Critique of a Hegemonic View of Feminism

A Reflection

Abstract

This article examines and reflects on a critique of mainstream feminism as a form of hegemony in feminist perspectives asserted by Kurdish women in Europe. The critique of mainstream feminism as a hegemonic viewpoint came up in conversations with women who are part of the Kurdish diaspora in Europe. This essay is a part of a larger ethnographic study that I carried out between 2017 and 2018. In order to show the context of the critique, I examine data drawn from excerpts of interviews and field notes from the ethnographic work. Having analyzed this data, I identified the need for a discussion of the term “mainstream feminism,” which was recurrently used by the informants of the study. I also discuss and reflect on the reasons for asserting a critique of mainstream feminisms and how my informants perceive such as a form of hegemony.