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CenterforCulturalStudiesTeresadeLauretis

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DisplacingHegemonicDiscourses:ReflectionsonFeminist
Theoryinthe1980s
TeresadeLauretis
FirstIwanttosituatemyselfasawhitenonAmericanwoman,whocameofageinacountrywhich,
althoughmarkedbyrigidclassdifferences,hadvirtuallynointernalracialdifferencesandwasrelatively
homogeneousculturally.InspiteofitslocationintheFirstWorld,Italyisandhasbeenformostofits
historyacolonialpreserveoravacationspotforothercountriesofEurope,theCatholicPapacyand,
sinceWWII,fortheUSaswell.ManyItalianstodayrefertothemselvesascitizensofaThirdWorld
country,whichtheyareinmanyways,notsimplyeconomically.AndIwouldaddthatpartoftheappeal
ofGramsciforthecritiqueofcolonialdiscoursemaycomefromhisconsciousness,asaSardinian(an
islander),ofcolonialeconomicoppressionwithintheItaliancontext.[WhenpeopleherespeakofEurope
assynonymouswiththeWest,asthehomogeneousplaceoforiginofwhitesupremacyand
imperialismtowardtherestoftheworld(asitistypicallyput),theyignorethehistoriesofinternal
colonization,nottomentionvariousformsofclass,sexual,andreligiousoppression,withinEuropeand
withineachcountryofEurope.SothatwordslikeEurocentric(vs.Afrocentric,forexample)arehighly
relativetotheUScontextandtoassumeotherwiseistoputtheUSatthecenteroftheworldnoless
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thanReagandoes.]
Forme,thefirstpersonalawarenessofthisinferiororcolonialstatusofItaly,andhenceofthe
experientialmeaningofthetermethnicminorityintheUS,occurredwhenIbegantoliveinthis
countryinthemid60s.Thisfirst(geographical)displacementservedaspointofidentificationformy
firstexperienceofculturaldifference(differencenotassimpledistinction,butashierarchized)butit
wasonlyinthenextdecade,withthewomensmovementandthefeministanalysisofsexualdifference,
thatIwasabletoseedisplacementasthepointofarticulationofacriticalunderstandingofdifference.
Secondly,IwanttosituatemyremarksinthecontextofthismeetingandofmyworkatUCSC.Iwillbe
addressingnotthecritiqueofcolonialdiscourseingeneralbutitsspecificrelationto,anditsspecific
configurationin,feministtheoryasitisdoneandspokenof,practicedorpresumed,inHistoryof
ConsciousnessseminarsandWomensStudiescoursesonthiscampus.Mycurrentunderstandingofthe
relationoffeministtheorytothecritiqueofcolonialdiscourseisobviouslyinscribedinmypersonal
historyanddisplacements,buthasdevelopedinthecontextofmyworkinAmericanuniversitiesandthe
particularcultural,racial,sexual,andgenerationaldifferencesexpressedbymystudentsandcoworkers.
For,asLindaGordonsaid,feministscholarship,existinginbetweenasocialmovementandthe
academy,hasmistressandamaster,andguesswhichonepayswages(21).
Theimmediateoccasionforthisreflectiononfeministtheoryistheputtingtogetherofasyllabusforthe
WomensStudiescourseImteachingthisquarter.AndasPaulaTreichlersays,agoodcourse,likea
novel,hasaplotanunderlyingframeworkthatgroupstheoreticalwritingsaroundspecificintellectual
concernsandquestions(60).Thesyllabusbeginswithtwoepigraphs,settingouttheleadingtheoretical
questionsorthemesofthecourse:inLindaGordons,thedistinctionbetweenthefeministandthe
female,orfeminismandwomen,andthetensionbetweenthosecomplexandloadedtermsinAudre
Lordes,thenotionofgroupandselfidentityastheveryhouseofdifferencei.e.,thepossibilityto
thinkthesocialsubjectasasiteofdifferences.
