The Inclusion of Other Women: Breaking the Silence Through Dialogic Learning

ISBN-13: 9789048168941 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 196 str.

Lena De Botton; Lidia Puigvert; Montse Sanchez-Aroca

Opis

Why we are the other women This book recognizes a reality, our reality, that of the other women . Why are we the other women ? Because we are women who, given the fact that we have not had the chance to obtain an academic education, were silenced and have remained outside of the spaces for public debate about women. This exclusion is worse if we are immigrants or belong to an ethnic minority. Those of us who are housewives, domestic workers or factory workers, because we do not have academic degrees, do not have spaces in which our voices can be heard, where we can say what we want. At times women whose voices are heard, because they have been able to go to university or have been leaders in the feminist movement, speak for all of the other women who have not been able to get a formal education, without asking us what it is we really want or think. Through our participation in educational and cultural centers and associations, many of us have formed associations and women s groups. In this way, we are creating spaces where we can discuss issues that we are concerned about: solidarity among women, demands for better widows pensions, exploitation of domestic workers, etc. And we are organizing ourselves to get our voices, demands and opinions about these issues out there into the public debate."

Recenzje

"This is an inspirational, uplifting and important book. It is welcoming to read a book which is rooted in the everyday lives, struggles and stories of 'other women' in contrast to postmodernism or abstract theory which has dominated feminism in recent years. The book makes a significant contribution to feminism through its re-establishment, centrally, of the voices of 'other women'. The authors also make a valuable development to the field of adult education, social inclusion and lifelong learning by illustrating the powerful role of learning through dialogue in promoting learning for social purpose, in transforming lives and active citizenship. We all have a lot to learn from the women in this book."
(Barbara Merrill, University of Warwick, UK)
"This book discusses the contributions that non-academic women, like myself, make to women's debate. Those of us who are learning to read and write are actually making changes in our lives and in the people around us. I celebrate a book like this one, which speaks of a feminism that includes our voices. I believe dialogue is a treasure today and feminism must defend that all voices can be heard."
(Emilia Clavería, Drom Kotar Mestipen Romaní Women's Association, Barcelona, Spain)

Spis treści

Foreword.- Introduction.- Editorial by series editors.- 1. From imposition to negotiation and consensus. 1.1 Emerging from silence, emerging from oppression. 1.2 Dialogic orientation in current social theories. 1.3 Dialogic orientation as a way towards 'feminist liberation'.- 2. From academic feminism (of the élite) to universal feminism (for all). 2.1 Feminism for all instead of feminism for some. 2.2 Evolution of social theories: towards a defense of knowledge and abilities.- 3. We are women for transformation, we are not women for accommodation. 3.1 Transformation. 3.2 From submission to imposition: traditional modernity. 3.3 Post-modernity and rebellions against modernity. 3.4 Feminism of the 21st century. opening dialogues. 3.4.1. The need for a new feminist perspective. 3.4.2. The impact of the new social theories on feminism. 3.4.3. Bases for dialogue and dialogic feminism.- 4. Creation of meaning through lifelong learning. 4.1 Increase of women’s participation in the public sphere. And what about the 'other women'?. 4.2 From the traditional orientation to dialogic orientation in adult learning centers: transforming difficulties into possibilities. 4.2.1. Centers with a traditional orientation. 4.2.2. Centers with dialogic orientation. 4.3 New social formulas for re-enchantment. 4.3.1. The 'other women' in centers with dialogic orientation. 4.3.2. From mother to mother and autonomous woman. 4.3.3. From housewife to housewife and representative of grassroots movements. 4.3.4. From having limited social spaces to going beyond these spaces.- 5. From Competition to Complexity: Solidarity. 5.1 Solidarity. 5.2 Creating of spaces of solidarity. 5.2.1. A historical precedent in Spain: 'mujeres libres' (free women). 5.2.2. FACEPA Women’s Group. 5.2.3. 'Drom Kotar Mestipen'. 5.2.4. HEURA Women’s Association. 5.3 Learning from the 'other women'.- 6. The equal right to be different. 6.1 Equality versus difference: equality of differencesfor an inclusive feminism. 6.1.1. Equality-homogeneity: an erroneous direction in feminist thinking. 6.1.2. When difference results in inequalities. 6.1.3. Towards the equality of differences. 6.2 Progressive feminist victories and proposals from the 'other women'. 6.2.1. Feminism and femininity. 6.2.2. Mother and lover. 6.2.3. 'Housewife' and intellectual. 6.2.4. Fidelity and freedom. 6.2.5. 'Hijab' and 'Western miniskirt'. 6.3 Dialogue for intercultural coexistence.- References.- Index.