Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses touch upon very pertinent issues, elitism and seperation amongst women. Women are often described homogenously, grouped together and referred to as a whole, irrespective of their race, creed, origin, age or class. This allows for women to be sized up and immediately stereotyped. However, when it comes times fro female scholars and other well educated women to distinguish themselves amongst other women in writing a hierarchy develops, and his hierarchy is representative of colonization, an issue rooted deeply in the history of every marginalized group of human beings. This results in the classification of supposed inferior women as "third World Women." This phrase, "Third World Women" conjured images of African women, Asian women, Eastern European Women, Middle Eastern women and every other group of women who have been ignored, disregarded and discriminated against.
As an African American woman I can best relate to the struggles of African American women in the United States. It is a reminder of the double burden we carry of one, being female and two, being African American. We face adversity from White and Black men and White women. We are often he subjects of misrepresentations in the media; we are scored by our own men and deemed the Black sheep in any gathering. This is so true and made evident in Enole's piece. Using the example of the military and its inter workings, Enole points out that (to no surprise) militarization privileges masculinity, but it does so by manipulating the meanigns of both feminity and masculinity. what boundaries are set for women who wish to enter a militarist world? Will they constantly be pitted against thier male counterpart? omen's identity is often limited to thier gender that is defined under the pretences of masculinist notions This indicates a notion of difference--sexual difference. Even with religous ideoloies, power and human exiis defined in binary terms. Mohanty declares taht "seual differnce becomes coterminou with female subordiantion, and power is automatically defined in binary terms" (375). In other words, men exploit and women are exploited. Such an occurance my not necessairy be purposely; however, the power structure creates an unabled existence. T histype of exisitence is esential to the "survival of the fittest>"
But, what happens to this seemingly power mandated structure in the Third World? Women in the U.S. have the ability (depending on factors such as race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. ) to rise above their status as oppressed beings. This is made possible by certain job avenues with the implementation of minority outreach programs. However, I think to myself, will and can Third World Women ever rise above the confining barriers? The power structure is predetermined men are expected to work and excel, while women are to remain as servants.