Iftherearecontradictionswithinfeminism,itshouldbeunderstoodthattherearetraditions
offemalethought,womens
culture,andfemaleconsciousnessthatarenotfeminist.Femaleandfeministconsciousness
standincomplexrelationto
eachother:clearlytheyoverlap,forthefemaleisthebasisofthefeminist,yetthefeminist
arisesalsooutofadesireto
escapethefemale.Itseemstomeimportanttoclaimboth.Thefemaleisourselves,our
bodiesandoursocially
constructedexperience.Itisnotthesameasfeminism,whichisnotanaturalexcretionof
thatexperiencebuta
controversialpoliticalinterpretationandstruggle,bynomeansuniversaltowomen.(Gordon
30)
Beingwomentogetherwasnotenough.Weweredifferent.Beinggaygirlstogetherwasnot
enough.Wewere
different.BeingBlacktogetherwasnotenough.Weweredifferent.BeingBlackwomen
togetherwasnotenough.We
weredifferent.BeingBlackdykestogetherwasnotenough.Weweredifferent.
Eachofushadourownneedsandpursuits,andmanydifferentalliances.Selfpreservation
warnedsomeofusthatwe
couldnotaffordtosettleforoneeasydefinition,onenarrowindividuationofself.Itwasa
whilebeforewecameto
realizethatourplacewastheveryhouseofdifference.(Lorde226)
Implicitinbothpassagesisanimportantanalyticaldistinctionbetweenthenotionofdifferencethatis
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hierarchized,thatcontains(andhides)apowerdifferential,asinsexualdifference,andthenotionof
differenceaspuresemioticorrelationaldifference,asinSaussuresviewoflanguageasasystemof
differences.Thedistinctionbetweenthesetwomeaningsofdifferenceisnotaneasyonetoholdon
tobecausetheyveryoftenoverlapindiscourse,asyoucanseeintheLordequote,andtendtoslideone
ontotheother,asGordonsaysoffeministandfemaleconsciousness.Followingtheepigraphs,the
readingsaregroupedlooselyaroundthreetexts:asciencefictionnovelpublishedin75butwritten
in7172,JoannaRussTheFemaleManAudreLordesZami,abiomythographypublishedin82and
anautobiographicalessayby
MinnieBrucePrattpublishedin84.Thesedatessuggestachronologywhich,readinrelationtothe
historicaldevelopmentoftheUS
womensmovementandtheshiftsinfeministdiscoursefromtheearly70stothemid80s,providesthe
syllabussplotbutitisa
minimalandfragmentaryplot,oftheselfreflexivekindonefindsinexperimentalfiction(suchasJoanna
Russ),thekindthatseeksto
undercutnarrativeandtoexposeitsownrelianceonnarrativity.
Theobjectionmightariseherethatmythreetextsareworksoffiction,notoftheory.Thisofcourse
raisesthequestionofwhatistheory,
whatisfeministtheory,whatisitsrelationtopracticesoflanguage,todiscourses,disciplines,canons,
institutions,etc.aquestionIam
notgoingtotrytoanswer,atleastnotnow,ornotdirectly.Butitsausefulquestionbecauseittakesus
backtothe70s,tothehistoryof
feminisminthiscountry,toatimewhentheverytermfeministtheorydidnotyetexist,andones
criticalworkasafeministhadtobe
doneinthemannerofthedoubleshift:ontheonehand,theworkinthemovement,activism,organizing
groupsandsocialspacesfor
women(includingconsciousnessraisinggroupsandvariouskindsofcollectives,caucuses,etc.)onthe
otherhand,theworkinones
teachingandwritingcontextwhatwasthencalledfeministcriticismorthefeministcritiqueof
theory,ofthedisciplines,ofthe
canonforexample,thefeministcritiqueofscience,thefeministcritiqueofrepresentation,of
psychoanalysis,andsoon.
Butonedidnotdofeministtheory,assuch,inthosedays,notonlybecausemaleacademicdiscoursedid
notrecognizesuchaterm,but
especiallybecausethewomensmovementdidnoteither.Infact,thewomensmovementidentified
theorywithmaleness,whilethe
academiccomponentofthemovement,womensstudies,identifiedtheorywithFrenchnessor
foreignness,asdidthemajorityof
Americanintellectuals,womenandmen.Todotheory,inshort,andtoclaimitsrelevancetofeminism,
wastodosomethinghighly
suspect,whichoftenmeantonewasnotcountedasafeminist,unlessonealsodidthesecondshiftand
earnedonescredentialsin
movementpoliticsorfeministpractice.Todoandtoteachtheory,then,wasseenasaneffectof
womenbeingcolonizedbymale
discourse,andacquiescingtotheircolonizationforitwasgenerallybelievedthatonehadachoice,that
onecouldchoosenottobe
colonizedoratleastnottospeakorwriteasacolonizedsubject.Andtherelevanceoftheory
(semiotics,psychoanalysis,marxism)was
preciselythatitshowedthatonedidnotreallyhavethatchoice.
