Difference Recognition and Understanding
These next two weeks are going to be crazy for me. I have two papers and a 600-800 word post due for three of my classes. Thank god my Biology midterm is over! During Women's Studies 1001, we are discussing the terms that we don't understand and the passages we find important. I found this in one of the articles:
"Maria C. Lugones expresses irritation at those feminists who see only the problem of difference without recognizing difference" (pg. 71) From Feminist Frontiers ed.7,Verta Taylor, Nancy Whittier, and Leila J. Rupp.
In Feminist Thought & Theory, we also discussed the clarification between recognizing differences and just the discussion of the problem of difference. Many feminist authors of color like Lugones and hooks believe that difference must be not only recognized but understood. There is a difference between simple recognition and understanding. To some, difference must be experienced in order to be completely understood, but then comes in the complexity of experience. For the experiences of a Latina woman in Latina culture is different from that of a white woman in a Latina community. But the point is not to experience things exactly as a Latina does, it is to understand what it is like to have have the experiences; to view it firsthand.
For me, I find this related to my appreciation yet unconnected relationship with the song I Am Not My Hair by India.Arie. I absolutely love this song, yet I would not have thought about hair in that way had I not heard this song. I have recognized the difference, but not yet understood it. The lyrics can be found here and YouTube has the music video.