Injustice should not simply be accepted as “the way things are.” This is the starting point for The Xenofeminist Manifesto, a radical attempt to articulate a feminism fit for the twenty-first century.
Unafraid of exploring the potentials of technology, both its tyrannical and emancipatory possibilities, the manifesto seeks to uproot forces of repression that have come to seem inevitable—from the family, to the body, to the idea of gender itself.
Review of 'The Xenofeminist Manifesto' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book is a beautiful read- I love the colors, images, and general layout of each page. It kept my attention, and was so enjoyable to flip through.
When it comes to the actual text and ideas presented, I have a lot of thoughts. First, as someone who wasn't familiar with the concept of xenofeminism before reading this manifesto, I'm very interested in learning more about that, so this manifesto succeeds in that aspect! I think that there is a lot of value in not only looking at the future of technology and how it impacts everyone, but the intersection of feminism and technology in that same future and working towards equity in both.
Where I wholeheartedly agree with this manifesto is in its examination of power. I fundamentally believe in breaking down systems of power that operate on a top-down basis, and agree that technology has largely become a …
This book is a beautiful read- I love the colors, images, and general layout of each page. It kept my attention, and was so enjoyable to flip through.
When it comes to the actual text and ideas presented, I have a lot of thoughts. First, as someone who wasn't familiar with the concept of xenofeminism before reading this manifesto, I'm very interested in learning more about that, so this manifesto succeeds in that aspect! I think that there is a lot of value in not only looking at the future of technology and how it impacts everyone, but the intersection of feminism and technology in that same future and working towards equity in both.
Where I wholeheartedly agree with this manifesto is in its examination of power. I fundamentally believe in breaking down systems of power that operate on a top-down basis, and agree that technology has largely become a system of oppression. In some aspects, technology and social media have both ballooned out of control and warped our ability to cultivate space, create outside of curation, and changed the way that we view ourselves and each other. However, social media is also an essential space for folks who are geographically isolated from communities and need support online, and for that I'm very happy that it exists.
I appreciate the focus on how marginalized groups are physically closest to emerging technologies (mining for minerals, assembling electronics, living near toxic waste runoffs, etc.) BUT are also the furthest away from technology in terms of education and access. However, I felt that while this manifesto mentioned a crucial point about marginalized groups and accessibility/ equity rights, it itself is not an accessible text to anyone without a master's degree. I found that it was written in an extremely academic way, and that's a barrier to access in itself, and I wish that the collective had taken that into consideration. If you're championing the rights to access for marginalized folks, you have to make your text accessible too.
All in all, this gave me a lot to think about, and for that I found this manifesto extremely valuable!