Thevicissitudesoffeminismsincethen,theendofthewomensmovementassuch,thetendencyto
institutionalizationormainstreaming
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offeministstudies,andthecritiqueoffeminismaroundissuesofracism,homophobia,andmoralism(not
tosaybigotry)haveproven
thatonewhoiscolonizeddoesnothavethechoicesimplynottobesoonewholivesinasexist
culturedoesnotsimplychoosenotto
besexist,buthastoworkthroughherowninternalizedsexism.Andso,perhaps,therelevanceoftheory
tofeminismorbetterthe
relevanceoftheoriesofculturesuchasmarxism,>semiotics,orpsychoanalytictheoryhasbecomemore
andmoreapparent.
Itmaynotbetoomuchofanexaggerationtosuggestthatfeministtheorybecamepossibleassuch(that
is,becameidentifiableas
feministtheoryratherthanafeministcritiqueofsomeothertheoryorobjecttheory)inapostcolonial
mode.BythisImean,itbecame
possiblewiththeunderstandingoftheinterrelatednessofdiscoursesandsocialpractices,andofthe
multiplicityofpositionalities
concurrentlyavailableinthesocialfieldasinFoucaultsnotionofthesocialasafieldofforces,atangle
ofdistinctandvariable
relationsofpowerandpointsofresistance.Withregardtofeminism,thisunderstandingofadiversified
fieldofpowerrelations
occurredorwasbroughthome,asitwere,whenthewritingsofwomenofcolor,Jewishwomen,and
lesbiansconstitutedthemselvesasa
feministcritiqueoffeminism,andaninterventioninafeministdiscoursethatwasanchoredtothesingle
axisofgenderassexual(or
rather,heterosexual)difference,howeverminutelyarticulatedinitsmanyinstances,fromeveryday
languageusetomassmedia
representationsandtoallmajorinstitutionalapparati.
Onthenotionofsexualdifferenceasanoppositionoffemaletomale,WomantoMan,orwomentomen,
anoppositionalongtheaxis
ofgender,earlierfeminismbuiltnotonlyitsunderstandingofpowerrelationsasaonewayrelationof
oppressortovictim,colonizerto
colonizedsubject(onespokeofwomenasacolonizedpopulation,ofthefemalebodyasmappedby
phallicdesireorterritorializedby
malediscourse),butalsoitsstrategiesofresistanceandstruggle,whichwereprimarilyintwodirections.
Onewastowardequalstatus:
acceptingthedefinitionofwomanasbiologically,emotionallyandsociallycomplementarytomanbut
demandingthesame
rightswithoutconsideringhowtherightsofmanvarywiththesocialrelationsofraceandclassthat
determinetheexistenceofactual
men.Thatdirection,then,entailedremainingwithintherepresentationaleconomyandthelawofthe
same,asLuceIrigarayputitin
Speculum,or,inthewordsofAbdulJanMohamedatthismeetinglastyear,seekingassimilationwithin
thehegemoniccolonialdiscourse
(Irigaray33JanMohamed).Alternatively,therewasthedirectionofradicalseparatism:takinga
polarized,oppositionalstancetomen
andworkingtoconstructacounterhegemonicdiscourse,asinthenotionsofwomenslanguageor
womensculture.
