kristeva says american feminist academics have misunderstood her writings. according to kristeva, it was not enough to take language apart to find its hidden meaning. history, individual psychic and sexual experiences also tell us how to understand language. this is a post-structuralist approach. it helped some social groups to find the source of their oppression in the language that they used. however, kristeva believes that it is harmful to think of collective identity as more important than individual identity. she thinks that politics that makes sexual, ethnic, and religious identities the most important thing is ultimately totalitarian.