Fernanda Bernaldo
Mohanty

            The main topic of conversation within the article centers around the idea of a Western Woman or more specifically, the type of feminism a woman from the Third World encounters compared to that of the Western Woman. Mohanty makes it clear that the “Western feminist” must ‘situate itself’ to examine its role in a “global economic and political framework,” so as to not intrude upon the Third World. The author is trying to avoid a pattern where older traditions and ideals are swallowed by new ones and made into the new modern, correct approach. Abdel-Malek describes it elegantly, stating how modern imperialism is now more an “attempt to control hearts and mind” than a physical domination, though violence remains, now “rationalized.”

Mohanty’s message through this article is simple. Simply because women in the Third World may have different approaches to feminism or may prioritize various values that conflict with those of a Western Woman does not mean they are beneath or less intelligent. All scholarships of western woman regarding the “third world must be considered in the context of the the global hegemony of Western scholarship.” As the perceived dominant power in economic, political, and scholastic endeavors, the West often enjoys the title of advanced and contemporary, leading to a “always correct” mind frame. While this usually means that work from the Third World is supposed to be viewed a primitive and outdated, Mohanty argues differently, stating how it is, by contrast, as important as any Western work or opinion.

Dramatically, this is a major change from how feminism has evolved in the West. The dramatic change of focus on civil society in the 90s and the topic of reason and individualism compared against emotion and nurturing put hierarchies and oppositions in direct conflict with each other. Women, she argues, should not be grouped within a category based on their perceived grievances of oppression, misrepresentation, and powerlessness. She point out how Western feminist writers use this course of analysis to paint the “Third World Woman” as a victim of her socio-economic system. In conclusion, the author is using an emotional piece where she claims that Western women disadvantage Third World women due to the latters passive role. She uses masculine and feminine genders to point out the association that arises from the grouping of “woman,” but then explains why such a grouping is flawed.