The original feminist Susan B. Anthony, a current feminist Barbara Smith and even the dictionary all have different definitions for the term feminism. These definitions and the feminists who believe in them have had to deal with great negativity and propaganda for centuries.
There are many myths and characteristics that are associated with feminism. These include women who are angry lesbians or hippies who don’t take care of themselves. Women who are ugly and don’t shave their legs or armpits are also included in this “feminazi” group. Another myth about feminists is that they are angry women. They are women who complain about men and avoid or even hate all men. They are women who believe they should be treated with higher respect than men. As seen through the feminists in this video these characteristics are all myths.
Feminism in my mind is giving women equal opportunity to thrive in a comfortable society. By this I mean that women and men should advocate equality of success and respect in all environments, whether it be a workplace or simply going to a restaurant. I understand there are definite situations and barriers between men and women but those barriers that can be broken should be. Women and men should be treated and respected equally with equal opportunities. Women are not ornaments to society anymore.
I would consider myself a feminist because I believe in guaranteeing everyone no matter what their sex is equal rights. I am personally a business major and I know that today’s society believes that men are the ones who are successful and strive in the business markets. However I believe, as a feminist, I should have an equal opportunity to thrive in the business economy. Success in anything should be dependent on the amount of work you put into something and not ones sex.
From the 1920s when women were granted the right to vote to the women’s movement of the 1960’s to today, feminism has been a conflicting term. I do believe that feminism is on the decline in today’s society because with so many different definitions it difficult for people to truly know what feminism really is .It is difficult to have faith in something that is not set it stone. This is why many people have trouble embracing feminism. There have also been so many rights granted to women over the decades, it is hard to go further because equality is so prevalent in society already. I am aware of NOW (National Organization of Women) and other grassroots organizations that have pressured the government to give women more rights than anyone may have thought possible. However today women make .72 more cents and hour than man in the same jobs and are given equal rights to men in almost all situations. With the definition of "feminism" so diverse and the fact that in todays society women and men are equal in nearly all situations I can understand how feminism will continue to decline in the future.
Hi Kelly-I really liked your post and I agree with a lot of what you said. I am a business major too, and when interviewing for jobs I felt that I had to compete even more against the men. Maybe my feelings towards them being the stiffer competition weren't correct, but either way I think that woman in the workplace, especially in business, have taken leaps and bounds. I also agree that because of so many different definitions of feminism people are becoming confused with what it actually means, but the feminist movements thus far have done a great job making woman a more equal part of our society today.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments about feminism and the business world. It has historically been so male-dominated and often still is. I am excited by the many women now and before who have helped open doors for all in the business realm.
ReplyDeleteThere are indeed so many definitions of feminism, and it engenders an interesting question: is this a plus or a minus? On the one hand, having a diversity of ways to define feminism guards against ideological correctness, the notion that there is only ONE "correct" way of being a feminist. Diverse people can find themselves amidst the many different types of feminism. On the other hand, as you said, it can be difficult to help people understand feminism when there is so little agreement about what it actually is. That is why very basic, dictionary-type definitions of feminism can be helpful to provide some sort of foundation on which to build a more complex definition of feminism as a movement.