With Aleksandra Milinković about feminism and politics of care and freedom. #MetaPHoDcast Aleksandra Milinković, born in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences in Iceland before pursuing her Master’s Degree and PhD in Social Sciences in Slovenia, focusing on politics of care. She pursued a PhD because she harbors a strong passion for teaching and believes it’s the most effective avenue to pursue that passion. She plans to research David Graeber’s work on politics of care and freedom, challenging societal norms and encouraging critical examination of our roles within society, akin to anarchist views. Graeber’s accessible writing appeals to many, which is good, so his ideas and perspectives reach a wider audience, fostering greater engagement and understanding of his theories and concepts. Aleksandra highlights societal hierarchies, dominated by oppressive structures, advocating for questioning these norms. Graeber challenges readers to examine societal structures, including education systems and gender roles in care work. Feminism and Marxist theory are vital lenses in understanding societal inequalities, particularly in the privatization of education and disproportionate burden of care on women, especially those from marginalized communities. We delve deeper into the discussion of housework, stressing the importance of acknowledging it as a form of slavery that perpetuates the workings of capitalist machinery. Housework, predominantly done by women and racial minorities, reflects power dynamics, with privileged cis white men benefiting. Challenging these power dynamics is met with backlash, necessitating education and emancipation for both genders. Aleksandra underscores the political nature of our daily lives, advocating for challenging power dynamics within households through democratic deliberation. Finally, she discusses disparities in women’s equality across different countries and the need for more community care and mutual support. Lastly, she emphasizes the need for women to resist oppression, starting with simple acts like refusing to do the dishes. Aleksandra provides several recommendations, all of which she requests to be included at the end of this article. She suggests two books: “Bullshit Jobs” by David Graeber and “A Feminist Theory of Violence” by Francoise Verges. Her ideal dinner guests would be Ghassan Kanafani, a Palestinian writer and activist, and Kwame Ture, a civil rights activist known for his role in the struggle for racial equality. Regarding doctoral studies improvement, Aleksandra suggests challenging the traditional structure of higher education, recommending Peter Fleming’s “Dark Academia.” To manage the stress of pursuing a PhD, she advises resistance and organization. Books: * Peter Fleming – Dark Academia: How Universities die * Silvia Federici – Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive accumulation * David Graeber – Bullshit jobs * Francoise Verges – A Feminist Theory of Violence and A Decolonial Feminism * Nahla Abdo – Captive Revolution: Palestinian Women’s Anti-Colonial Struggle within the Israeli Prison System * Iman Mersal – Traces of Enayat * Elain Castillo – How to read now * Selva Almeda – Dead Girls * Priya Hein – Riambel * Sahar Khalifeh – Wild Thorne, The Inheritance Podcasts: Literary Critical Consumption with Anna Nguyen, If books could kill, Untold: Retreat, Academic Aunties, Psychology in Seattle, Politics Theory Other