...Benefits of Feminism to the American Society Name Institution Affiliation Benefits of Feminism From the nineteenth century, the word feminism gained much popularity globally, as advocates sought equal rights for women in comparison to their male counterparts. Feminism appealed to a high number of individuals belonging to the female gender, but left many males wounded and aggrieved. Presently, feminism is still a familiar concept that attracts negative and positive criticism from different people. Those that oppose feminism, claim that the idea is unrealistic and responsible for many fallbacks in the society, and the proponents say that, feminism is rightful and sublime. This paper analyzes the importance of feminism on the American society (Hannam, 2008). As a conception, different people perceive feminism differently especially because of the effects that it has on the American society. Some people view feminism as the means through which women acquired rights to vote, work, education, personal property and politic among other issues. On the other hand, some people see feminism as a way through which women seek entitlement and other benefits, by claiming that they have equal rights with men, and reminding the society that they deserve special treatment, after having been oppressed for many years. Considering that both factions are right, one can say that feminism has brought both beneficial and harmful effects...
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...Assess the views that the family allows men to control and oppress women?(20 marks) Feminism is what culture is like for women just because they are women compared to what life is like for men. In society women get treated differently to men as men are seen as more superior, however this only happens in some cultures and these cultures are prejudice towards women. There are 4 key theories that I will talk about in this essay, they all argue different beliefs about feminism and how the family allows men to control and oppress women. Firstly, Radical feminism, they believe that a patriarchal society is the cause of conflict. They also promote lesbianism and separatism. Theorists like Rich, Brownmiller and Firestone all believe differently about Radical feminism. Rich believes in heterosexual relationships however he also thinks that they don’t satisfy the women. Brownmiller believes that women are secluded by society as they fear violence and rape. Lastly Firestone believes that women are unequal due to the factor of child birth. This shows that men are the decision makers and are the ones who have the power within the family. Patriarchy seems to divide rights, privileges and power by gender. Resulting in oppressing women and privileging men. The limitations of this theory are that it assumes all women are the same and men are evil, however this may not be the case as some women may have a more dominant role. Lesbianism is not a good family type to raise children, nuclear is...
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...Feminism in Bangladesh: Establishing equal rights between men & women in young generation. SADMAN ANIS Students University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh ABSTRACT This is basically exploratory study and was conducted at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh & United International University, Dhanmondi,Dhaka, Bangladesh over a period of 10 days started from 1st December, 2012 to 10th December, 2010. The main objective of this study is to describe what the condition of feminism in Bangladesh and what is the thinking of our varsity girl about feminism. Total 21 respondents were selected based on age class of 18-22. Feminism is a belief in the right of women to have political, social, and economic equality with men. It is a discourse that involves various movements, theories, and philosophies which are concerned with the issue of gender difference, advocate equality for women, and campaign for women’s rights and interests. According to some, the history of feminism can be divided into three waves. The first wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the second was in the 1960s and 1970s and the third extends from the 1990s to the present. Feminist theory emerged from these feminist movements. It is manifest in a variety of disciplines such as feminist geography, feminist history and feminist literary criticism. Although feminism has emerged in nineteenth in the world, it is yet unknown to women of our country. The concept of feminism in Bangladesh has...
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...History Pg.7 5. Indian Feminism Pg.9 6. Where feminism goes wrong Pg.14 7. Bibliography Pg.20 ABSTRACT Women have always been an integral part of society. However, more often than not their contribution in the human society has been ignored. This gave rise to the need of empowering women and hence the feminist movement. This research project aims to comprehend and analyze the very essence of Feminism in terms of the 3rd wave and in Indian context. It also analyses the myths associated with feminism and the flaws which lead to the ambiguity in the whole concept of feminism. Further, the paper discusses as to whether the term “feminism” can be brought under one general definition or there is much more to it. INTRODUCTION DEFINITION "A woman should be barefoot, pregnant and chained to a stove," stated Ben Glantz, a high school senior. Drew Pershing, another senior, also shared a joke, "What does a woman do after she leaves a battered shelter? The dishes...if she knows what's good for her!" Daily jokes and comments such as these, no matter how harmless, are detrimental to the status of women and a dangerous undermining of their accomplishments. Shared by both genders, sexually discriminative comments are widely accepted in society as normal and harmless. "I didn't mean anything by that; I was just kidding," whimpered Ben Glantz after receiving several cold stares from young women who overheard his bashing, sexist comment. The word ‘Feminism’ seems to refer to an...
