Throughout the semester I have been continuously learning all about feminism and what makes up feminism. There are many different definitions for feminism. From the videos we have watched and the articles and books we have read we have found that there is not a right answer really. Feminism fights for equality. Feminism began as gaining the right for women to vote, then it progressed to giving women the right to equal job opportunities, and now it is about fighting for equality for everything. Feminism has been a constant uphill battle for women, but it has also been a very rewarding one.
In the book The F Word, “Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings”. In the F word, Rowe also calls feminism a word that simply means the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes (5). Also in the book Feminism is for Everyone, Hooks talks about the stereotypes of feminism and what most people think about when they hear about feminism. Feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men (Hooks, viii). Hooks puts it this way, “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression” (vii). The encyclopedia calls feminism the idea that women should have political, social, sexual, intellectual and economic rights equal to those of men. Feminism can be described in so many ways that many people don’t like it because they are not sure what exactly it is. I think the reason why so many people are against feminism is because they are afraid of what they do not understand. Therefore we have to ask what does make up feminism. Who can be a feminist? Are there certain prerequisites for becoming a feminist? Throughout the semester I have been pondering on this subject myself. What do I think is a feminist? Is there one right definition? As I have read these articles and read The F Word and FIFE I have been able to produce my own definition. More or less I have decided what I think feminism is to me. My definition is simply equality for everyone in everything.
As we all know feminism began in the early 1800’s when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. This was a time when women wanted full rights under the law. A huge disappointment came along when the Fifteenth amendment came out and it gave the right to vote to all races, yet not to all sexes. Although this was a setback for the early feminists it was not enough to stop them. More or less, it fueled the fire. Many women became very serious about obtaining the right to vote. Some women were thrown in jail, some beaten and threatened. Women came together and marched the streets and protested for the right to vote. They did anything and everything in their power to reach equality for women. Many different things were done to finally accomplish the right to vote for women, which was granted in 1920. Although this was the most significant thing that the feminists of the first wave accomplished it is not the only thing. They also changed how the world saw women. Women were no longer hidden in the shadows without any voice in what went on in their country. It was no longer so easy to brush them to the side. They were now visible and heard. There were also some complications that arose after women were given the right to vote. Although everyone had the right to vote, there were still restraints held against women because they had to pass certain tests and things, therefore, keeping poor African American women from voting. This stirred the fight for equal rights for African American women. Also in the first wave the beginning of the Planned Parenthood Organization began, because contraceptives were associated with prostitution, or they were only prescribed to men to protect them from sexually transmitted diseases. The first Planned Parenthood Organization was created by Margaret Sanger. This provided a choice for women concerning their reproductive rights. The first birth control clinic was also opened through the first wave feminists. It was opened by Sanger, Ethel Byrne, and Fania Mindell. The first wave of feminism was very productive. They were specific about what they wanted and they went out and obtained it. They didn’t let a little bump in the road stop them; they kept pushing for what they believed was right.
The second wave of feminism began with the simile from Irina Dunn, “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle” (25). This article sums up how the women of this time felt. Women were realizing that they did not need men to be successful or to be represented. The second wave lasted through the early 1960’s to the 1980’s. It focused on gender equality in the workplace, access to reproductive health care, and civil-rights legislation. It also fought for legal abortions and equal pay in the workforce. This was a time when women felt that they should be allowed to do whatever they wanted to pursue their dreams. The second wave also had some problems that came along in their fight for equality. There was the issue that black women were left out, and that the second wave was only for the middle and upper white class women. There are arguments that state that black women were not purposely left out, but that it was just harder for black women to work with white women while also trying to fight for equality for their race. The second wave gave women so many more freedoms and options than before. The feminist movement was progressing and providing women with more opportunities and freedoms than they could imagine that they could achieve.
