On The Postcolonial Feminism Of Bell Hooks

Bell hooks is accepted as one of the famous scholars of black feminism, but many people question her identity as a postcolonial feminist scholar. They believe that bell hooks usually focuses on black women, so she cannot be classified as a postcolonial scholar. In fact, in postcolonial theory, the concept of "The Third World" is very inclusive. And at the same time, in consideration of the core of her theory, bell hooks’identity as a postcolonial feminist scholar is beyond question. The essay labels bell hooks as a postcolonial feminist scholar and discuss her thoughts.The essay analyzes the background of hooks’postcolonial feminist thoughts. As a black woman, hooks’ experience in her childhood is closely linked to her thoughts; at the same time, a variety of new thoughts sprang up when hooks was in her youth; also in1960s, western feminism was in a dilemma, which made hooks think about the new way of feminism and the third world’s women’s position. In addition, the feminist second-wave which started in1960s provided a good opportunity for bell hooks to explore the new feminist theory.Bell hooks’ postcolonial feminisist thoughts consist of two parts:postcolonial feminist theory and postcolonial feminist criticism. Based on gender, ethnic and class, hooks redefined the concept of feminism. Centered on this concept, hooks criticized traditional western feminism and developed different aspects of her theory, forming an integrated system. Besides, hooks keeps carrying on the practice of postcolonial feminist criticism. She focuses on the wrong images of the third world women in White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy, criticizes and deconstructs these stereotypes.Bell hooks emphasizes the practice of feminism. She puts great importance on the function of "Love" in the feminist practice, and regards it as one way of liberating women, even the whole people. Hooks’postcolonial feminism thoughts not only supplement the theory of both postcolonialism and feminism, but also can help women of the third world to get rid of all kinds of oppression and construct their subjectivity. At last, what should be given attention is there are also many problems in hooks’thoughts, the limitations cannot be ignored.