Feminism: Choose your weapon
In a society where equality is constantly fought over, there are bound to be disputes. Feminism, the movement to create empowerment and equal rights for women, has been criticized by those who argue who, what, and how feminism should be fought with. Many conservative feminists believe that succumbing to men’s pleasure is never the answer, whereas “lipstick” feminists believe that they should be able to use all of their essence in order to establish equality. However, society needs both women and men equally. Feminism shouldn’t focus on how women reach that equality, but rather to reach that point of equality in the first place; with anything they got.
Feminism could be dated back to the Women’s Right Movement in 1848. Women were tired of their voices not being heard, so they held the first women's rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York. After 2 days of discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men sign a calling for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. (Imbornoni, A.. N.p.. Web. 27 Mar 2014. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html). This eventually allowed women to vote for the first time in 1893, Colorado.
Since then, feminism has branched out into other categories. There is liberal feminism who sees everyone as equal and believes in equality for everyone, radical feminism who believe all forms of oppression stem from male dominance, socialist feminism who focuses on working class women, etc. (n/a, N.. N.p.. Web. 27 Mar 2014. http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/amazonsociety/feminism.html).
Because of this branching out of categories, ideologies begin to conflict. Socialist feminism will fight for equal pay doing the same jobs as men, where...
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...r fans, then what kind of feminist is to say that is wrong?
Feminists shouldn’t bash other because they use different methods of obtaining empowerment and equality, but rather embrace what they have to bring to the table. Instead of scoffing at other’s tactics, feminists should “choose their weapon” and use their own strategy to reach equality and create change.
References
Imbornoni, A.. N.p.. Web. 27 Mar 2014. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html
"Menu." New York Observer. 28 Mar. 2014 http://observer.com/2014/01/beyonce-andthe-f-word/). n/a, N.. N.p.. Web. 27 Mar 2014. http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/amazonsociety/feminism.html
Qureshi, Bilal. "Feminists Everywhere React To Beyonce's Latest." NPR. NPR. 27 Mar.
2014 http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2013/12/19/255527290/feminists-everywhere-react-to-beyonc-s-latest).
The word feminism is sometimes misinterpreted and associated with female superiority and hatred of men, although most people probably agree that feminism can mean the desire for social and economic parity. There is so much baggage surrounding this term that clarification of what feminism is and is not, is essential. Indeed, the way feminism has developed has not been pretty. “Feminism over the years have [sic] evolved away from its noble purpose of creating awareness and defending women rights to creating new ridiculous ‘belief systems.’...feminism has become more like a medium for angry women to vent their hatred and frustration towards man”(“Feminism is Chauvinism”). This definition goes completely against the true meaning of what feminism entails. Feminism can be defined as a fundamental respect for others and the desire for equality between men and women.
At this point, the difference perspective in ideology and political action has divided the women movement into some feminism types; socialist, Marxist, radical, liberal and many others. While liberal feminist focus their struggle for equality on civil, economic, and political rights, and education, the feminist socialist and Marxist believe women 's oppression is “the product of the political, social and economic structure within which individuals live.” (Tong, 1998: pp.94). Although some other people suppose that the feminist Marxist and socialist is quiet different, but both of them believe the source of women oppression are capitalism and patriarchy. The Marxist feminism is rooted in 19th century thinker such as Marx and Engels, whether
Focusing on gender as a construct that perpetuates inequality between men and women in society, the ideology of Feminism is based on the fundamental principles of Liberalism. While Feminism summarily promotes social, political, and economic equality between men and women, historically it’s fulcrum was and remains to a significant extent the fight for women’s rights and interests.
Feminism included the view from some feminist such as liberal feminist, socialist feminism, radical feminist post- modern feminist. Mostly, liberal feminist has being influenced by liberal theory or ideology that demands the equal right for women as well. In liberal feminism, feminism was defined when men and women are equally divided without discriminations. There are few writers that prominent to liberal feminism such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Maria steward,The Grimke Sisters,Betty Friedan and others. Basically, the liberal feminism defined by MaryWollstonecraft in her book name 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women' as:
Feminism is the movement for removing inequalities from society. Women imbued with a spirit of radicalism understand that a liberal feminist attitude, despite the seeming slowness of change that accompanies it, may transform a community more rapidly than a revolutionary approach that alienates those to be convinced and, thus, extinguishes the possibility of improvement. (Weaver 49) Feminists confront the problems of their society in hopes of altering society to be equal.