The third wave is more of a contemporary movement. It is not bound by any one specific thing. It is actually fighting for many different things. Sexuality is a big one. Where there are not always just male and female definitions for people. Because there is not a specific thing that is being fought for we are considered to be in a time of post feminism. One of the big concerns of modern day feminists is the huge wage gap between men and women. There are still so many inequalities that women experience all the time; it just is not something that women think that everyone else is going through. Most women think that they are alone in the situations of inequality that they face. Another issue with the third wave is that women aren’t voting. In The F Word, Rowe talks about how women get frustrated with voting because they don’t see immediate feedback. Many women in the third wave take for granted the freedoms that they enjoy every day. We often forget what our mothers and grandmothers did to give us the right to vote and opportunities to be in the work force. This issue is definitely an issue with women from the first and second waves of feminism. They are concerned that their hard work will go down the drain since women today do not take women’s rights very seriously. Maybe it is not because we do not take it seriously, but because it is not as evident today how unequal we are in our world.
Women’s studies are the study of women and issues that women face. Feminism is very easily crossed with women’s studies. In women’s studies we study about women in the past and all the successes that women have achieved over the years. How could feminism not be a part of women’s studies? Feminism is a prime component of the history of women. Because of feminism, women enjoy many freedoms that might not exist today without the first and second waves. In women’s studies we have learned about women in the work force, women and body image, and women in the household. From the Belkin article of “Opting Out” to the “Beauty Myth” by Wolf, it is impossible to talk about women’s issues without seeing the feminist movement.
Feminism is very much portrayed in the articles “Opt Out” and “Beauty Myth”. In the “Beauty Myth”, Wolf begins her article by bringing up the issue of female liberation and female beauty. It is obvious in our world today that beauty is very important, regardless of how important it really is. Wolf goes on to point out that although women have been granted these certain freedoms, women still do not necessarily feel free. “Many are ashamed to admit that such trivial concerns—to do with physical appearance, bodies, faces, hair, clothes—matters so much” (9). This article makes it clear that feminism has made huge improvements and gains torwards equailty for women. From where we first started to where we are at today, it is easy to see that women are making a stand everywhere to fight for what we know is right. However, that being said, we as women do not need to sit back and think that we have finally made it. Women everywhere need to make a personal commitment to always strive for equal treatment in every aspect of life. Quit thinking about what we have already fought for and things that we have already gained, we need to look outside the box and see that we are still on our way to being equal and the minute we stop striving for these goals, we have defeated ourselves.
Belkin, the author of the article "Opt Out", also portrays feminism very well. She wrote her article about how women in the work force are choosing to leave work to raise a family. She also talks about whether this is actually a choice or only a choice for those who are wealthy enough to make it. This article ties into feminism by showing first of all how women are benifiting from the first and second waves of feminism. Women are a part of the work force now more than ever. It is also showing our benifits by seeing that women are being able to choose whether they would like to work or not.
Throughout this semester I have been constantly bombarded with feminism and what makes up feminism. I have read many articles and books about the feminist movement and what it is all about. I have sat through many arguments about what makes up feminism and what does not. I have seen videos about feminism and what other women think makes up feminism. From what I have learned about feminism and what I believe feminism is, yes I would have to say that I am a feminist. I do believe in equality for women and for all sexes in every aspect of life.
I believe that I am a feminist because I believe that everyone deserves to be treated equally. From The F Word to Feminism is for Everyone, I have learned that feminism deals with many rights for women as well as dealing with equalities for all genders. In my everyday life I make it more of an effort to notice the inequalities that women are up against. Not only do I recognize the inequalities in our world, but I make a conscious effort to diminish these inequalities by taking a stand for women today.
