What we’re about
I decided to step out of my comfort zone and establish this group as part of my new year resolutions.
Hope to build a supportive and inclusive community for like minded people who are interested in reading feminism, post modernism, constructivism, and critical race theory.
All are welcome regardless of your race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, SES, career/vocation, age, and education, etc., as long as you are based in OC and adjacent area, and can attend in person or online regularly.
Basic community rules: be respectful to others esp. when they have different ideas; no personal name calling even when you disagree; stay open minded when you feel challenged, and engage in self reflection first before respond.
My current plan is to start with an online discussion session after the new year in early January, 2022, to see how many would be interested and to come up with a list of books that ppl want to read, then proceed from there. Still in search for a place for ppl to meet up and read in person, so accepting recommendations if you know a good place. Just comment under the post.
Will do a doodle for time and location later when I have a better idea.
Disclaimer: I'm no expert on this and I only have some knowledge, so there will be no "leaders" that lead the discussion. We are all peer learners and ppl can volunteer to be a moderator at a time.
Tentative plan:
Either a workday 7-9pm or a weekend 2-4pm.
First 1-1.5 hrs: read silently of the book of your choice;
Second 0.5-1 hrs: chat and discuss about anything you read and would like to share.
Location:
Still in search of a local place w/ good lighting, esp. when events happen/last after sunset. Ideally w/ a firepit since winter evenings can be chilly. Also would be better if it's a quieter spot w/ access to some casual snack/food/drink options.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Thematic Reading - Feminism 1st & 2nd WavesOne Zo Boba, Irvine, CA
We all read in different paces and styles so here is a slightly updated version:
We will combine feminist readings from 1st wave and 2nd wave together for the next a few events. Folks can choose to read any of them from the list below.
Disclaimer: this is a community created list that I found from Chicago Public Library (CPL) so claim know credits nor ownership of this list. Respect to CPL LoL.
A non-exhaustive list for suggested readings:
# Feminist Classics: First Wave of Feminism 1848-1919
- The Woman's Bible
- The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
- Mistress of Herself
- A Nation of Women
- Early French Feminisms, 1830-1940
- Liberating the Home
- Woman, Church, & State
- A Woman's Quest
- A Doll's House
- The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
- The Trial of Susan B. Anthony: An Account
# Feminist Classics: Second Wave
- The Feminine Mystique
- Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray
- Sexual Politics
- Women and Madness
- The Politics of Reality
- The Women's History of the World
- The Bell Jar
- The Dialectic of Sex
- Witches, Midwives, and Nurses
- The Color Purple
- The Creation of Patriarchy
Choose any one among the above or bring your own of choice. No pressure to keep every one reading the same book. In fact, I do hope to have various people reading different books, so that we can exchange and learn from each other.
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Reading feminism is difficult. Reading feminist work now and then is particularly difficult as feminism evolved so much over that past decades, and it is still evolving every single day. Finding people that are still interested in and committed to reading feminism while tolerating unknown and uncertainty is extra difficult, especially nowadays with the uprising of cancel culture and extremism.
What if we try to do it together ?
I'm creating this new Saturday morning series as a social experiment, hoping that can find and connect with more like minded people.
Please bring a curious and open mindset to socialize, connect, and chat about feminism in history and contemporary society, and be ready to share with others. The broad umbrella for discuss is from the lens of dialecticism, feminism, and critical theory. Let's practice not taking things for granted, and conversing with an open mindedness for diverse opinions and living experiences.
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