Category 1: Colonialism and Cesaire
What is the title of Aimé Césaire’s reading from this unit?
What does privilege mean in a social context?
An unearned advantage or benefit that a person may receive because of their membership in a particular social group.
Who introduced the concept of intersectionality?
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Who wrote We Should All Be Feminists?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Free points! Play again :)
Play again :)
What is colonialism and post-colonialism?
Colonialism: the political, economic, and cultural control of one country or people by another. Post-colonialism: the critical academic study of the cultural, political, and economic legacies of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on how human control and exploitation continue to shape formerly colonized societies.
True or false: Having privilege means that a person's life has been easy. Explain.
False. Privilege refers to particular advantages, not to whether someone has experienced hardship overall.
What does intersectionality examine?
How different aspects of identity and systems of power overlap and shape a person's experiences.
How does Adichie define a feminist?
"Yes, there is a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better."
This question is for both teams: points will go to the team that answers most quickly. Find the following quote and explain: "The trouble we are in is the privileging of some groups at the expense of others."
P. 82. Explanations will vary.
According to Césaire, what happens to the colonizer as a result of participating in colonial violence?
The colonizer becomes dehumanized/brutalized as well; colonialism harms the humanity of both colonized and colonizer.
What is the difference between individual prejudice and systemic inequality?
Individual prejudice involves a person's beliefs or actions, while systemic inequality occurs when institutions, policies, or social structures consistently advantage or disadvantage certain groups.
In Crenshaw's TED Talk, why does she ask the audience to recognize the names of Black women killed by police?
To demonstrate how some people's experiences can become invisible when conversations focus on only one identity or category at a time.
According to Adichie, how can gender expectations negatively affect boys and men as well as girls and women?
Boys are often taught to suppress vulnerability, prove masculinity, seek dominance, or tie their worth to money and power.
Connect this video to two different texts. (this is a group question -- both teams can earn points)
Answers will vary.
Césaire argues that colonialism cannot legitimately be defended as a project of “civilization.” Why?
Because colonialism is fundamentally based on domination, exploitation, racism, and violence rather than genuinely improving or civilizing colonized societies.
Why can inequality continue even if most individuals claim not to intentionally discriminate?
Because institutions, traditions, policies, social norms, and unequal access to resources can reproduce inequality even without deliberate prejudice from every individual.
Why isn't intersectionality simply the idea that everyone has multiple identities?
Because it focuses specifically on how overlapping identities interact with systems of power, discrimination, and inequality, not merely on possessing multiple characteristics.
Why does Adichie argue that culture cannot be used as a complete defense of unequal gender traditions?
Because culture is created by people and changes over time; if a cultural practice creates inequality, people can choose to change it.
Name three different ways power can operate besides through direct physical force.
Answers may include: laws, institutions, education, media, language, stereotypes, culture, economic control, social norms, or control over representation.
Explain Césaire’s argument about the relationship between European colonialism and fascism in Europe.
He argues that Europeans tolerated brutal methods when they were used against colonized peoples, but were horrified when similar methods were later used against Europeans. His argument exposes the hypocrisy of condemning fascist violence while accepting colonial violence.
A school gives every student exactly the same resources and accommodations. Explain why treating everyone identically may not create an equitable outcome.
Equality gives everyone the same resources, while equity considers different circumstances and barriers. Identical treatment can preserve existing disadvantages if students begin from unequal positions.
A Black woman experiences discrimination that cannot be fully explained by examining racism alone or sexism alone. How would Crenshaw explain this and what example did she use?
Her experience occurs at the intersection of race and gender. The combination can create a distinct form of discrimination that cannot be understood by examining either category independently.
Adichie says, “Culture does not make people. People make culture.” Explain the larger argument she is making with this statement.
Social traditions are not fixed or inevitable. Humans create and maintain cultural norms, meaning humans also have the ability and responsibility to challenge norms that produce gender inequality.
Connect this video to four different foundational texts. (this is a group question -- both teams can earn points)
Answers will vary.