Blog post 8

The article I chose to discuss this week was "Be Longing: Toward a Feminist Politics of Relation" by Aimee Carrillo-Rowe. I found her work to be very intriguing and thought-provoking, challenging, and emotional. She shared different stories from other academic professionals who relate to her and her story.  

"By rendering visible the conditions and effects—both oppressive and libratory, and more often both—of belonging, the multiple sites and communities to which we belong or don’t belong become apparent. This awareness pushes us to consider the political, social, and spiritual effects of our choices to belong, (Carrillo-Rowe 23)" Carrillo-Rowe said. I found this quote to be particularly longing. One of the main points she was trying to make was that even if these people who are oppressed feel like they fit into a community circle if they take a step back, they might not actually feel that way. Having this feeling can be difficult to navigate, but Carrillo-Rowe goes on to add that we are free to make decisions about where we land ourselves, concerning circles. She discussed many other pieces that could affect how people feel which could cause this. 

I enjoyed learning more about Carrillo-Rowe's perspective and how her experiences have guided her. She offered many stories about this topic and from others' points of view and I'm excited to learn more about this topic to become more knowledgeable. 

Rowe, Aimee Marie Carrillo. "Be Longing: Toward a Feminist Politics of Relation." NWSA Journal, vol. 17 no. 2, 2005, p. 15-46. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/184750.