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Difficulty: MediumBlack Feminist and Womanist Movements

Consider the following excerpt from Audre Lorde's 1984 essay, "Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference":

> "By and large, within the women's movement today, white women focus upon their oppression as women and ignore differences of race, sexual preference, class, and age. There is a pretense to a homogeneity of experience covered by the word sisterhood that does not in fact exist."

Which of the following statements best describes the core critique of mainstream second-wave feminism expressed in the passage?

  1. A
    It centers its political strategy on securing equal legal rights in the workplace, viewing gender inequality as a separate issue from racial inequality.
  2. It assumes a universal female experience, thereby failing to account for how race, class, and sexual orientation intersect with gender.Answer
  3. C
    It focuses too heavily on racial differences, which weakens the collective power of women to challenge patriarchal systems.
  4. D
    It fails to advocate for legislative reform, prioritizing cultural consciousness-raising over institutional political action.

Answer

The core critique is that mainstream feminism assumes a universal female experience, ignoring how race, class, and other identity markers intersect with gender to shape oppression.
The correct answer identifies that the mainstream women's movement is criticized for assuming a single, shared female experience, which overlooks how other identity markers such as race, class, and sexuality interact with gender to produce distinct experiences of oppression.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided excerpt to identify the author's primary concern regarding the mainstream women's movement.
The author identifies a "pretense to a homogeneity of experience covered by the word sisterhood" and argues that white women focus on their own oppression while ignoring differences of race, class, and sexual preference.
This establishes that the author is critiquing the assumption of a uniform, universal experience of womanhood.
2
Compare the core critique with the provided options to find the one that accurately reflects the failure to recognize intersecting differences.
The option stating that mainstream feminism assumes a universal female experience matches the critique of the "pretense to a homogeneity of experience."
This directly demonstrates an understanding of how Black feminist critique addresses the limitations of mainstream white feminism.

Key Concept

Black Feminist Critique of Mainstream Feminism
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Topics

Black Feminist and Womanist Movements

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