The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love

hooks devoted her career to intersectional feminism—a sociopolitical lens that identifies and deconstructs myriad oppressive systems that impact multiple identities. hooks was interested in identifying the ways that capitalism, imperialism, racism, and sexism intertwine to contribute to the oppression of various people groups. Intersectionality explores the means by which the combination, or intersection, of factors including race, class, gender, and sexual orientation lead to discrimination against some groups while empowering others. The theory was developed by the Black feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in the late 1980s. Intersectionality in feminist studies reacted to a wave of feminist theory that excluded Black women from the conversation and failed to recognize the ways that patriarchal structures uniquely target and discriminate against people of color.

hooks’s inaugural book Ain’t I a Woman—named after the speech of the same name delivered by Sojourner Truth in 1851—details the oppression of Black women by white women, white men, and Black men. Her theories echo Truth’s resounding question—“Ain’t I a woman?”—as she challenged the ways in which Black women were excluded from the feminist conversation and the view of women as the weaker sex. Just as Truth posed her question to white women at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, hooks challenged contemporary white feminism, which presented a singular perspective on patriarchal structures. hooks argued that sexism would never be eradicated until all voices worked together to actively confront patriarchal and racist values.

hooks’s focus on intersectionality was inclusive. In The Will to Change, she argues that men need to embark on a process of self-discovery and self-critique to break free from the shackles of patriarchy. This aligns with her theories of critical thinking and education as a form of liberation. She believed that literacy was a form of critical consciousness that led to self-awareness, as well as societal awareness. In hooks’s view, the best way to dismantle oppressive structures is to engage in personal and societal self-reflection. She viewed schools as the front line for challenging existing systems of power and encouraged teachers to foster classroom environments that promote critical thinking and emphasize humanity. hooks found her own experience as a teacher profoundly rewarding.

The Will to Change presents a new view of masculinity that is centered on wholeness. hooks believed that patriarchy divides men’s souls. Her philosophy of teaching aligned with this ideology; she saw the classroom as a space where students could engage with their souls and find liberation. This philosophy was influenced by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian philosopher who wrote Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire promoted an emancipatory pedagogy that emphasized identifying oppressors. hooks argues in The Will to Change that men will find freedom only when they actively identify the ways that patriarchy damages them. Both Freire and hooks expanded a pedagogical theory that identified education as a catalyst for change. hooks saw education as transformative, and she believed that teachers have a responsibility to think critically about society and to develop curricula and instruction that advance individual and societal growth. hooks’s central arguments throughout her career present an optimistic point of view that is founded in the belief that people can enact change in the world.