I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on RESCUE ME once you have finished the readings...
BUT, before that, how about if we get the ball rolling on the question that came up yesterday: what is feminism?
Just give your own definition, and explain what it means to you, don't worry about whether it conforms to a standardized definition or not.
Do you want us to respond in the comments, or in new posts?
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ReplyDeleteNow, this may not be every woman's or man's definition of feminism. Some may think feminism is wearing "girly" and pink clothing, others may think feminism is liberating casual sex. Margaret Mead points out in a studies she conducted in the 1930's when studying three tribes that feminism and masculinity only exist as a social construction and developed differently depending on the way that specific nations grew and expanded (see http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/mead/field-sepik.html).
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm what is my own definition of feminism? I think I have to go into my own history in order to answer that question.
Three years ago before I met my great friend and fellow classmate, Grace O'Shaughnessy, I had no known sense of feminism. I thought feminists were stereotypically angry women who wanted to take over the world and annihilate men. Well, after meeting Grace and spending a lot of time with her, I found out that I was in fact a feminist. She made me realize that I've always been a feminist even though I did not personally associate myself as being one. I cared about topics such as women's issues, women's rights, and women in religion.
Personally, feminism means to me that women should be on an equal footing with men. That some day - maybe - men and women will be equal as politicians, as professionals, as religious leaders, as mothers and fathers, as people of this world.
Feminism to me is more than fighting for equal rights for women and trying to show that women can do anything men can do. Feminism to me also incorporates the idea and the courage to fight for laws to end violence against women and those who are vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, more women will take a stand against the stereotypes of what a woman is suppose to do and be, and give themselves an opportunity to be equal as men.
As a side note, I agree with what Kerri posted.
I didn't realize until I was about 12 that feminism was still an issue, that anyone thought feminist was a dirty word. I grew up in a world of liberal academics; my father has no problem saying he's a feminist. I was well aware of the women's lib movement, but I basically thought everyone accepted that they were feminists these days.
ReplyDeleteBecause to me, nearly everyone is a feminist. If you believe that people are equal regardless of gender, you're a feminist. That's what feminism is to me at its most basic level: a belief in the inherent worth and equality of everyone.
There are questions, of course. Can someone who is anti-choice be a feminist? As far as I'm concerned, that person is denying a woman control over her own body, which is about as unfeminist as it gets--but I don't know, maybe they would deny men control over their bodies, if that were an issue. It's a sticky area.
But in the end, I believe that people who say they aren't feminists are almost always lying, or misinformed. I'm sorry if you don't like what "the movement" has done. Lots of mainstream Christians don't like what fundamentalist Christians have done; that doesn't mean they decide to stop being Christians (well, some do, but not the majority). I do sympathize with the point of view of the womanists, but would rather they reclaim feminist instead of fracturing.
(I, of course, am in the segment of feminists that make lots of people uncomfortable with the idea of feminism, but that's beside the point.)
Alex:
ReplyDeleteI'm s bit uncomfortable with you putting the burden on women to "take a stand". It's like the lists of things women can do to keep from being raped. When presented with one of those lists I always like to send back this:
http://feministlawprofessors.com/?p=12965
After considerable reflection, my definition of feminism is a straightforward belief that women and men should have equal rights. At one time, that meant voting rights, the right for higher education and the ability to pursue professional and become leaders in careers such as law, medicine and government. Today this is still true—we have never had a female president. Would I support a female candidate merely because she was a woman? No, because if she were unqualified, she cannot do the job—a puppet President is not something I would endorse.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for women to attain equality, I am not talking about getting special treatment to overcompensate for past transgressions. For instance, in an episode of I Love Lucy, Lucy and Ethel complain about Fred and Ricky’s attitudes towards them, and demand that the men treat them equally. While the foursome proceed to a dinner, Ricky and Fred decide to “teach the girls a lesson” by refusing to seat their wives in the restaurant, asking for separate checks, and making Lucy and Ethel face the consequences of not being able to pay their bill by working late into the night cleaning dishes. In turn, Lucy and Ethel realized how “good they had it” and pleaded to be treated as they previously had been, because clearly equal rights was not worth the effort.
Although I Love Lucy is a product of the 1950s, when women were only expected to become good wives and mothers, the fact that the end “moral” was that women should be content with their societal standing really angered me. Yes, Ricky and Fred’s actions were unheard of at the time, but their behavior was portrayed as a nasty, awful, inconvenience that Lucy and Ethel did not want to put up with. Was it so hard for them to comprehend pulling in their own chairs or lighting their own cigarettes? I just cannot see how every woman who watched that sitcom in the 1950s would have agreed that the episode’s outcome was justified as Lucy and Ethel happily kissed their husbands in forgiveness and returned to their subservient life.
Thus, to me feminism is the belief that every person is created equal and entitled to the same rights, whether or not they agree with the social customs that go against those rights. Yet equally disturbing is to receive special treatment and have others bending over backwards to compensate for those previous injustices.
Kerri: I completely agree with your mention of women religious leaders. I really do not understand how the vast majority of faiths can still say that a woman is unfit to become a priest, the Pope, minister, etc. (I am only familiar with the Catholic equivalents, but I am talking about any religion here). Certain faiths do have female religious leaders, and I’m sure they work just as hard, and are just as devoted as their male counterparts. It’s been long past due for religion to get out of the Dark Ages. Nuns are great, but if women can become Bible study teachers and whatnot, I think they can handle leading a congregation—but if anyone knows the reasons why women cannot become priests, etc., do fill me in.
ReplyDeleteFeminism, in my broad definition, is the assurance that women will not be shut out of opportunity because of their sex. It’s a movement towards equality with men socially and politically. However, I also think that an important part of feminism is the study and critique of women in terms of their place in society and embracement of social norms. Novels such as, The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf and The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, are examples of this kind of critique, which I find to be my particular interest in feminism and feminist theory.