Thesedistinctandoftenintercutstrategieswereandcontinuetobeimportantinparticularandlocal
contextseveniftheywerepredictable
andinasensemandatedbyacolonialsituation(internalcolonization).However,itshouldbepointedout
thatveryoftenthenotionof
genderoppressioncarriedwithitasenseofmoraloutragewhich,havingnootherconceptualbasisthan
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itsownethicalrage,mademany
feministsadopttheverytermsoftheenemysdefinitionofpowertermswhichweretheonlyones
readilyavailableattheinstitutional
levelandseekaterritoryforfeminismtooccupy,awildernesstocolonize.[1]Howthisradicalfeminist
metaethicscolludedwiththe
ideologyofthesame,isremarkedonbyLordeinherOpenLettertoMaryDaly:
Iaskthatyoubeawareofhowthisservesthedestructiveforcesofracismandseparation
betweenwomenthe
assumptionthattheherstoryandmythofwhitewomenisthelegitimateandsoleherstory
andmythofallwomentocall
uponforpowerandbackground,andthatnonwhitewomenandourherstoriesare
noteworthyonlyasdecorations,or
examplesoffemalevictimization.Iaskthatyoubeawareoftheeffectthatthisdismissalhas
uponthecommunityof
BlackwomenandotherwomenofColor,andhowitdevaluesyourownwords.When
patriarchydismissesus,it
encouragesourmurderers.Whenradicallesbianfeministtheorydismissesus,itencourages
itsowndemise.(Sister
Outsider69)
Theinterventionorspeakingoutwithinandagainstfeminismbywomenofcoloronracism,Jewish
womenonantiSemitism,and
lesbiansonheterosexismforcedustoconfront,bothemotionallyandconceptually,thepresenceofpower
relationsthatjustcouldnotbe
analyzed,altered,orevenaddressedbytheconceptsofgenderandsexualdifference.Itshowedhownot
onlysexualdifference,with
itsovertorlatenthomophobicstakeinheterosexuality,butalsohomosexualdifference(i.e.,ontological
orpoliticallesbianismsasthe
singlerequirementformembershipinautopianwomenscollectivity)wereinadequatetoaccountfor
socialandpowerrelationsthatwere
andarebeing(re)producedbetweenandwithinwomenrelationscausingoppressionbetweenwomen,
andrelationsenforcingthe
repressionofdifferenceswithinwomenandwithinoneself.
Now,thosechargesofracism,antisemitism,heterosexism,orsocialprivilegebroughttofeminismhave
beeninthemainacceptedas
wellfounded(thoughonemaydistinguishomissionfromcommission,repressionfromhypocrisy,and
realpainfrommerepolitical
correctness).Butperhapstheyhavebeenacceptedtooreadilythatistosay,theclaimsofotherstakes,
otheraxesalongwhich
oppression,identityandsubjectivityareorganizedsuchasraceorcolorandethnicorsexual
identificationhavebeenacceptedand
given,asitwere,equalstatuswiththeaxisofgenderinfeministtheory.Thesevariousaxesareseenas
parallelorcoequal,thoughwith
varyingprioritiesforparticularwomen:forsomewomentheracialmayhavepriorityoverthesexualin
definingsubjectivityand
groundingidentityforotherwomenthesexualmayhavepriorityforothersstillitmaybethe
ethnic/culturalthathaspriorityatagiven
moment.HencethephraseonehearssoofteninWomensStudiesandfeministtheoryclasses:gender,
raceandclassoritsNorthern
Californiavariantgender,raceandclassandsexualities.
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Whatthislistofseeminglycoequalterms,orthenotionoflayersofoppressionalongparallelaxesof
difference,doesnotgraspishow
onemayaffecttheotherse.g.,howgenderaffectsracialoppressioninitssubjectiveeffects.Inheressay
TowardaBlackFeminist
Criticism,writtenin1977andmanytimesreprinted,BarbaraSmithwritesthatBlackmalecritics
are,ofcourse,hamperedbyan
inabilitytocomprehendBlackwomensexperienceinsexualaswellasracialterms.(162).
Notonlyinsexualterms,whichtoafeministiseasilyunderstood,butalsoinracialterms:Blackmen,
thatis,forSmith,donot
comprehendBlackwomensexperienceinracialterms,donotcomprehendBlackwomensexperience
ofracism.Thisisnotsoeasya
conceptforawhitewomantounderstand,since,fromapositionthatispresumedtoberacially
unmarked,onemightassumesimplythat
allBlackpeopleexperiencethesameracismandBlackwomenalsoexperiencesexisminaddition.But
whatSmithissayingandit
seemsplainenough,yethowelusiveithasprovedtobeisthatBlackwomenexperienceracismnotas
BlacksbutasBlackwomen.
