...knee. Furthermore, I was sent home for this incident because “it was suggestive to the boys”… Let that sink in! My school was, slowly but surely, making clear to me was that they would much rather send me home and take away any academic lesson I would have learned from that day because of the small fact that an inch of my knee might be of disturbance to a hormonal high school boy. This is the point in my life when I needed feminism. I always understood the term feminism to be straightforward: anyone who believes in equality between men and women, as well as the perseverance of self-worth regardless of gender, is a feminist. However, my generation of women has a far more straight forward view of feminism than I do. Women who recommend the values of feminism now frown upon identifying themselves as feminist. Why is that? Many misconceptions and misunderstandings become part of the issue when a person has a lack of understanding or comprehension of exactly what the term feminism truly means. It is important to know the difference between equality and feminism. Comprehending the meaning of the two also empowers a women to be grounded and given the capability to know what they stand for. A Huffington post “Poll: Few Identify as Feminists, But Most Believe in Equality of Sexes”, conducted a poll that displayed the percentage of women who would identify themselves as feminist and only that of 23% consider to be feminist while the vast majority believes in equality. The gap that...
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...Kiana Rivera ENG 101/1:00 Shafer FEMINISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE PEOPLE Bra-burning and man-hating extremists, feminists are branded as insane, radical women who want to establish a matriarchy. While some feminists are angry and some hate men, not all feminists do. Actually, according to Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner in The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy, feminism “simply means the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.” (Feminism, Oppoising Viewpoints, pg 14) We only ever hear of the negative associated with feminism. When anti-feminist people are asked questions, most don’t understand why they believe that feminism is wrong and extreme; they do not understand why it is so vitally important, and why, even in 2013, it is still a relevant issue. Although there's a lot of information about feminism out there, much of it is judgmental, misinformed, or quite simply false. Women should have equal rights as men, and taking a stand to achieve this ideal with feminism is what’s slowly accomplishing this goal. According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities; organized activity in support of women's rights and interests.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pg 1) In an article by Rachel Fudge, published in 2005 she brings up a very valid point on the issue of feminism and the many years that is has been around: “Despite 150 years of activism in pursuit of women's...
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...What do you think of when you hear the word “feminism?” Do you think of egalitarianism? Do you think about the struggles that women all around the world have to deal with? I decided to analyze the article “Our Revolution Has Just Begun” by Gloria Steinem (2014). Gloria Steinem used her article, “Our Revolution Has Just Begun” to inform readers about two big myths of feminism and to prove both myths false. Steinem also used two key elements of Women’s Studies and feminism throughout the article, liberal feminism and the intersectionality. The use of these elements helped execute her purpose of the article in a clear and understandable way. Gloria Steinem used this article to persuade readers that the myths about feminism are not true. She used facts throughout the article to convince readers, but also to inform them. According to Steinem (2014), the myths that feminism is only for White middle-class women and that we live in a time where racism and sexism are extinct, so we no longer need feminists or the feminist movement are the two worst myths about feminism (p. 27). The second myth, feminists and the feminist movement are no longer useful because racism...
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...Feminism throughout the United States of America has been quite prevalent since as long as I can remember. I started to hear more and more about this topic while going through my senior year in High School. The topic of feminism can bring about many mixed emotions in the community. In my opinion, most either love it or hate to see it. Although, some feel indifferent about this topic of interest. After having the exposure of going to an all girls catholic High School, many of my peers amongst me felt very strong on this issue. The term feminism is the advocacy for women’s rights. Feminist strive for themselves and others to want to feel equal amongst men, and to have the same equal opportunities present for females. After speaking with two friends of mine I have...
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...Feminism in Canada has been shifting, reforming and reinventing itself since its inception in the late nineteenth century in an effort to bring a genuine sense of equality to both men and women across the country. Though feminism takes many different forms – classical feminism, liberal feminism, post-modern feminism etc. – each definition maintains commonalities which attempt to shed light on issues related specifically to the historical disadvantages of women and the goal of egalitarianism. In Canada, feminism has unfolded in three distinct stages often referred to as the three waves of feminism: (i) the first wave started in the late nineteenth century characterized by basic demands for equality via suffrage and recognition as persons; (ii) the second wave originated during World War II taking a more proactive approach to women’s workforce and reproductive rights; and (iii) the third wave began in the 1990’s challenging broader issues of equality such as racism, capitalism and colonialism. The following essay will analyse each wave based on their chronological time frame, ideological foundation and the social movements which emerged as a by product. First wave feminism started the general movement and, even though its goals and fundamental ideology may seem drastically different from second and third wave feminism, it should be credited with forming the foundation in which the fight for gender equality originated. First wave feminists were primarily driven by maternal feminism...
