F eminist and g ender t heories

Feminist and Gender Theories  
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dominant view to which you must adapt (e.g., a masculine point of view). The notion of 
bifurcation of consciousness underscores that subordinate groups are conditioned to view 
the world from the perspective of the dominant group, since the perspective of the latter is 
embedded in the institutions and practices of that world. Conversely, the dominant group 
enjoys the privilege of remaining oblivious to the worldview of the Other, or subordinate 
group, since the Other is fully expected to accommodate to them. The “governing mode” of 
the professions, then, creates a bifurcation of consciousness in the actor: “It establishes two 
modes of knowing, experiencing, and acting—one located in the body and in the space that 
it occupies and moves into, the other passing beyond it” (ibid.:82).
Of course, bifurcation of consciousness reflects Smith’s own experience of living in “two 
worlds”: the dominant, masculine-oriented, “abstract” world of the sociologist, and the 
“concrete” world of wife and mother. The key point, as Smith (2005:11) notes, is that “the 
two subjectivities, home and university, could not be blended.” In this way, Smith’s concept 
of bifurcation of consciousness recalls W. E. B. Du Bois’s concept of “double conscious-
ness,” which he used to describe the experiential condition of black Americans.
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In both 
cases, it is the oppressed person who must adapt to the “rules of the game” that do not reflect 
her interests or desires, even though, in both cases, the dual subjectivities provide a uniquely 
“clairvoyant” vantage point (in Du Bois’s terms). Thus, for instance, women in male-dom-
inated professions (e.g., law enforcement, construction) acclimate themselves to sexist and 
even misogynistic talk about the female body that is a normal part of their everyday work 
environment. Not only do they learn to ignore the banter, but also, indeed, they might even 
chime in. However, because they must continually accommodate themselves to the domi-
nant group in order to gain acceptance in a world that is not theirs, members of oppressed 
or minority groups become alienated from their “true” selves.
Thus far, we have discussed Smith’s dual neo-Marxist and phenomenological roots. 
There is also an important discursive bent in Smith’s work that has become especially 
apparent in the last decade, however. In conjunction with the poststructuralist turn (see 
Chapter 8), Smith emphasizes that in modern, Western societies, social domination oper-
ates through texts (such as medical records, census reports, psychiatric evaluations, 
employment files) that facilitate social control. Thus, Smith (1990b:6) describes relations