Thelayersofoppressionarenotparallelbutintersectingandmutuallydetermining.This,ontheone
hand,confirmsthatgenderisa
fundamentalgroundofsubjectivitynotcoincidentallySmithspeaksasaBlackfeminist,aBlackwoman,
andaBlacklesbian.But,on
theotherhand,itshowsthattheexperienceofracismchangestheexperienceofgender,sothatawhite
womanwouldbenocloserthana
BlackmantocomprehendingaBlackwomansexperienceinsexualterms,herexperienceofsexism,her
experienceofgender,and
hencehersubjectivity.
Withregardtotheory,then,thelistingofgender,race,classandsexualitiesascoequaltermsdoesnot
makeevident,andinfactelides,
thecrucialshiftinfeministconsciousnessthatoccurswiththeinterventionofwomenofcolorand
lesbiansinthecontestedterrainof
feministtheory,anepistemologicalshiftaffectingthewholeoffeminism,theoryandpractice,andtheir
relationship.Whiletheaxisof
gender,historicallythefirstepistemologicalgroundoffeminism,definesaformofconsciousnessbased
ontheoppositionofwomanto
man,andtheoppressionofwomenbymen,andhenceproducesarelativelystableorunifiedfeminist
subjectdefinedbyits
consciousnessofgenderoppressionasaonewaypowerrelation(wherewomenarethevictimsandthus
therevolutionaryclasssubject,
sotospeak),theotheraxes,bytheirveryinterrelatednessandcoimplicationingenderandinone
another,defineanotherformof
consciousness,whatIwillcallaconsciousnessofcomplicity,inparticular,ofideologicalcomplicity.
Sothatthefeministsubject,whichwasinitiallydefinedpurelybyitsstatusascolonizedsubjectorvictim
ofoppression,becomes
redefinedasmuchlesspureandnotunifiedorsimplydividedbetweenpositionsofmasculinityand
femininity,butmultiply
organizedacrosspositionalitiesalongseveralaxesandacrossmutuallycontradictorydiscoursesand
practices.Letmerestatethisidea,
whichiscentraltomyargumentforfeministtheory.Thefeministsubject,orthesubject(forfeminism),
cannowbedefinedasmultiple
andheterogeneous,ormultiplyorganized,ratherthanfragmentedordispersed,asJanMohamed
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suggestedofthepostcolonialsubject,
usingthetermsofcontemporaryantihumanistphilosophy,anddistinguishingbetweenanontological
dispersaloftheEuropean
subject(nongendered)andapoliticaldispersaloftheThirdWorldsubject,alsonongendered.In
feminism,asIseeit,ontologyand
politicspreciselygotogether.
Insum,becauseoftheshiftbroughtaboutbytheinterventionofwomenofcolorandlesbiansinfeminist
theory,thefeministsubjectcan
nowberedefinedasmuchlesspure,asindeedideologicallycomplicitouswiththeoppressorwhose
positionitmayoccupyincertain
sociosexualrelations(thoughnotothers),ononeoranotheraxis.Forinstance,evenassheanalyzesthe
positionofBlackwomenatthe
bottomofatriplehierarchyofdifferentbutinterlockingoppressionsbywhitemen,whitewomen,and
Blackmen,BarbaraSmithstates:
IfeelsoveryAmericanwhenIrealizethatsimplybybeing
BlackIhavenotescapedthetypicalAmericanwaysofperceivingpeoplewhoaredifferent
frommyself.Forexample,I
catchmyselffallingbackonstereotypesinordertofeellessawkwardinaculturalcontext
unfamiliartomeorImake
chauvinisticassumptionsabouttheuniversalaccessibilityoftheEnglishlanguage.Ialso
havebeenstymiedattimes
byotherThirdWorldwomensverifiablynegativeattitudestowardBlackpeople,thefact
thatsomeofthemhavealso
boughttheculturesvaluesaboutrace.Weallhaveworktodoandchangingisatrue
challenge.Inmyownfavor,I
hope,isthatIhaveathoroughknowledgeofwhatitfeelsliketobedismissedbecauseof
onesphysicalbeing,
language,andculture.(HomeGirlsxliii)
ThisisveryfarfromthepositionofotherThirdWorldwomen,indeed,likeChikwenyeOgunyemi,for
whomBlackwomanism
(incontradistinctiontowhitefeminism)isaplaceofnoncontamination,ofmoralandideologicalpurity
verysimilar,ironically,tothe
placeofsomewhitefeministethics(ofmaternityorofnonviolence,forexample).[2]Thesimilarity
rests,asIseeit,inthedefinitionof
womanist(Ogunyemisdefinition,notAliceWalkers,whousesthetermwithquiteanotheremphasis
inInSearchofOurMothers
Gardens)byasingleaxis,whichinthiscaseistheaxisofraceorcolor,insteadofgender.
