Feminism without Boarders by Sunera Thobani
The theory and practical implementation of the theory of feminism has been observed via the lenses of many researchers who are dedicated to studying the problem of the role of women in society in their fundamental works. In this relation, it is understandable that feministic viewpoint is not just a matter fact, but it has more deeper roots in cultural and historical background of the Western civilization. In many approaches to feminism, it can be irrelevant that it has to deal with the facts of determination of women within the frames of culture. For example, when developing this thesis much deeper, it is very well adjusted that feminism is the theory of practice of female identity development that may be placed in the various contexts of time and place. In this relation, the thesis should be developed in the following way: feminism should overcome the cultural, political and social barriers to apply the positive outcomes of theory and practice into new context, where good overlooking of traditions and values are put on stake to liberal determination. Postantional feminism should formulate the praxis of of the methods of treating women equally, irrespectively from the countries of their origin. According to Thobani (2005), feminism should be regarded in the frames of postnational identity formulation. This notions has to be developed in relation to consequences that have to be built on the background of relational base of respect, care, love, and social inclusion of women into political and social life.
In her book Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity, Sunera Thobani provides a critical approach to the idea of Western feminism that, in her opinion, is not that radical, but it goes along upon the boundaries of the Western civilization, without being proudly focused on the critically developing roles of women in the developed and developing countries. Thobani (2005) tends to criticize the differences between feministic considerations in the so called ”First” and “Third” world. In the first, feminism is the issue of dealing with political and social life, family relations, sexual and gender identity. However, when it goes along into the deeper notions and essences of feminism, it should be denoted that, for example, feminism in the “Third” world should have become the category of “come out” at least, showing the talents, come to the equality with men in voting rights, public speaking, law, education, etc. Of course, in different regions of the world, the rights of women are not equal; and they have to care about the basic needs for food and shelter, rather than involving into political discussion or other kind of social activity.
Thobani (2005) realizes that the problem of the lack of understanding the essential components of feminism in the East and in the West is much deeper than just regarding the concepts of racial, cultural, ethnical, political determination and formulating or refurbishing the identity of women in their struggle for equality. The author of the book is focused on globalization the major trend that is popular nowadays to be get involved into the frames of time and geographical considerations. It turns clear that feminism is to find the keys to success for developing new approaches to female roles distribution within society. In this relation, equality is not the only issue that should be discussed in the frames of social justice and great care of females in their struggle for rights.
Now, what can we see in the Eastern countries? The role of women is minimized to biological functions, so they are regarded as “mothers”, “daughters”, “servants”, “baby-seaters”, etc. rather than respectful leaders of communist. The patriarchal society of the East brought many problems for women who are in the power of struggling for their equality and oberlcoming the social barriers of injustice between men and women. In the opinion of Thobani (2005), it can be globalization that will help to reduce the tension and minimize the diversities that may happen to be strategically significant for the further research in this field.
In her book, Thobani “reiterates her belief in the possibility, indeed necessity, of building common political projects between Third World and Western feminisms” (Thobani 2005: 222). The relational base of feminism should be based on the common values of respect the female dignity, equality of their roles in political and social life that may be very significant from the point of view of modern theorists of gender studies.
The researcher from Syracuse University, the author of the famous essay Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses, is aware that “the relationship between ‘Woman’—a cultural and ideological composite” should be trustfully “constructed through diverse representational discourses (scientific, literary, juridical, linguistic, cinematic, etc.) in regard to other ‘women’—real, material subjects of their collective histories”. (Mohanty 2003: 238) This question can be one of the central in the practice of feminist worldview development.
The discursive construction of feministic ideology is the matter of good care among theorists worldwide. It is understandable that in many cases, gender identity is not the only way to overcome the differences between eastern and western feminism, for they are different in the way of exposing gender roles and female natural determination. Sexual revolution in the West contributed much to the way problems are exposed in the cultural and political aspects. In this relation, Mohanty (2003) is aware that globalization is not the only way to solve the problem of gender exteriorization among women. She suggests regarding feminism as the worldview based on the liberal treatment of reality that will lead to the liberalization of society for better or for worse.
Feminism is a transnational category, for it goes along the differences in ideologies, overcoming them, formulating the precursors to social boundaries that may happen to be radically determined within eastern or western countries. Mohanty (2003) states that in real there is no difference between women in Asia or in the USA. However, the differences may occur when it goes to treatment of differences in the lifestyles of women in the East and in the West. In the other words, traditions of the countries of the East may be the burden of stuck to the past rather than moving forward, developing the other ideas of globalization an liberalization that are relevant to understanding the human values rather than cultural or patriotic.
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Therefore, when it comes to the idea of postantional feminism, it should be clarified that different points of view may be significant for the further development of feministic ideas in the frames of ideological movement. However, Mohanty’s book Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity, suggests the way to overcome the burdens of social control over women. It can be very well observed in the countries o the East, where genders are not in the equal positions. In this relation, the approach to feminism in the postnational understanding of this question is very well distributed to the context of irrelevance in terms of the shifts in values. The call of traditions may be too high in the countries of the East; and this may cause problems in distributing liberal and global values for the benefits of society. In this relation, feminism is the bridge to setting society free from prejudices, based on gender choice that should be free for every person who is about to lead the emotionally healthy life.