ReplyDeleteMy introduction to feminist thought was through the novel Fear of Flying by Erica Jong. Although many people probably wouldn’t qualify that as a formal [or positive] introduction, I on the other hand was captivated as I was opened to a world of thought which I had never known pertained to me. I became, to say the least, extremely interested in feminism. This was most likely because the issues which Jong discusses, through some pretty dirty prose, are particular to women as she elaborates about women’s fears, expectations, fantasies and confinements. It was this kind of analysis which interested me in Women’s Studies and brought to my attention that not only am I a feminist now, but that I had always been one.
While I think feminism is most importantly about achieving equality with men, I do also think there is a great significance in the part of feminism which studies women and their relationship with social norms and society.
Abby:
ReplyDeleteInstead of putting women, I should have put women and everyone else that feels that equality and justice for women is what the future should hold. I should have looked over my wording of that sentence.
I am a social work major, and probably hate the "what women can do to keep from being raped" lists just as much as any one else. However, what I was trying to say was that people need to break down the stereotypes that surround the ideal woman to give all women a chance to shine in their own light.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the clarification; it's just one of those things that makes me truly angry, when people think it's women's responsibility to progress/get ahead/not get raped. It's society as a whole's responsibility for the first two, and MEN'S responsibility for the third (with the exception of woman/woman rape, obviously, in which, again, it is the fault of the rapist, not the victim).
I wanted to share this: http://thehathorlegacy.com/midweek-media-an-anti-rape-campaign-that-focuses-on-men/
ReplyDeleteLove it. And one of the couples is gay (two men), which is interesting. Sexual assault/rape are certainly problems in the gay community, but less talked about, I think in part because the assumption is that the victim has "strength", too, and could fight his attacker off.
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ReplyDeleteI have to say I feel blessed to be in a classroom where we all have a similar basis for what we believe Feminism truly is: equality. In my time studying women's issues, being in women's groups, conferences, etc I have found that even the brightest and most critical thinkers often struggle to find words for how they feel.
ReplyDeleteKerri, thanks for the shout out. You're a wild woman (in a great way).
I grew up in a similar context as Abby. I come from a pretty liberal household where proclaiming I was a feminist was nothing abnormal, was embraced and encouraged. My mom from a very young age used the word "strong" to define what a feminist is. Essentially propagating the notion "A Feminist is a strong woman who will never let a male, or a male society, prevent success or empowerment". I really believe that and it was incredible to grow up with a mother encouraging that thought. I grew up watching "Little Women" and still believe that to be my favorite book/ movie. Jo March was inspiring to me. Her ambition to be a writer in a time when that was impossible for women was what pushed me to think critically about women's issues.
I'll take a quote from the movie that made me confused and angry as a kid:
Jo March: I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.
Mr. Mayer: You should have been a lawyer, Miss March.
Jo March: I should have been a great many things, Mr. Mayer.
Enough said. Thank you Jo March.
I believe that Feminism is equally for men and women. My own personal definition of Feminism includes social justice, historical and sisterhood contexts- but I won't include that in my broad definition.
I've always seen Feminism as women wanting to be equal with men, whether it be in the home, in politics or really in any other setting. Quite simply that is what feminism is to me; the search for equality. So with this in mind, its odd that in the past i've viewed feminists as being angry women who strike at stereotypes revolving around men in order to make their point; whatever that may be. However, I've come to realize that this behavior doesn't really cover the entirety of feminism. There have been and hopefully in the future will continue be women who aim to be equal to men, but plan on becoming equal through focusing on the positive.
ReplyDeleteAbby,
ReplyDeleteLove the link you shared with us! I am familiar with the campaign, but I never saw the poster of the gay couple. I think using a gay couple opens so many more doors and questions about who is raped and is it okay.
What Feminism Means to Me:
ReplyDeleteMy definition of feminism may not be someone else’s idea of the word. Feminism is a movement. To me, feminism is a word that makes me smile when I realize I am a woman. It gives me a sense of belonging to a group. For there to be a word for these thoughts and feelings means there are other women out there who feel the same way. It’s a comforting thought to me.
Feminism catches my interest because to me a woman should have the same rights as males and should be looked at equally. We are nothing less so we shouldn’t be treated as though sometimes we are. In my opinion, a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her body, the right to vote, and the right to do anything else a man can do. Women are now more often getting higher paying jobs than ever before and becoming politicians, doctors, and many other things once thought that women can’t do.
I grew up in a house where I was never forced to believe anything I didn’t think for myself. My mom always made sure I knew that even though I was a woman I could be anything I wanted to be. I don’t like limits or restrictions on how successful I can become. My mom also made sure I knew that I could make all of my own choices for myself without needing to consult or gain approval from anyone. I know my mother’s influence played a huge role in my beliefs today. She made me feel passionate about spreading my beliefs.
I can’t change who I am, and I wouldn’t want to. I love being a woman and I’m glad to live in a time where women actually have rights. Although we can still improve, we have come a long way in the efforts of equalizing women. I like being apart of this group that so many other great people are apart of. I like fighting for the things I believe in for this group, maintaining our rights that some want to take away, and always continuing to strive for better.
Through my dealings in life I have found that nothing is cut and dry. There is a "text book" definition for what Feminism is. But who want's to be text book?
ReplyDeleteIn dealing with one of my best friends he shared his view of feminism with me: Equality for all. He said that in his opinion true feminism should seek the equality for all: Man, Woman, Transgender, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Tall, Short, Black, White, Chinese. All should have the right to cry without begin ridiculed. All should have the right to love as they wish without society telling them they are wrong. All should be able to worship freely.
My definition of Feminism. True Equality for all on every level.