AndIseethistendency,inthetwocases,asbearingoutJanMohamedspointthatwhenthecolony
acceptsthecolonizersmodeof
production(maternityisanexcellentexample)inexchangeforacertainfreedomofculturalpracticesand
evenofcriticaldiscourse,a
freedomrituallyrecognizedbyindependence(bycolonialiststandards),thensoonerorlaterdominant
colonialismwillresurface.This
isclearlythecaseofthewhitefeministethicsofmaternity(byheterosexualstandards)representedby
JuliaKristevaandJeanBethke
Elshtain.Attheoppositeend,theinsistenceonaunifiedsubjectofcounterhegemonicdiscourse
(whetherThirdWorldwomanismor
whiteradicalfeminism)wouldsimplyexchangetherolesofsubjectandOther.Butonlyatthetheoretical
level,forbothcolonialand
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postcolonialhistoricalrealitiesmilitateagainstthatsimplereversal.
Thereis,here,also,theproblemofanger,evidentinOgunyemiorinarecentdebateintheBritish
FeministReview(nos.22and23,
1986):Blackwomensangeratwhitewomen,andfeministsinparticular.Angerisabyproductof
oppression,andsoinevitableand
necessary,asanyfeministmustknow.Thesignsofoppressionareinscribedinonesverybody,likethe
wordsofherparentsrevenge
tattooedintothebackofthewomanwarriorinMaxineHongKingstonspowerfulimage.Butitisonlyin
thefolklegend,inher
motherstalkingstory,andnotinherhistoricalexistence,thatthewomanwarrior,passingforaman,can
killthebaron,avengeher
village,andreturntoitwithhonor.InherhistoricalChineseAmericanexistence,thewomanwarrior
knowstheracistenemy.Butshe
alsoknowsthatthewordsofherownpeopleslanguagenameheraslave,abadgirl,anddisallowher
freedomandtheveryfantasyby
whichsheinsistsinconstitutingherself,instead,asawarriorandastheiravenger.Thereforeitis
significantthatinherfantasy,after
killingthebaron,shereleaseshisfootboundladiesintofreedom(andtheygoontobecomeamazons,
whoshelteroutcastwomenand
killboysandmen.)Kingstons,thewomanwarriors,isapoliticalanger,inotherwords,notmerelyan
ethicalone.Itisdirectedatitsmultiplecauses,
preciselyanalyzed,ratherthantoasingle,mostimmediateandfinallyineffectualtarget,whetherthat
targetbewhitewomanwithout
distinctionorevenotherwomenofcolorwho,inthewordsofGloriaAnzalda,havestrungdegrees,
credentialsandpublishedbooks
aroundourneckslikepearls[andwhothus]areindangerofcontributingtotheinvisibilityofoursister
writers,likeMalinche,la
Vendida,thesellout(MoragaandAnzalda167)
Isuggestedbeforethatfeministtheorybecamepossiblewithinapostcolonialmode.Letmerestatethat
inthisway:ifthehistoryoffeminismbeginswhenfeministtextswrittenbywomenandafeminist
movementconsciousofitselfcametogether,asElaineMarksandIsabelledeCourtivronsuggestinthe
introductiontoNewFrenchFeminisms,afeministtheorybeginswhenthefeministcritiqueofideologies
becomesconsciousofitselfandturnstoquestionitsownbodyofwritingandcriticalinterpretations,its
basicassumptionsandterms,andthepracticeswhichtheyenableandfromwhichtheyemerge(3).This
isnotmerelyanexpansionorareconfigurationofboundaries,butaqualitativeshiftinpoliticaland
historicalconsciousness.Theshiftimplies,inmyopinion,adisplacementanda
selfdisplacement:leavingorgivingupaplacethatissafe,thatishome(physically,emotionally,
linguistically,andepistemologically)
foranotherplacethatisunknownandrisky,thatisnotonlyemotionallybutconceptuallyother,aplace
ofdiscoursefromwhich
speakingandthinkingareatbesttentative,uncertain,unguaranteed.Buttheleavingisnotachoice:one
couldnotlivethere,inthefirst
place.Bothdisplacements,thepersonalandtheconceptual,arepainfuleithertheresultofpain,riskand
arealstake.Thisistheoryin
theflesh,asCherreMoragasoaptlyputit(23).Whichmaybewhyitisprimarilyfeministsofcolor
andlesbianfeministswhohave
takentherisk.Iwillmentiontwoexamples,frommysyllabus,ofconceptualandpersonaldisplacement,
oradisplacementofselfin
relationtofeminismwhichisconcurrentlyadisplacementofonespointofconceptualarticulationand
understanding.
