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Feminism and Resistance to Equality

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Feminism
Patti Woolam
University of Texas at Arlington

Feminism
Feminism has been about equality for women in our society as women have historically been as not equal counterparts in a man’s world. Feminists have worked to address the equality in their struggles and exploitations of their gender. Many women were politically active for the women’s suffrage and began to call themselves feminists (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2014, p. 243). According to Koppelman, men are more likely to take gender issues lightly, to joke about women, and to discuss women without fear or discomfort that may affect discussions about racism or other forms of oppression (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2014, p. 240). Koppelman discusses gender biases with women historically with the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the 20th century with performing the domestic duties of the home. Resistance to women’s equality stems from these long held beliefs with change to feminists ideologies slow over time. Our society has long raised the males in the home to provide for the family’s needs according to Koppelman. Men usually have not appreciated women’s political activities, especially those of college educated women (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2014, p. 242). Likely, men are resistant to women’s equality as they feel women should remain with domestic duties of the home and the men to remain with remaining as the bread winner of the home. Overall, I feel that our resistance to feminism in the United States because of historical values and trends, which was explained very well in this chapter reading.
As social workers, we should utilize the feminist approach to address differences in gender inequality by understanding our client’s beliefs on social roles, chores, and family experiences to liberate women and transgender clients. It is important that we understand how they formed their

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