Hi there!
The sun has come out where I am, and life has become 100% better! Hahaha!
The Will to Change by bell hooks
4 stars
Two days ago, in our group chat, my friends discussed how women get blamed for men’s bad behaviour and how oftentimes this reaction is spearheaded by other women, such as when an already attached guy hides his relationship status when approaching someone new. It reminded me of the notion of psychological patriarchy discussed in the book.
bell hooks argued that everyone, including men, suffers from patriarchy. While we live in a world where men have and are given power, due to the patriarchy, they don’t receive/lack love as a result. Baby boys are not cuddled as much as baby girls or allowed to express their emotions because of their parents’ fear that it would make them ‘soft’. In heterosexual relationships, men are often not given the space to be vulnerable even if their partners demand it from them because if they show weakness or cry, their female partners think they are unable to protect them.
We have all been affected by the patriarchy, from how we think to how we act and, as such, subconsciously perpetrate it. We also need to be clear that dismantling the patriarchy isn’t just by ensuring women have or are in power; it requires re-envisioning all our systems. Hence, we collectively need to work to dismantle the patriarchy.
This book made me feel much more compassionate for men and the awareness that we still need more nuances to dismantle the patriarchy.
poetryandproze 