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ThefirstisMoniqueWittigs1981essayOneIsNotBornAWoman,wheresomethingofthe
displacementisimmediatelyapparent
inthetitle,aphrasefromSimonedeBeauvoirsTheSecondSexrewrittenbythewriterofTheLesbian
Body(theshiftfromthe
secondsextothelesbianbodyisquiteadisplacement,anditisdoubledbyWittigsgeographicaland
culturaldisplacementfrom
FrancetotheUS,whereshelivesnow).Speakingasamaterialistfeminist,Wittigbeginsbyposing
twohighlyunorthodoxterms:
lesbiansociety,bywhichshemeansmoreorlesswhatwemeanbylesbiancommunity,andthenotion
ofwomenasaclass.With
thelattershearguesthatwomenarenotanaturalgroupwithcommon,biologicalfeaturesandwhose
oppressionwouldbea
consequenceofthisnature,butratherwomenareaconstructed,politicalandeconomiccategory,the
productofasocialrelationof
exploitationandhenceasocialcategorywithclassinterestsand(potentiallyatleast)aclass
consciousness.Itsstruggleasaclassisto
fightforthedisappearanceofallclasses,andthusofitselftofightforthedisappearanceofwomen.
Whatfemalepeoplewouldbeinsuchaclasslesssocietyissuggestedbytheveryexistence,however
marginal,oflesbiancommunities.
Alesbian,Wittigclaims,
isnotawoman,eithereconomically,orpolitically,orideologically.Forwhatmakesa
womanisaspecificsocialrelation
toaman,arelationthatwehavepreviouslycalledservitude,arelationwhichimplies
personalandphysicalobligationas
wellaseconomicobligation(forcedresidence,domesticcorvee,conjugalduties,unlimited
productionofchildren,etc.),
arelationwhichlesbiansescapebyrefusingtobecomeortostayheterosexual.(53)
Thisisofcourseveryproblematicinthetermsofmarxisttheoryitself.But,howeverproblematic,theuse
shemakesofmarxismisvery
interesting.Sheusesmarxistconceptsagainstthewomensmovement(insofarasitrepresentsliberal
feminism),andarguesagainst
acceptingthetermsofgenderorsexualdifference,whichdefinewomenbytheirbiologicalpotential,
evenifweretainonlythepositive
featuresofwoman,evenifweretainthebestfeatureswhichoppressionhasgrantedus,asWittig
putsit.Fortoacceptthoseterms
makesitimpossibletoradicallyquestionthesocialrelationsofgender.Thusitisimpossibleforwomen
toconstituteourselvesas
subjectswithinthecategoriesofsexgender(male/femaleorman/woman).
Secondly,however,sheusesthefeminist(andliberal?)notionofanindividualselforsubjectivityagainst
marxism,whichdoesnotallow
individualsubjectivitytothemembersoftheoppressedclasses,shesays.Inshort,shearguesforbotha
classconsciousnessandan
individualsubjectivityatonce.Withtheconsciousnessofoppressionwebecomesubjectsinthesenseof
cognitivesubjects,throughan
operationofabstraction.Consciousnessofoppressionisnotonlyareactionto(fightagainst)oppression.