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...Across the world, humankind is synonymous about the fear of the big F-word: feminism. This fear generally emanates from the misconception about the true definition about the people supporting this movement. The definition of feminism has been distorted over the years, molded to fit the stereotype of a “feminist”. Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political, economic, equality of the sexes. A feminist is often associated with the stereotype of an irate, manipulating man-hater although, only the few minority actually fall into this generalization. Feminists can come in all sizes: ebony, white, Asian, female, male, European, masculine, feminine etc. Many people do not understand the significance of feminism in our world and to do...
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...White Feminism: the Self-Appointed Savior of the World The movement of (Eurocentric) feminism has been superglued to its privilege ever since the term “féminisme” was first coined in 1837 (source). Marked by its relentless, unapologetic, prioritization of the voices of middle-class, cisgender, heterosexual, white women over the experiences of queer women, women of color (third world women) , transgendered women; the movement has become an obstacle for equal rights in the broader sense. While “white” feminism is absolutely vital today and has produced outstanding achievements for women in the Western world, the byproducts of its undeniable privilege has been detrimental, to say the least, to women of third world countries in particular. Western...
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...Feminism is known to be the belief of equality between the sexes and also the movement created around belief. In relation to equality, it is the idea to end sexism and to end a patriarchal society. The word feminism was created in the 1880’s in France and the Netherlands, which only connects to Caucasians (Hobbs, Rice 1B). Feminism started with Caucasians before it got established to people of color. The Feminist Movement is entirely about the change for women but the movement consists of only a White women’s viewpoint, which they view the male as the enemy. Reading about feminism only makes references to European men and women but not people of color. During the Feminist Movement, three waves were created; the first wave was women’s suffrage, the second wave was the women’s liberation movement, and the third movement was centered on sexuality (Hobbs, Rice 23). The movement was focused on women and poverty, women and education, violence against women, women in the economy, and women and politics. These were standard movements that were fought for but it was the perspective of the White women but it may have applied to all...
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...Philosophical Paper: Defending Men Through the Study of Masculism and Explaining 3rd Wave Feminism Further Submitted by: Xiayra Mae B. Magtibay 1LM2 Submitted to: Mr. Emmanuel De Leon Abstract This paper will be discussing gender equality through further explanation of Masculism and 3rd Wave Feminism by depending on essays and articles made by 3rd Wave Feminists and the philosophies of Plato. This paper will be pointing out the objectives of Masculism and Feminism and their similarities. This paper will also attempt to explain that the demands of both genders can be met. Defnition of Terms * Masculism: is a movement that advocates for the rights, equality and dignity of the male sex in an egalitarian framework. * Egalitarian: believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities * Feminism: the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men and an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women. * Misandrist: a person who hates men * Gender : the state of being male or female * Gender Roles: is a theoretical construct in the social sciences and humanities that refers to a set of social and behavioural norms that, within a specific culture, are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex. * Gender Equality: is the measurable equal representation of women and men. Gender equality does not imply that women...
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...there is a taboo f-word that leaves people feeling uncomfortable, offended, and angry: feminism. Feminism today is often demonized, met with opposition like “meninists”, and is associated with the ugly-armpit-hair-having-lesbian stereotype. It is often used as a punchline, a criticism for women who get a little too angry for comfort. Not only are these views of feminism wrong and insulting, they highlight exactly why feminism is needed. The resistance to feminism is largely based in a lack of understanding of what feminism truly stands for. Contrary to the opposition’s belief, the feminist movement promotes equality for women and men, and strives to erase the perspective that being feminine equates to being of a lesser value....