Works Cited
The F Word by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
Feminism is for Everyone Bell Hooks
“The Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf
“Opt Out” by Lisa Belkin
Monday, May 11, 2009
Final Paper #1
There are many readings that have impacted my life, and have opened my eyes to new things that I had never realized before. The five readings that I have chosen to talk about include; “Taking Sides” by White, “The Eternal Feminine” by Castellanos, “Opt Out” by Belkin, “He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut” by Valentti, and “Beauty Myth” by Wolf. Each of these essays has impacted the way I think considerably, and they have taught me a lot about our society today. They have also put many questions and thoughts into my mind that have caused me to think about women’s issues today. The theme that I have seen in each of these readings is that women are still being restrained. They are still being held back by society and men. Our world might not realize it, but women are still treated unequally. Because of this issue, women will never fully be able to reach their full potential. All five of the readings that I have chosen to write about are connected in the sense that, in every reading it shows how women are constantly being controlled in some way. Whether or not they are successful, our society is constantly trying to put restraints on women. This is why I chose these readings, because until reading these I never really realized how often we as women are held back.
The first article that I want to take a look at is called “Taking Sides”. In this article, the author explains how our society is constantly trying to show how unequal we are to men, whether it is biologically or socially constructed. Even as young children we are treated differently by our sex. In school boys are treated like they will be better at math and science, and as for girls, they are pushed more towards being successful in English and reading. It almost makes girls feel like they should not even try to be smarter than boys in math and science. This article then goes on to argue about how different males and females in many different aspects. However, after reading this article it makes you wonder if men and women really are as different as we seem to think. Biologically it is clear that men are different than women, yet this shouldn’t influence how each of the sexes are treated. Just because women are more emotional and lack penis’s does not make them any less of a human. We should all be treated equal through our differences. We all know that men and women have differences, but those differences should not hold us back or keep us from being successful.
In the “Eternal Feminine”, it is very easy to pick out how women are controlled. At the beginning of the reading the author discusses how the men want the women to be obsessed with their beauty instead of using their minds. Since the women would spend many days at the beauty shop, the men realized that they may become bored. Which would, in return, possibly cause them to start thinking on their own? Therefore they even come up with something that goes in the hair driers to cause them to sleep instead of think while they are waiting for their hair to be done. This is outrageous to me. To think that men are so threatened by women, that they want to control their minds from thinking outside of the box. Throughout the play it is also very interesting to me how Castellanos goes back in history to many important women and uses them as an example. She also shows how things could have been if women would have used their minds. It also makes me think about how things would be today if all women spent more time using their minds, instead of worrying about their outward appearance. Would our world be any different? Surely if women in the beginning would have been encouraged to use their minds, our world would be a different place.
The second article that I would like to discuss is “The Beauty Myth”. This article gives example after example as to how women are controlled in everyday society. It is obvious in our world today that society is completely obsessed with beauty. It is a constant worry on women’s minds today. What is the perfect weight? What is the perfect height? We worry about perfect clothes, and perfect hair. Women are constantly reminded by the media just how “imperfect” we are. In this article the author talks about women and beauty. It shows that there really is not a perfect size or shape. The reading also shows how media does not portray the image of the whole population very well. For example, take a look at today’s models. The average model is nowhere near what the average person looks like. This article not only shows us how ridiculous our society judge’s beauty, but it also shows us how the beauty myth controls us and is used against us. “The beauty myth is not about women at all. It is about men’s institutions and institutional power” (Wolf). Women are compared based on beauty therefore causing competition between women. This causes women to be divided and powerless. This is another way that women are controlled.
In the third reading, “He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut”, the author talks about how differently society judges men and women. Women are significantly held to a higher standard. One way I which the reading points this out is by mentioning how there is not even an equivalent “slut” word for men. One reason that I liked this article is because it did a good job at showing the way we as women are held back, strictly because we are judged and held to a higher standard. In general women are not allowed to express themselves sexually, because that would make them a slut. However, men are encouraged to be more sexual and society sees nothing wrong with a man being more sexually active. They are praised for how many women they have slept with, yet women are put down and viewed as trash. This inequality between men and women does not only pertain to how sexually active someone is, but it also includes the differences between single men and women. Men are bachelors and women are spinsters. In our society it is not highly praised for a woman to be single, but if a man is single he is considered hot stuff and desirable. For a man to be single means that he is in control, he is independent. There are so many ways that men and women are judged differently. Because of this negative view that society has on single women, they are once again pushed back from being whom and what they want to be.