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...principal perspectives and these are Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Interactionism, Postmodernism, Collectivism and New Right. Functionalism In 1951, Talcott Parsons introduced the Functionalist view and this studies the social structure as a whole of how it functions as well as how each social structure is crucial in the interests of society. Functionalism believes that humans and the society have basic needs, institutions and governments might be responsible to meet the required needs of people also the functionalist may consider that they are different kinds of sources that could limit the individual’s behaviour within the chosen society, meaning that the society will behave appropriately based on one’s behaviour while having the same values, on the other hand the functionalist view does recognise that there may be errors or inequalities within the society but bearing in mind this can be functional for the society. However there have been criticisms against functionalism as some may believe that it is not a realistic way of living and not considering one’s own choices also functionalism may seem to ignore conflict and diversity within individuals in the society. Parsons sees inequalities as a well function to society as it helps in the running of society or community. The main key idea of functionalism is to ensure smooth running of the society and this is done through the structures of households and family. The weakness of functionalism does not clearly address the...
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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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...society. They believe that each social structure is essential for interests of society. For example, a flower has many parts, each part is essential to its wellbeing, without the vital parts the flower will not survive. Functionalism considers that humans and societies have basic needs, and institutions such as the family and education are seen in terms of the contribution they make to meet these needs and therefore society needs. According to Parsons he believed that order, stability and cooperation in society are based on value consensus- a general agreement by members of society concerning what is good and worthwhile. Parsons also argued that the stratification systems derive from common values. According to Murdock the family has four main functions; they are the sexual function allowed for the expression of sexuality in an approved context. The reproductive function provided stability for the rearing of children, also socialisation which includes the responsibility of teaching children the accepted ways of behaving in society. He also suggests that the economic function meant that food, shelter and financial security had to be provided by the head of the family for rest of the members. Marxism Marxism is a structuralise theory which considers that society is based on conflicts...
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...The role of men and women in a family are not explicitly defined and vary vastly from across many countries. In Iran for example, men’s roles are normally more valued and rewarded than women’s roles. This research report will outline the basic assumptions about families prior to any feminist changes and explain the rationale for this. It will then discuss the initiation of the feminist movement and the way in which it affected the roles within a family and the structure of a family. The report will analyse the implications of feminism and discuss the types of feminism, which have affected the basic assumptions of families. In order to fully understand the challenges feminist have posed, the report will consider the importance of feminism in today’s society, assessing our assumptions about families and to what degree it is considered a priority. As a matter of interest, there will also be a discussion on the effect of feminism on families on an international scale. This research report will seek to conclude concisely the ways in which feminists have challenged the basic foundation and ideas in relation to families. In the seventeenth and eighteenth century Cheal cites that the term nuclear family emerged describing a couple who are legally married and have their own children residing in a permanent home. (Cheal, D. 2002) Talcott Parsons (1956) has suggested a possible rational justifying why the basic assumption of families exists. Parson’s view was based on the facts...
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...for the family. Women are perceived as the submissive person and are under-appreciated. Many women realized this and began to stand and fight against the stereotypical view of women. From this, the feminist theory derived. The feminist theory is a generalized, wide-ranging system of ideas about social life and human experience developed from a woman-center perspective. The feminist theory has four main subgroups, consisting of gender difference, gender inequality, gender oppression, and structural oppression. These theories are evident in the world, especially in the small Himalayan village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh described by Manjari Mehta in “Our Lives Are No Different From That of Our Buffaloes.” Feminist Theories Gender difference is a theory of feminism that argues that women’s perspectives of most situations are different from that of men’s perspectives of the same situation. Gender difference strives to answer the question “And what about the women?” by simply trying to show that women’s location in and experience of situations are different from that of men. Gender difference can be broken down into even more specific subgroups. Cultural feminism explores and celebrates women and the value that they have in the world. Phenomenological feminism shows the unfair world, shaped by culture, run by men. This theory states that women’s experiences are ignored and aren’t given the full appreciation that they are deserved. Institutional feminism separates...
