Abstract
Sara Ahmed, in Living a Feminist Life, gives a lived account of feminism through an honest examination of her journey of finding, becoming, and sustaining her life as a feminist. Ahmed’s aim to “make feminism a life question” (p. 2) is what makes this piece both timely and timeless.
It is timely because it answers questions that arise from modern-day portrayals of feminism. With globalization and technological advances, feminism and its efforts have become increasingly mainstream. Mechanisms of social media, such as hashtags and videos, widely broadcast the notion of persistence, resistance, and women standing up for other women. However, slogans in social media often depict a segmented ideological view, without addressing what embodying feminism means or whether it is possible.
Ahmed transforms feminism from an ideology to a lived experience by depicting the nuances of living a feminist life. Embodying feminism becomes realistic as she describes the “process of becoming feminist” (p. 19), using personal encounters with gender discrimination. Ahmed also gives feminism utility, as she portrays ways of navigating power structures within institutional and systematic structures. Ahmed then recognizes the harsh consequences of being feminist since holding that political position can be alienating. The candid description of committing to feminism provides empathy and guidance to those who are learning their way. It fills the gaps that yawn within a fractured notion of feminism that is portrayed in mass media and provides the support necessary for feminism to become “a life question” (p. 2).
Ahmed’s narrative is also timeless because it is inclusive. She provides a language and conceptual framework that is relevant to “new” and “seasoned” feminists. Ahmed emphasizes feminism as an “unhappy archive” (p. 57). It is a product of women challenged throughout history. Ahmed recalls this historicity by referencing Ann Oakley, Judith Butler, Marilyn Frye, Bell Hooks, and many other feminist theorists. In acknowledging the hardships of feminism, she uses as a thread the notion of “willfulness” as a constant reminder of why feminism is worth the fight. Willfulness captures the rhetoric of how society views women who refuse to live by the status quo. The willful woman is only labeled as such because “girls are not supposed to have a will of their own” (p. 68). She accordingly coins the term “feminist killjoy” since feminists often “kill” the “joy” of a status quo based on expectations formed in relation to men and male privilege. To be a killjoy is an expression of willfulness. However, Ahmed also acknowledges the challenges of being a killjoy and the various forms feminism takes. She explains the concept of “passive willfulness” and how it too contributes to the overall feminist agenda. She thus demonstrates the importance of negotiating ways of being a willful killjoy within different social contexts.
Therefore, Ahmed’s deconstruction of feminism connects the “new” feminists with resources and an opportunity for further engagement and examination of what feminism means to them. Ahmed is conscious of inclusivity and accessibility because she recognizes that inequality knows no bounds. In concurrence with this book, she started a blog called “feminist killjoys,” which became a platform for women to share “their own experience of being feminist killjoys and willful subjects” (p. 11). Ahmed writes with these women in mind. Simultaneously, she also writes for “seasoned” feminists and emphasizes that lived theory is a process of navigating a system. The willful killjoy is a welcome reminder and valuable resource for persisting. Ahmed therefore not only motivates feminists to maintain their commitment and to continually “become feminists in dialogue with others” (p. 5) but demonstrates that it is possible.
The final chapter of the book, “Killjoy Manifesto” (p. 251), is critical as it embodies what Ahmed believes feminism to be, a willful and strategic collective of “killjoy” women. It emphasizes the importance of being willful together and the need for invaluable support networks to sustain the feminist life. The book itself is an example of what it postulates, and Ahmed’s dedication to the many willful individuals and organizations, including Affilia and its readers, is abundantly clear. Ahmed states that books “in giving us words, gave us the strength to go on” (p. 1). Through Living a Feminist Life, she gives us a willful arm to lean on so that others can be willful too.