The last reading that I chose was an article titled “Opt Out”, by Belkin. This article talks about how women who are very successful leave the workplace to have a family. Naturally women are created to reproduce, which in return sometimes places a burden on them. All women want to be successful and have the same opportunities as men, this is no secret. However, when the time comes to have children they also fulfill the motherly role. This is not a bad thing, but when intelligent women who are very capable go into the work force looking for a high management jobs, they are less likely to be given the job, simply because they have the option of having children. Most companies do not want the hassle of having to lose a worker because they are pregnant. They realize that women do have this choice to reproduce and leave work to raise the family. This is also a negative setback for women because they cannot always reach their potential. Each of these articles has been important in my understanding of women’s studies in more than one way. This is just what stood out the most to me. These articles, along with class discussion, have taught me that women are not equal, and that we are constantly being set back because of the way society portrays us. I have never really thought about feminism or women’s rights until I took this class and read these articles. Now I am convinced that our fight as women is not over just because we can vote and work. We still have a long way to go to reach the point where women are completely equal to men in all aspects of our lives.
From what I’ve learned in these readings I have realized that we are very much still in the feminist movement. We as women should still be fighting everyday to become more and more equal in our world. Each of these articles portrays different parts to this whole of how women are still kept restrained. Even our money system shows us how women and men are not equal. Women still make seventy-seven cents to a man’s dollar! This shows us that women today have got to become more involved in political issues and things as simple as voting. Just because we get to enjoy many freedoms today, does not mean that we should settle for what we have. We should all be working everyday to improve conditions for women. These articles have taught me a lot just because I never really thought about these issues and how they affect women. Now that I have thought about these things and how women are still undermined, I start to wonder about what is going on in our world to solve these problems? Is there something that can be done to create equality between men and women, or will there always be this mindset that we are different? Is it possible to lose the stereotype that women are less than men? After thinking about these questions and issues I’ve come to realize that we are ultimately humans. We are not perfect, and we never will be. We have just got to do the best we can to make the best out of every situation. Ultimately we should all just follow the “golden rule”, which is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Works Cited
“Opt Out” by Lisa Belkin
“The Eternal Feminism” by Castellanos
“Taking Sides” by Jaquelyn W. White
“The Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf
“He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut” by Valentti
The first article that I want to take a look at is called “Taking Sides”. In this article, the author explains how our society is constantly trying to show how unequal we are to men, whether it is biologically or socially constructed. Even as young children we are treated differently by our sex. In school boys are treated like they will be better at math and science, and as for girls, they are pushed more towards being successful in English and reading. It almost makes girls feel like they should not even try to be smarter than boys in math and science. This article then goes on to argue about how different males and females in many different aspects. However, after reading this article it makes you wonder if men and women really are as different as we seem to think. Biologically it is clear that men are different than women, yet this shouldn’t influence how each of the sexes are treated. Just because women are more emotional and lack penis’s does not make them any less of a human. We should all be treated equal through our differences. We all know that men and women have differences, but those differences should not hold us back or keep us from being successful.
In the “Eternal Feminine”, it is very easy to pick out how women are controlled. At the beginning of the reading the author discusses how the men want the women to be obsessed with their beauty instead of using their minds. Since the women would spend many days at the beauty shop, the men realized that they may become bored. Which would, in return, possibly cause them to start thinking on their own? Therefore they even come up with something that goes in the hair driers to cause them to sleep instead of think while they are waiting for their hair to be done. This is outrageous to me. To think that men are so threatened by women, that they want to control their minds from thinking outside of the box. Throughout the play it is also very interesting to me how Castellanos goes back in history to many important women and uses them as an example. She also shows how things could have been if women would have used their minds. It also makes me think about how things would be today if all women spent more time using their minds, instead of worrying about their outward appearance. Would our world be any different? Surely if women in the beginning would have been encouraged to use their minds, our world would be a different place.
