Integrating disability as a category of analysis and a system of representation expands feminist theory and contributes to feminism’s intersectionality.


University of North Texas

Foucault’s ‘docile body’ is a body that is subject to internal self-discipline. This demands a loss of power as the self-discipline stems from subjugation to hegemonic discourses and disciplinary mechanisms exercised in post-modern societies. 

"Docile Body"

bell hooks  posits in her essay Feminism: A Movement to End Sexist Oppression that feminism is the struggle to end sexist oppression and that it is not meant to solely elevate women to have the same privileges as men, or to elevate any specific group of women, or to privilege women over men. hooks defines feminism as a movement to acknowledges the interconnected nature of sexism, racism, and classism  and thus should center women who bear the brunt of sexist oppression.

Feminism

Dhillon, M., & Kumar, A. (2026). ‘Disabled and beautiful’: young women’s negotiations of beauty and body ideals. Disability & Society

‘Disabled and beautiful’: young women’s negotiations of beauty and body ideals

Based on Foucauldian analysis, feminist thinkers elaborate on how female bodies are rendered docile. Cameron and McDermott suggest the example of women starving themselves to achieve contemporary ideals of a slim body.

Female Bodies as Docile

Feminism Theory and Disability Studies

While hooks offers her definition of feminism she also poses that the central problem within feminist discourse is that there is not a universally agreed upon definition of what feminism is. hooks points out that the multitude of definitions of  feminism that exist have made it hard for feminism to become a unified social movement.

Differing Definitions of Feminism

bell hooks notably preferred for her name not to be capitalized while there is a multitude of reasons cited for this decision, ranging from bell hooks wanting people to focus on her work, to the decapitalization serving as a reminder of the oppression faced by black women, to the decision being a tribute to her great-grandmother whose name was Bell Hooks, in women's studies, Black studies, and gender studies spaces the author bell books name is kept decapitalized when citing and discussing her work.

Note on the capitalization of bell hooks

Schalk defines Black feminist health activism as health activism by Black people that is critically attuned to intersectional gender, race, and class politics. Note: Schalk makes clear it does not mater whether or not the word feminist is actively used by people enacting Black feminist health activism.

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