Reading Circle meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 4pm PST/7pm EST/12am UTC.

Reading Circle is a space for women to explore feminist literature as a group. Every week, we will read a short essay or excerpt of writing about feminist theory or women’s herstory, then discuss. Please read or listen to the text before each session, so we can come together for a thoughtful discussion!

About The Author

When most feminists hear the name Carol Hanisch, they probably think of this essay. She was also a highly influential member of both the New York Radical Women and The Redstockings. Another well-known piece of hers is A Critique of the Miss America Protest, and she was instrumental in conceiving and organizing the 1968 protest against the Miss America Pageant. Decades later, she remains active, and her current writings can be found on Meeting Ground Online, “a blogzine dedicated to organizing.”

This infamous essay began as a memo in 1969 entitled “Some Thoughts in Response to Dottie’s Thoughts on a Women’s Liberation Movement,” written in response to comments by Dottie Zellner, who questioned whether the women’s liberation movement could truly be considered “political” if consciousness-raising, as she saw it, was merely group therapy. The essay later received its now-famous title, The Personal is Political, from the editors of Notes from the Second Year, Firestone and Koedt. It is often mistakenly thought to have been written in 1970, because it was first published in this mimeograph that year.

Recording

You can listen to a recording of this week's reading here.

Text

You can read the Introduction from 2006 if you'd like, but our reading begins on page 3/5.

You can read this weeks text by following this link.

You can also download a PDF version here:

The Personal Is Political by Carol Hanisch (1969)
The Personal Is Political by Carol Hanisch (1969).pdf
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Key Concepts

Political

Politics (or the political) refers to the ways in which power is distributed, exercised, and contested within any group or society. It encompasses the structures, relationships, and systems that determine who has influence, who has access to resources, and who is constrained or enabled—extending far beyond formal government or state institutions.

The Pro-Woman Line

The pro-woman line is a feminist principle that starts from the assumption that women are already doing the best they can under oppressive conditions; women’s feelings, choices, and coping strategies are understood as reasonable responses to real material constraints. Feminist politics therefore supports women where they are and directs its critique toward the patriarchal structures that limit their choices, rather than criticizing women for how they survive under patriarchy.

Consciousness-Raising

Consciousness-raising is a feminist practice through which women come together to discuss their lived experiences, identify shared patterns of inequality, and develop political awareness about how social, cultural, and economic structures shape their lives.

Reading Questions

  • The author states that “these analytical sessions are a form of political action.” Do you view intentional feminist conversations that generate insight and strengthen analysis as “political action”? Why or why not?
  • The author explains that “political discussions” are what took her “esoteric, intellectual understandings” to the next level, allowing her to connect her experiences with those of “other people.” What are your personal thoughts on where feminist knowledge gained through formal learning and feminist understanding gained through personal experience intersect?
  • When the author states, “There are no personal solutions at this time. There is only collective action for a collective solution,” how do you interpret this claim? Do you think it still applies today?
  • The concept that “all alternatives are bad under present conditions” is raised multiple times, as the author resists reform in favor of radical change. Do you see this position echoed in contemporary schools of feminism?
  • The author compares different types of “alternative life-styles” and explains that her group concluded there is no “more liberated” way; rather, "there are only good and bad things about each bad situation." How do you think contemporary schools of feminism would agree or disagree with this conclusion?
  • The author argues that action must be grounded in analysis; otherwise, it can inadvertently target women’s survival strategies rather than patriarchal power and harm. Can you think of an example in which a group undertook action without a well-developed analysis? What was missing?
  • The author presents the idea that “apolitical” women may have valid reasons for avoiding the women’s movement due to expectations of uniformity and identifies this as a problem that must be confronted. Do you think she is right? Do you think this problem persists?
  • How does this author’s use of the concept “the personal is political” differ from how the phrase is used colloquially today? Why do you think this difference exists?

References

Hanisch, C. (1970). The personal is political. Notes from the Second Year: Women’s Liberation, 76-78.

Code of Participation

If you have questions, please read and review our Feminist Code Of Participation.