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...active in China: "One of the most striking manifestations of social change and awakening which has accompanied the Revolution in China has been the emergence of a vigorous and active Woman's Movement." Beginning in the 70s and continuing in the 80s, however, many Chinese feminists began arguing that the Communist government had been "consistently willing to treat women's liberation as something to be achieved later, after class inequalities had been taken care of."[9] Some feminists claim that part of the problem is a tendency on the government's part to interpret "equality" as sameness, and then to treat women according to an unexamined standard of male normalcy.[10] Chapter two: definition, development, and categories of feminism 1. Definition of feminism Throughout history, women have always struggled to obtain equality, respect, and the same rights as men. This has been difficult because of patriarchy, an ideology in which men are superior to women and have the right to control women. This ideology has spread...
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...Compare and contrast two feminism ideas Feminism is the word given to explain the political, economic and cultural movements that have happened for many years in the view to changing the lives of women. When people in society think of a ‘feminist’ they think of angry, men hating women that think that any inequality towards women is disgraceful. Some movements have been very public and a lot of action taken, and others are more discreet but just as powerful. The most remember able feminist movement is the suffragettes, that took up arms just after the second world war. This movement is stuck in history due to the amount of women that gave their lives for the cause. They were called the suffragettes. Although this movement wasn’t the first feminism movement, the ‘first wave’ of feminism started around the nineteenth too twenty centuries and it has carried on in different movements until today. One of the feminist movements is the radical way of thinking, this is the view that men just see women in a sex related way and that a woman’s body is controlled and enjoyed by the man. This movement tries to show the side where men objective a woman and Dworkin said that this way of thinking is visible in many day to day things. Such as marriage, health care, economy and also prostitution, pornography and law. Radical feminists are also extremely against prostitution, as they see it as a way for men to treat women as commodities that are able to be used and sold, for the pleasure...
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...Today’s mainstream feminist perception is white feminism. White feminism silences, dismisses, and rejects Women of Color’s (WoC) struggles and issues. White feminism is the center of the media while it continues to ignore intersectionality and privileges whiteness. Meanwhile, WoC address women’s rights by battling the patriarchy and its connection to racism and sexism within their own communities. Feminists of color are silenced by the dominant form of feminism, mainstream feminism, when it is seen as the primary narrative of feminist theories. White feminism silences WoC when white feminists dismiss the systemic racism WoC face, generalize WoC’s experiences of misogyny as the same misogyny white women face, and ignores the role that whiteness plays in society. White feminism completely disregards the racism WoC face everyday and marginalizes...
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...Feminism vs. the modern woman In this essay I will discuss the impact feminism has on the modern woman. Around the early 60’s and the years before that women were home stayed mothers/women who took care of the work around the house such as cooking, cleaning etc. They wanted to do more with their life than just cook and clean, so they also wanted to have a job and make their own money. In the 60’s women began the feminism. They wanted a life for themselves. As we see in the short story, The yellow wallpaper, the woman is ‘fighting’ for her own freedom. She is dominated by her husband, but she is breaking free of it. Women had by then for many years been the weak sex and they wanted to show men that they could do so much more than just to stay home. Many women such as Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer helped founding organizations for women who wanted to come out of the hole dominating man relationships. In Little Red Cap and Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf are there two very clear examples on how the feminism has impacted the modern woman. Little Red Cap is the more traditional fairytale of those two. Little Red Cap goes to her grandmother with food from her mother, she goes through the woods and meats the wolf, and in the end grandmother and Little Red Cap got eaten, and the hero is the huntsman. It shows us that women cannot take care of themselves; they need a man to do it for them. In contrast to that fairytale there is Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf where Little...
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...Taylor Kelley AP English 4 Mrs. Almack- 2nd Period 1st Six Weeks The Scarlet Letter; Feminism Feminism is the social, political, and economic equality of women. There are many types of feminism but the three that I am going to talk about are Amazon Feminism, French Feminism, and Equality Feminism. The Feminist Literary Theory is the complex theory that combines all of the branches of feminism into one when analyzing a piece of text. This theory is what a lot of feminist authors; Nathaniel Hawthorne, use to appeal to the female population. Amazon feminism is a branch of feminism that strives to show the power of the women in reaching the ultimate goal of women equality to women. Some authors that use amazon feminism when writing would be...
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