{"product_id":"unkind-how-be-kind-entrenches-sexism-9780349127132","title":"(Un)Kind: How 'be Kind' Entrenches Sexism","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Victoria Smith is a brilliant writer who every feminist should read' Sharron Davies\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This brilliant book shows how demands for compassion and generosity can be a mask for sexist ideology' Susanna Rustin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA brilliantly witty and insightful analysis of how kindness culture is used against women.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Using the #JustBeKind trend of the 2020s as a starting point, \u003ci\u003e(Un)kind\u003c\/i\u003e explores how traditional beliefs about women's 'kind' nature have been repackaged for an age that remains dependent - socially, politically, economically - on female self-sacrifice while finding the concept outdated and essentialist. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Looking at the various guises under which kindness culture is sold to women and girls - from play to self-help, social justice activism to empowerment - Victoria Smith argues that the pressure on women and girls has not decreased, but instead been incorporated into the 'work' of feminism. \u003ci\u003e(Un)kind \u003c\/i\u003eanalyses the way in which this phenomenon ultimately distorts relationships, harming not just those coerced into performing 'kindness work' but the supposed recipients of their services. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKindness culture supports the backlash against feminism while claiming to represent feminism's - and women's - true nature. It is, at heart, unkind. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Erudite, blisteringly smart and profoundly compassionate... A must-read for anyone hungry to understand the origins and dangers of contemporary exhortations to women to #BeKind, and for everyone who wants to live a feminist life' Dr Rachel Hewitt\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHAGS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The greatest joy of \u003ci\u003eHags \u003c\/i\u003eis its lively erudition . . . eloquent, clever and devastating' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'A book that could not be more necessary' \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 'Brilliantly witty, engaging and insightful' \u003ci\u003eScotsman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVictoria Smith is the author of \u003ci\u003eHags: the demonisation of middle-aged women.\u003c\/i\u003e Her journalism appears in The \u003ci\u003eCritic\u003c\/i\u003e, the\u003ci\u003e New Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e and various other publications.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Fleet","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51749463752978,"sku":"9780349127132","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_38ec7597-f391-48d4-b073-c6d68e53aff7.jpg?v=1764086991","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/unkind-how-be-kind-entrenches-sexism-9780349127132","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}