Khader recounts their cultural and political stories of building a more inclusive framework in their societies. These are the women, she argues, from whom today’s feminists can learn.
Khader’s critical inquiry begets a new vision of feminism: one that tackles inequality at the societal, not individual, level and is ultimately rooted in community.
About the Author: Serene J. Khader is an American moral and political philosopher and feminist theorist. She is Professor and Jay Newman Chair in the Philosophy of Culture at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the author of Decolonizing Universalism: A Transnational Feminist Ethic and Adaptive Preferences and Women’s Empowerment, and Faux Feminism, publishing on October 29, 2024 (Beacon Press).
Serene studies the moral values that underlie feminist activism, especially in cross-cultural contexts. Her conceptual work on autonomy and oppression has allowed her to develop new approaches to practical problems, such as the devaluation of women’s labor, racial power dynamics among women, and the empowerment of women in the global South. Her areas of expertise within philosophy are ethics, social and political philosophy, transnational feminisms, and decolonial and postcolonial theory.
Her work has been featured in The New York Times and ABC News, as well as journals such as Philosophical Studies, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Social Theory and Practice, Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, and many more.
About the Interlocutor: Luvell Anderson is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is the co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Applied Philosophy of Language and The Routledge Companion to the Philosophy of Race. He has published several academic articles on racial humor, racial slurs, hate speech, and hermeneutical impasses. He has also written for venues like The New York Times, Boston Review, HR.com, and Mediapost and has been interviewed on several podcasts. He is currently finishing up a book on The Ethics of Racial Humor, which Oxford University Press will publish.