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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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...Date Feminism is a movement that is targeted towards a common goal which is, achieving equal rights for women in each sector; cultural, economic, social and personal. Its main aim is to seek to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocate is in charge of supporting the rights of women and advocating for equality. The feminist movement on the other hand campaign for women rights and protect girls and women from being mistreated (Adel 56). Feminism began in the nineteenth and twentieth century when the plight of women became a great issue. Feminism then and now still promotes equality for women. Discussed below will be feminism in its various forms and in different environments. Some types of feminism have been criticized taking into account our differences in culture and beliefs, and this has led to the formulation of ethnically specific and multicultural forms of feminism (Adel 77). The Feminist theory aims to understand why women are undergoing gender inequalities in the political, job and household sectors. By providing a critique of the political and social relations, the theory tries to highlight what is going wrong in the society in general. Feminism is a movement that promotes full equality of women with men and a high valuation of women as equal human beings both theoretically and practically. "Feminism is both a way of thinking about the world and a way of acting in it" (Diana 58). Feminism in Politics ...
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...Feminist Theories Liberal / Reformist Feminism * Concerned with civil rights and freedom of individuals * They believe that all human beings should have equal rights * Reformism is the progress towards equal rights and freedoms through gradual reforms * They feel that laws against sex discrimination will lead towards a rise in equal rights * Also they feel that changes in culture will help equality, e.g. stereotypes being abolished Sex and Gender * Like Ann Oakley liberal feminists find a difference between sex and gender; * Sex refers to biological differences * Gender refers to culturally constructed differences between masculine and feminine roles * While sex differences are fixed, gender is different for different cultures, this is the part Liberal feminists want to change * Want to promote equality in education and the media * Take political action to introduce anti-discriminatory laws * Liberal feminist criticise the Funtionalist views of Parsons, regarding the Instrumental and Expressive roles * They feel that men and women are equally capable of performing either role, however society is constructed to tell us which role to adhere to * Liberal feminists do have a consensus view on society – they accept that there are conflicts between men and women but argue that it’s a product of outdated attitudes Evaluation of liberal feminism * Experiments conducted by liberal feminists have produced evidence legitimising...
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...aptitudes, abilities, desires, personality traits, roles, responsibilities and behavioral patterns of men and women contribute to the inequalities and hierarchies in society. Gender differences are man made and they get legitimised in a patriarchal society. This paper attempts to link the theoretical dimensions of patriarchy with its empirical experiences to engage in the ongoing debates and discussion on “patriarchy” which manifests itself in various forms of discriminations, inequalities, hierarchies, inferior status and position of women in society. Thus it is important to understand patriarchy in terms of its multiplicity, complexities and dynamics. What is Patriarchy? Patriarchy literally means rule of the father in a male-dominated family. It is a social...
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...The notion of sexism is a very recent idea in our society. The idea that men were superior to and different from women was so deeply integrated into much thinking that most people never thought to question it. Throughout the history of ideas, female inferiority has been seen as the natural order of things. This is where feminism comes into place... feminism is the view which examines the world from the viewpoint of women, hence this 'traditional' view that men dominate women is challenged by feminists, as feminism believes that women are disadvantaged relative to men and that female interests are ignored or devalued by society. Feminism is therefore the movement which essentially campaigns for equality for women in society; examples of feminist groups which have campaigned for equal rights are the suffragettes and suffragists who protested for the right to vote for women in the 20th century. As Paula Trelchler herself put it... feminism is the radical notion that women are people. Liberal feminist Gavron suggested that women are trapped by the traditional roles within the family and that they should have more choice with regards to marriage and family life. Oakly further argued that the mother housewife role has been responsible for the subordination of women in the workforce. Female professional workers are three times less likely to be married than their fellow male workers. Oakly criticized Young and Wilmott, who in their 1972 study suggested that men were doing more in...
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...Ploypalin Tan The advocating of feminism over the last few decades has seen women taking up leadership roles both in the political arena and in the corporate world. Feminism has paved the way for women to be oblivious to discrimination and prejudice when it comes to consensus in appointing the most suitable candidate to take on the helm. In the past, females have been oppressed in the work place and deemed less capable compared to their male counterparts. However, with the presence of feminism, it has led to changes in the workplace where females are being recognized for their competencies and has proved that females are able to rise up to the challenge and be on par to their male counterparts. Feminism has led to positive changes as their presence are more appreciated and accepted in the political arena, giving females more leadership positions, giving females a say in decision making. The presence of women taking leadership role and major portfolio in politics has increased worldwide. Take the example of Chancellor of Germany, Angela D. Merkel, now running her third term in office. Since elected on 22nd November 2005, she is the first female elected chancellor for Germany. She has helped Germany weathered the financial woes, which has crippled some of her neighboring countries. There is clear evidence that feminism has led to a positive change as her presence involvement and contribution are now widely accepted and appreciated in the political arena encompassing many nations...
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