The second article that I would like to discuss is “The Beauty Myth”. This article gives example after example as to how women are controlled in everyday society. It is obvious in our world today that society is completely obsessed with beauty. It is a constant worry on women’s minds today. What is the perfect weight? What is the perfect height? We worry about perfect clothes, and perfect hair. Women are constantly reminded by the media just how “imperfect” we are. In this article the author talks about women and beauty. It shows that there really is not a perfect size or shape. The reading also shows how media does not portray the image of the whole population very well. For example, take a look at today’s models. The average model is nowhere near what the average person looks like. This article not only shows us how ridiculous our society judge’s beauty, but it also shows us how the beauty myth controls us and is used against us. “The beauty myth is not about women at all. It is about men’s institutions and institutional power” (Wolf). Women are compared based on beauty therefore causing competition between women. This causes women to be divided and powerless. This is another way that women are controlled.
In the third reading, “He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut”, the author talks about how differently society judges men and women. Women are significantly held to a higher standard. One way I which the reading points this out is by mentioning how there is not even an equivalent “slut” word for men. One reason that I liked this article is because it did a good job at showing the way we as women are held back, strictly because we are judged and held to a higher standard. In general women are not allowed to express themselves sexually, because that would make them a slut. However, men are encouraged to be more sexual and society sees nothing wrong with a man being more sexually active. They are praised for how many women they have slept with, yet women are put down and viewed as trash. This inequality between men and women does not only pertain to how sexually active someone is, but it also includes the differences between single men and women. Men are bachelors and women are spinsters. In our society it is not highly praised for a woman to be single, but if a man is single he is considered hot stuff and desirable. For a man to be single means that he is in control, he is independent. There are so many ways that men and women are judged differently. Because of this negative view that society has on single women, they are once again pushed back from being whom and what they want to be.
The last reading that I chose was an article titled “Opt Out”, by Belkin. This article talks about how women who are very successful leave the workplace to have a family. Naturally women are created to reproduce, which in return sometimes places a burden on them. All women want to be successful and have the same opportunities as men, this is no secret. However, when the time comes to have children they also fulfill the motherly role. This is not a bad thing, but when intelligent women who are very capable go into the work force looking for a high management jobs, they are less likely to be given the job, simply because they have the option of having children. Most companies do not want the hassle of having to lose a worker because they are pregnant. They realize that women do have this choice to reproduce and leave work to raise the family. This is also a negative setback for women because they cannot always reach their potential. Each of these articles has been important in my understanding of women’s studies in more than one way. This is just what stood out the most to me. These articles, along with class discussion, have taught me that women are not equal, and that we are constantly being set back because of the way society portrays us. I have never really thought about feminism or women’s rights until I took this class and read these articles. Now I am convinced that our fight as women is not over just because we can vote and work. We still have a long way to go to reach the point where women are completely equal to men in all aspects of our lives.
From what I’ve learned in these readings I have realized that we are very much still in the feminist movement. We as women should still be fighting everyday to become more and more equal in our world. Each of these articles portrays different parts to this whole of how women are still kept restrained. Even our money system shows us how women and men are not equal. Women still make seventy-seven cents to a man’s dollar! This shows us that women today have got to become more involved in political issues and things as simple as voting. Just because we get to enjoy many freedoms today, does not mean that we should settle for what we have. We should all be working everyday to improve conditions for women. These articles have taught me a lot just because I never really thought about these issues and how they affect women. Now that I have thought about these things and how women are still undermined, I start to wonder about what is going on in our world to solve these problems? Is there something that can be done to create equality between men and women, or will there always be this mindset that we are different? Is it possible to lose the stereotype that women are less than men? After thinking about these questions and issues I’ve come to realize that we are ultimately humans. We are not perfect, and we never will be. We have just got to do the best we can to make the best out of every situation. Ultimately we should all just follow the “golden rule”, which is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Works Cited
“Opt Out” by Lisa Belkin
“The Eternal Feminism” by Castellanos
“Taking Sides” by Jaquelyn W. White
“The Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf
“He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut” by Valentti
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