Feminism has tackled gender inequality in the workforce, within politics, education and various institutes. Within the 20th century some of these issues faced in western culture have been completely reformed due to certain feminist movements that have encouraged women to fight for equal rights. (Crofton: 2011: 272-273) The first and second waves of feminism have proven to be successful by increasing equal rights between men and women. (Kaplan: 1992: 7) Despite these successes which include allowing there is still the fact of the matter remains that women are still objectified by their gender. ()The generalization of gender roles, have proven to be challenging within the feminist movement, this is often due to the objectification of women in the media. Also as feminism, is an ideology it has various schools of which have conflicting ideas of the ‘empowerment of women’ making it difficult to clarify on what is not acceptable in establishing women’s rights. (Fraser: 2014)
Everyone is capable of wanting equality for all people. Women are not the only people to strive for gender equality for woman. Many men want to see all people treated equally but do not feel confident enough to talk about it. Many women who call themselves feminists tend to blame men for the position woman are in today, excluding them, and essentially doing nothing to help us as a society progress to equality. This only feeds into the well known stereotype of feminism. When referring to men in this society, Serano say’s, “It is difficult for men to move through a world in which they are non-consensually viewed as predators” (417). Society takes this general view as men being t fault for how women are treated today and making it hard for many men to join women in the fight for equality. This is not to say all men are supportive of woman, unfortunately, there are still men in the world that believe women can not do a job as well or better than a man, but to believe all men are like this would be inequitable. When contemplating whether to include men in feminism we must remember the main reason for feminism, which Roxane Gay reminds us when she says, “So much responsibility keeps getting piled on the shoulders of a movement whose primary purpose is to achieve equality, in all realms, between men and woman” (173). So why not let men join the movement? Woman must move past this idea that men are to blame
Feminism is the public support for or recommendation of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. In a more simple way of stating it, women rights equivalent to those of men. Before suffrage begun, women were strictly to act as women should, or what they were expected to act like. They were expected to take care of the children, cook, and clean. Not only were they supposed to do house work, but they also couldn’t vote or own any property. On August 26th, 1920, after 72 long-lasting years of fighting, and prolonged anticipation, women finally won their rights to be treated equally. There have been, and still are, many feminists in this world. One very prominent feminist is Crystal Eastman.
In just a few decades The Women’s Liberation Movement has changed typical gender roles that once were never challenged or questioned. As women, those of us who identified as feminist have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at...
Throughout history, women have remained subordinate to men. Subjected to the patriarchal system that favored male perspectives, women struggled against having considerably less freedom, rights, and having the burdens society placed on them that had so ingrained the culture. This is the standpoint the feminists took, and for almost 160 years they have been challenging the “unjust distribution of power in all human relations” starting with the struggle for equality between men and women, and linking that to “struggles for social, racial, political, environmental, and economic justice”(Besel 530 and 531). Feminism, as a complex movement with many different branches, has and will continue to be incredibly influential in changing lives. Feminist political ideology focuses on understanding and changing political philosophies for the betterment of women.
Feminism is a movement that has been around since the 1800s, giving women the right to vote, fight in the army, and have jobs. Many people believe that feminism is a terrible thing. Feminism is defined in the Dictionary as “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” The definition simply means: a person in favor of making men and women equal. If you believe in the equality of women and the destruction of patriarchy, then you are a feminist. Patriarchy is defined as “a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.” Feminists are also very involved in working with the LGBTQ culture (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Queer) and people of other race, making sure that they get the same rights as everyone else. Feminism is
Throughout the 19th century, feminism played a huge role in society and women’s everyday lifestyle. Women had been living in a very restrictive society, and soon became tired of being told how they could and couldn’t live their lives. Soon, they all realized that they didn’t have to take it anymore, and as a whole, they had enough power to make a change. That is when feminism started to change women’s roles in society. Before, women had little to no rights, while men, on the other hand, had all the rights.
When i used to hear the word Feminism all i thought about was women and groups of women fight for what they believe is equality and that they should be equal to men which some part i was right. If you go back to the late 18 century , Feminism primarily was a social movement for the emancipation of women. To gain equal right which was called the women's movement in the 18 century.
Michael Levin, a professor of philosophy and author of the book Feminism and Freedom, faults feminism for trying to impose an inappropriate equality on men and women that conflicts basic biological differences between the sexes (Levin, Taking Sides, 42). Women are not the same as men, neither physically nor psychologically. In the past, men tended to be the stronger more powerful gender, while women have traditionally been viewed as the weaker, more feeble one. The untrue assumption that men and women are the same in their ways of thinking and physical capabilities leads to the failure of the feminist message. Their agenda of eliminating all observable differences between men and women is doomed to fail and will inflict more pain than gain in the process. Recognizing the differences between the sexes and allowing each to do what they are strongest at will in the long run make society stronger, more efficient, and more effective.
Outline and assess the view that patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality (40 marks)