Critical Transnational Feminist Praxis (suny Series, Praxis: Theory In Action)

Provocative, timely, and global, this volume offers a critical and grounded engagement with transnational feminism through the lens of praxis—the juncture of theory and practice. In so doing, it grapples with questions of power and representation while remaining deeply committed to radical critiques and agendas of transnational and postcolonial feminisms. Long-time activists and well-known scholars speak to a wide range of issues and practices, including women's studies curricula; NGOs; transnational and LGBTQ studies; feminist methodologies; and film. These essays similarly conceptualize ways to more effectively theorize feminist collaborative practices while subverting such rigid, established dichotomies as theory/practice, academic/activist, individual/collaborative, and the global North/South. A number of transnational projects are highlighted: the Guyanese Red Thread collective; the Ananya Dance Theater; the Philippine Women Center of British Columbia; the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance; the VIVA! Project; and the Indian organization Sangtin. Comprehensive in scope and rigorous in critical scrutiny, these powerful essays set the twenty-first-century agenda for political engagement through feminist scholarship.'The mix of styles makes for a lively read that is accessible for its extraordinary candor, its combination of theory with firmly grounded empirical examples, and an unflinching confrontation of pain and conflict. It made me think about entirely new things and about familiar things in new ways and to make connections among them.'— Louise Fortmann, University of California BerkeleyAmanda Lock Swarr is Assistant Professor of Women Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. Richa Nagar is Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is the author (with Sangtin writers) of Playing with Fire: Feminist Thought and Activism through Seven Lives in India. Contents......Page 7 Illustrations......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Introduction: Theorizing Transnational Feminist Praxis......Page 15 P A R T I. Decolonizing Transnational Feminisms......Page 35 1. Cartographies of Knowledge and Power:Transnational Feminism as Radical Praxis......Page 37 2. Disavowed Legacies and Honorable Thievery: The Work of the “Transnational”in Feminist and LGBTQ Studies......Page 60 P A R T II. Dialogical Journeys......Page 77 3. Seeing Beyond the State:Toward Transnational Feminist Organizing......Page 79 4. Conflicts and Collaborations: Building Trust in Transnational South Africa......Page 101 5. Feminist Academic and Activist Praxisin Service of the Transnational......Page 119 6. Still Playing with Fire: Intersectionality, Activism, and NGOized Feminism......Page 138 P A R T III. Representations and Reclamations......Page 159 7. So Much to Remind Us We Are Dancing on Other People’s Blood: Moving toward Artistic Excellence, Moving from Silence to Speech, Moving in Water, with Ananya Dance Theatre......Page 161 8. Remapping the Americas: A Transnational Engagement with Creative Tensions of Community Arts......Page 180 9. Envisioning Justice: The Politics and Possibilities of Transnational Feminist Film......Page 206 Continuing Conversations: CRITICAL TRANSNATIONAL FEMINIST PRAXIS CONTRIBUTORS......Page 220 About the Editors and Contributors......Page 233 B......Page 241 F......Page 242 L......Page 243 P......Page 244 S......Page 245 Z......Page 246 Cartographies of knowledge and power : transnational feminism as radical praxis / M. Jacqui Alexander and Chandra Talpade Mohanty Disavowed legacies and honorable thievery : the work of the "transnational" in feminist and LGBTQ studies / Jigna Desai, Danielle Bouchard, and Diane Detournay Seeing beyond the state / the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance Conflicts and collaborations : building trust in transitional South Africa / Sam Bullington and Amanda Lock Swarr Feminist academic and activist praxis in service of the transnational / Karen de Souza and Linda Peake Still playing with fire : intersectionality, activism, and NGO-ized feminism / Sangtin Writers (Reena, Richa Nagar, Richa Singh, and Surbala) So much to remind us we are dancing on other people's blood : moving towards artistic excellence, moving from silence to speech, moving in water, with Ananya Dance Theatre / Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley, Ananya Chatterjea, Hui Niu Wilcox, and Shannon Gibney Remapping the Americas : a transnational engagement with creative tensions of community arts / Deborah Barndt Envisioning justice : the politics and possibilities of transnational feminist film / Rachel Silvey.