Female Fear Factory

by Pumla Dineo Gqola

Where RapeA South African nightmare introduced strategies for disrupting rape culture at an individual level, Female Fear Factory offers an even bolder vision for collective action against all cultures of sexual violence. Like the previous book on which it builds, Female Fear Factory fuses intellectual rigour and extensive research, written by one of South Africa's keenest minds, award-winning Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Gender Studies, Gender, South Africa, Abuse

250 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Patrícia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

There was a lot of interesting things in this book. As a woman I am very familiar with a lot of examples in here relating to fear and I think a lot of the ideas were expressed well. Overall it was a good read however, I didn't feel like all the chapters were at the same level and although I was mostly fine with it, the writing style is not very intuitive to read.
I don't think I have ever read a book where the author mentions her other book so many times that it actually made me feel bad and as if I didn't actually got as much as I should have from this, since apparently so much relating to the subject was discussed deeper before. I believe the book could benefit from some structural changes but the content was good.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Female Fear Factory reminds us that all women are safe to violate, are beatable, and are killable. This is what it means to be female in this context, which is to say, as having feminine value in a patriarchal hierarchical worldview. It means to be legitimately domitable and ultimately disposable, which is not contradicted by the centrality of women's labour (as work and as reproduction), in the regeneration of patriarchal societies."

The Female Fear Factory is an interesting nonfiction piece that centers around sexual violence and violence against women and how this is linked with fear and femininity. It's not always a linear argument and it's clear that Gqola has an academic background as at times I found myself wading through sections of academic thought so I think some tighter editing would really have helped here make the piece a little more fluid. It's clear Gqola has built on her previous arguments in her prior book so I don't think I'll read that now, but she used that research to draw on many South African cases which I appreciated.

The concept of "fear" is key to Gqola's arguments as she examines how fear guides and reinforces social atittudes and behaviours. With fear, comes the concept of safety and I think here is where the book was really excellent in how Gqola argues that women or those who are 'feminised' are not safe in many spaces including the home. Her argument that individuals become 'feminised' such as those from the LGBTQIA+ community was particularly interesting as it's the lack of masculinity that enables violence to be perpetrated against individuals.

To support her arguments about no spaces being safe she references domestic violence, femicide, the murder of Breonna Taylor, she talks about another woman in SA sexually assaulted and killed by her brother's friends. She draws on these examples to show that spaces such as the home or amongst "friends" that are typically considered safe can in fact be harmful.

Overall though, I'm glad I finally picked up my copy of Female Fear Factory and I think if you're searching for wider readings on sexual violence without the Western centric focus, then this is really great book to pick up.

One important note to say is this is a heavy book with triggers for sexual violence, violence against women and LGBTQIA+ communities referenced so approach the book with caution.

[Blessing John · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75🌟

Persuasive with very brilliant arguments and deductions. Each chapter focuses on a key aspect of the plethora of issues that women struggle with daily and I honestly believe that every woman will relate to one or more of these chapters, irrespective of race, age, class and anything else that makes us different from one another.

Unfortunately, the tone of the writing makes it not so easy to read at times. Also even though the author tries her best to break down the analysis of the various forms of arts and illustrations from which she draws her conclusions, it was quite the struggle to follow the unfamiliar ones.

Even with these issues, I would say this is one for keeps and I look forward to reading Reflecting Rogue in the near future.

[Violeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digital ARC provided by Netgalley

The main emotion that drives and help patriarchy survive is the fear that the girls learn since early childhood in different cultures around the globe. The author tries to provide different examples from different cultures with cases studies from the recent years. Patriarchy is also described here as a concept and the feminism aspect puts into the light this concept to help us understand women’s realities. It is clearly a very interesting read and very insightful.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been around 2 weeks since I finished reading Female Fear Factory, and I've found myself referencing concepts within several times since then. That's because I find multiple of the metaphors and comparisons Gqola introduces, to make feminist theory and research accessible, both thought-provoking and very useful in more informal discourse.

Generally, I would consider this more academic leaning compared to many more popular feminist works of recent years but it remains fully digestible. Possibly my favorite feminist non-fiction read of the year.

PS: I read this as part of a feminist reading challenge.

[Rachel]

I could not get through this one at all, whilst it does say in the blurb that it builds on the last book by this author, I didn't expect them to bring it up in almost every paragraph.

I'm sure it is full of interesting insight, I just didn't get there.

[Renay Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this might have been a bit too academic for me - I found it a difficult read.

[LizBetweenTheLines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The female fear factory has existed all my life but seeing it in action after reading this book?? Sickening.

[Camila · Rating 3 out of 5]

**This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.**

I thought this was an insightful and well-researched book about the violent and patriarchal structures permeating our societies. I also liked the wide scope of research in terms of examples being used from all over the world. It was very interesting, in fact, to highlight the different (and similar) ways in which the 'female fear factory' works in different cultures and countries. I think this was a great intersectional point of view that adds to the conversation.

However, I found some parts of this book not so easy to read or understand. I'm not sure if this book was written as an academic book or for the larger public, but I didn't think it was as accessible as it could have been. I also think that some very precise examples (of tv shows and such) were a bit confusing to follow when you have no reference point. I thought Gqola did a better job talking/summarising real-life events than fictional ones.

Generally, I'm glad I read it, but would only recommend to those with a more considerable feminist knowledge or interest as it can be a bit impenetrable at times.

[Rae's Reading Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

For someone who hasn't read the author's previous work, I found this book slightly hard to grasp and get into. While it does talk about important topics of the patriarchy's hold over women, the continuous references to their other work made it less impactful.

This is definitely more written in a textbook/academic style than something that can be accessible for everyone. So I would recommend it to people who are used to reading and understanding academic texts or study topics surrounding this area of gender studies.

It was interesting, and I was hopeful that I would love it but with the constant reference to another book that I haven't read, it was difficult to follow and learn from.

Once again thank you so much to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

[piers haben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb and insightful. Required reading for everyone.

Superbly researched and written, Proffesor Gqola unveils with great clarity how the production of fear fear guides and reinforces our social atittudes and behaviours.

A timely reminder that there is much work to do for us all to ensure that everybody can secure a sense of safety, especially women and those who are feminised and how our existing structures require challenge and change.

Thank you Prof Gqola. Your voice is sorely needed.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Mojo Obala]

very insightful. read it as a part of a research for character development for a series I'm writing, and I have understood at a personal level what women go through.

[Anna James]

Gqola's mind is brilliant and her books generously invite readers into it!