#1242 Serene Khader - Faux Feminism: Why We Fall for White Feminism and How We Can Stop
RECORDED ON JANUARY 8th 2026.
Dr. Serene Khader is Professor of Philosophy and Women’s and Gender Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center and holds the Jay Newman Chair in Philosophy of Culture at Brooklyn College. She is a moral and political philosopher working primarily on feminist issues in global justice. She is the author of Faux Feminism: Why We Fall for White Feminism and How We Can Stop.
In this episode, we focus on Faux Feminism. We discuss what feminism is, if it makes sense to talk about “waves” of feminism, and the idea of white feminism. We go through myths regarding feminism, including the Freedom Myth, the Individualism Myth, the Culture Myth, the Restriction Myth, and the Judgment Myth. We talk about the idea of “girlbosses”, and capitalism and neoliberal feminism. We discuss intersectional feminism, and whether tradition is the enemy of feminism. Finally, we talk about the current state of women’s rights in the US.
Time Links:
Intro
What is feminism?
White feminism
Myths regarding feminism: the Freedom Myth
The Individualism Myth
The Culture Myth
The Restriction Myth
The Judgment Myth
The idea of “girlbosses”
Capitalism and neoliberal feminism
Intersectional feminism
Is tradition the enemy of feminism?
The current state of women’s rights in the US
Follow Dr. Khader’s work!
Follow Dr. Khader’s work:
Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/4rfrd27a
Website: https://www.serenekhader.com/
PhilPeople profile: https://tinyurl.com/yc2pnxzp
Faux Feminism: https://tinyurl.com/4kvf5r7s