Itisalsothewholeconceptual
reevaluationofthesocialworld,itswholereorganizationwithnewconcepts,fromthepointofviewof
oppression.ItiswhatIwouldcall
thescienceofoppressioncreatedbytheoppressed.Thisoperationofunderstandingrealityhastobe
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undertakenbyeveryoneofus:call
itasubjective,cognitivepractice(Wittig52).Andsheconcludes:Itiswewhohistoricallymust
undertakethetaskofdefiningthe
individualsubjectinmaterialistterms.Thiscertainlyseemstobeanimpossibilitysincematerialismand
subjectivityhavealwaysbeen
mutuallyexclusive.Neverthelessshewillreiterate,itisnecessarytoclaimbothsubjectivityandclass
consciousness.
Thiswe(whichItaketomeannotsimplylesbiansbutthosewhotakeuppositionsinthe
theoretical/politicalspaceofamaterialist
lesbianfeminism)isthedisplacedpointofarticulationfromwhichtorewritethosetwo,allinclusive
andmutuallyexclusivesystems,
marxismandfeminism,rejoiningthecritiqueofthesexgendersystemandthepoliticaleconomyof
sex,asGayleRubinfirstcalled
it.
MysecondexampleofconceptualandpersonaldisplacementisMinnieBrucePrattspolitico
biographicalessayIdentity:SkinBlood
HeartasinterpretedorrewrittenbyBiddyMartinandChandraMohantyintheiressayFeminist
Politics:WhatsHomeGottoDo
withIt?Thesetwoessaysareentirelyaboutdisplacement,aboutleavingthecomfortofhomeafter
therealizationthathomewasan
illusionofcoherenceandsafetybasedonexclusionandrepressionandsecuredbyterror,andthus
takingtheriskandstrugglingto
rebuildidentityandsubjectivity,aswellascommunity,astheveryhouseofdifferences(inLordes
wordsquotedabove).Theessayby
MartinandMohantybearsoutmypointearlierthatthesubjectoffeminismismultiplyorganized,
unstable,andhistorically
discontinuousitis,theywrite,asubjectproducedinrelationtoshiftinginterpersonalandpolitical
contexts,andalsothereforethe
productofstruggle(210).

NOTES
Muchofthethinkingthatwentintothispapertookplaceinthecontextofmyteachingfeministtheory,
bothingraduateseminarsin
HistoryofConsciousnessandinundergraduatecoursesinWomensStudies,attheUniversityof
California,SantaCruzoverthepast
threeyears.Iamindebtedtomystudents,especiallyLornaDeeCervantes,JohannaKornichukGarcia,
EricHickson,OsaHidalgodela
Riva,AllynnoreJen,NathalieMagnan,ChelaSandoval,JennyTerry,RosaVillafaneSisolak,andPatty
Whitefortheconversationsand
discussionsfromwhichthepapertookshapeandLataMani,fortheinspiringexampleshegavemeas
myTeachingAssistant.Alonger
andmoredevelopedversionofthispaperisforthcoming,withthetitleEccentricSubjects:Feminist
TheoryandHistorical
Consciousness,inaspecialissueofPoeticsTodayonTheoryandMethodsintheHistoryof
Consciousness,editedbyHayden
White.
1.ImthinkinghereofElaineShowalter,FeministCriticismintheWilderness,inTheNewFeminist
Criticism:EssaysonWomen,
Literature,andTheory(NewYork:PantheonBooks,1985)orMaryDaly,Gyn/Ecology:TheMetaethics
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ofRadicalFeminism(Boston:
BeaconPress,1978)orSusanGriffin,WomanandNature:TheRoaringInsideHer(New
York:HarperandRow,1978).
2.ChikwenyeOkonjoOgunyemi,Womanism:TheDynamicsoftheContemporaryBlackFemaleNovel
inEnglish,Signs11.1
(1985):6380.Onthefeministethicsofmaternity,especiallyJuliaKristevasStabatMater,inThe
FemaleBodyinWesternCulture:
ContemporaryPerspectives,ed.SusanRubinSuleiman(Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress,
1986)99118,Ihavewrittenat
somelengthinmyTheFemaleBodyandHeterosexualPresumption,Semiotica67.34(1987):259
279.

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