• Dr. Paramita Dey

The feminist movement, a socio-political reality, has grown and developed over a period of time. It has emerged and developed due to various reasons, like protest against oppression, legal reform, social reform, nationalistic concern, education, demand for economic resources etc. Somehow, its growth and development have been attributed mainly to Western influence. Contemporary feminists believe that the process of globalization has further reinforced the differences between the women of western countries and the women of Third world. However, towards the end of 1980s’, feminist movement and feminist consciousness started to grow more diverse. Feminists started to confront and debate issues of difference—most notably those of race, class, culture. The western hegemony and dominance misread and minimize the reality of the evolving patterns rooted in history and culture of a particular society. Third World Feminism is different from white and American feminism. The Third World Feminism necessities the willingness to work with different types of people likes the colour, the queer, the poor, physically challenged and obviously, women. The Third World countries differ in terms of genesis and development, which demand recognition of the ‘subjectivity’ on behalf of the Third World Feminists. In this context, Chela Sandoval in her book “Methodology of the Oppressed” outlined a new form of oppositional consciousness known as differential consciousness. She developed this theory and method in order to redefine feminist movement and to recognize the identities of the women of third world. In the present paper an attempt has been made to understand Indian Feminism with the help of Sandoval’s theory of differential consciousness.

Feminism, Western Hegemony, Third World Feminism, Differential, Consciousness, Indian Feminism

"CHELA SANDOVAL’S DIFFERENTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND INDIAN FEMINISM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 8, page no.217-222, August-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1808327.pdf

"CHELA SANDOVAL’S DIFFERENTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND INDIAN FEMINISM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 8, page no. pp217-222, August-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1808327.pdf