Inscribed in Our Blood: Challenging the Ideology of Sexism and Racism

Drawing on my experiences and the work of emancipatory theorists, I argue that androcentric and patriarchal thinking is so entrenched in major social institutions that gender and racial discrimination seem to be inscribed in our blood. Confronting the influence of external systems on our thinking and engaging in an ideological critique are the first steps to understanding and undoing oppression and privilege and in working toward radical change. This article deals with the complex relationship between agency and structure. Although an alternative consciousness and praxis are central to dealing with gender and racial discrimination and inequality, so is dealing with their structural determinants.