Lillian Robinson
Encyclopedia
Lillian Sara Robinson was a Marxist feminist
activist
, writer
, and theorist
. She was the principal of the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and professor of Women's studies
at Concordia University
at the time of her death. She is described as "revolutionary, Marxist, and feminist...an activist student".
, the child of Jewish immigrants. She earned a B.A./M.A. degree at Brown University
in 1962, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University
. Her dissertation was published in 1985. Throughout her life, Robinson was actively involved in various civil and human rights struggles. She marched against the US war in Vietnam
, racism
, and, shortly before her death, also worked with the Jewish Alliance Against the Occupation branch in Montreal
.
Her work in women's studies was groundbreaking for its time. She insisted that "gender could not usefully be studied except in relationship to race and class". Her views on this matter are expounded upon in her work Sex, Class, and Culture. A particularly noteworthy article in this book on the importance of examining race and class is "Who's Afraid of a Room of One's Own?" in which she discusses developments in the realm of sexuality and politics as it pertains to women since Virginia Woolf
's time. She argues that class plays a much greater role in determining what kind of place and identity a woman has in society, which was not thoroughly examined in Woolf's work A Room of One's Own
. She also argues that the sexual freedom that women have gained since the sexual revolution has come at a cost, that in fact "permission to be unchaste has not freed women from the object-role we occupied when it was chastity that was the valued commodity".
Professor Robinson was Poet in Residence at Albright College in Reading Pennsylvania during the 1984-1985 academic year.
Lillian Robinson died of ovarian cancer in Montreal
, Canada
on September 20, 2006.
Marxist feminism
Marxist feminism is a sub-type of feminist theory which focuses on the dismantling of capitalism as a way of liberating women. Marxist feminism states that private property, which gives rise to economic inequality, dependence, political confusion, and ultimately unhealthy social relations between...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and theorist
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
. She was the principal of the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and professor of Women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
at Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
at the time of her death. She is described as "revolutionary, Marxist, and feminist...an activist student".
Life
Robinson grew up in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the child of Jewish immigrants. She earned a B.A./M.A. degree at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1962, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Her dissertation was published in 1985. Throughout her life, Robinson was actively involved in various civil and human rights struggles. She marched against the US war in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and, shortly before her death, also worked with the Jewish Alliance Against the Occupation branch in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Her work in women's studies was groundbreaking for its time. She insisted that "gender could not usefully be studied except in relationship to race and class". Her views on this matter are expounded upon in her work Sex, Class, and Culture. A particularly noteworthy article in this book on the importance of examining race and class is "Who's Afraid of a Room of One's Own?" in which she discusses developments in the realm of sexuality and politics as it pertains to women since Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
's time. She argues that class plays a much greater role in determining what kind of place and identity a woman has in society, which was not thoroughly examined in Woolf's work A Room of One's Own
A Room of One's Own
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on 24 October 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928...
. She also argues that the sexual freedom that women have gained since the sexual revolution has come at a cost, that in fact "permission to be unchaste has not freed women from the object-role we occupied when it was chastity that was the valued commodity".
Professor Robinson was Poet in Residence at Albright College in Reading Pennsylvania during the 1984-1985 academic year.
Lillian Robinson died of ovarian cancer in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on September 20, 2006.
Selected works
- "In The Night Kitchen," in Beefsteak Begonia, (May, 1976) Buffalo, New York.
- The Old Life: Five Reactionary Poems for Dick. Designed, illustrated and printed by Patricia Malanowicz, 110 copies, 1976.
- Sex, Class, and Culture. Bloomington: Indiana State Press, 1978.
- Monstrous Regiment: The Lady Knight in Sixteenth Century Epic. New York: Garland Pub., 1985.
- Modern Women Writers. ed. Robinson, Lillian. New York: Continuum, 1996.
- Bishop, Ryan and Robinson, Lillian. Night Market: Sexual Cultures and the Thai Economic Miracle. New York: Routledge, 1998.
- Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes. New York: Routledge, 2004.
External links
- Lillian Robinson Scholars Program
- Lillian Robinson, troublemaker extraordinaire
- Simone de Beauvoir Institute
- Obituary for Lillian Robinson The author of this article states that Robinson claimed that "Who's Afraid of A Room of One's Own?" created the field of Marxist-feminist criticism.