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Having been a blogger since my early childhood, I have decided to incorporate this useful tool into my teaching. Instructions: At the end of each month, I will award you 2 points for each meaningful post, with a maximum score of 12/10. Be sure to read what others have written - no credit for repetition.
18 comments:
I can't believe you titled this "The 'F' Word." Anyway, though I firmly believe feminism has come a very long way (through literature AND culture) it still has not made it there. There is still a gender gap, still expectations for girls that boys do not have to worry about. Giving women the vote did not really change men's attitudes about women, or the beliefs that have been instated for...a long time. Women are still expected to go through school, get a job, marry, and have children, and many mothers must abandon their wants for their children or husband or suburbia. Now women have to choose what kind of woman they want to be. There are those who are the epitome of today's woman: proud, assertive, independent, and those who are what men believe a woman should be: helpless, attractive (above all else), fashionable, a sexual object or a trophy wife. Many of the aims of feminism have been achieved, but the woman in the mind's eye still must be helped.
I have to say that I'm pretty much on the same page as Amanda with this. Feminism is still an important movement in EVERYTHING, whether it be literature or otherwise. We live in a culture where people claim that there isn't a gender difference, that men and women are still on the same playing field, but the truth is that we are far from it regardless of the successes of the femisim movement. There are men, more than I would like, who demean women, and sadly there are women who allow themselves to be demeaned (although some of them feel power in that... so are they really empowered or not?).
In the handbook, there was a mention of feminism being beyond male vs. female, but also as feminine versus masculine. To me feminism isn't only about women, although I do recognize that it primarily deals with women's roles. But there are also the feminine male characters, who don't have a real term such as feminism to fall under. Like women, they are also under represented. For the feminist movement to cross bounds, in my eyes, it should be beyond females, and take into account the feminine. And then there are the masculine females, who also need to be accounted for (feminism seems to approve of them, seeing them as the ideal because they are more like the typical masculine male, but the point is to be different and equal). And there is so much gender-bending in today's culture, what about them?
The bottom line, feminism should expand its definition, and then maybe more equality could be achieved.
feminism -1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.
I feel that while many goals have been achived for the feminist movement, every day is a continuous struggle. All people are different, and therefore at any moment someone can be discrimated against because of their sex...but where does it end? We've been fighting for equal rights for African Americans for years, and even though slavery has been abolished, we're not perfect. We never will be. This is the same with women's rights. We may never be exactly eual, because how do you define exact equality? Women, unlike men, are able to give birth to children, which gives them a closer bond. Women and men are different, and in that sense it's hard to measure equality.
Also, I feel like whenever discrimination is involved, we tend to have problems. Women have been "put down" for so long, that they decide to exclude men when they get to the top of their field. African Americans use words that demean whites, but still act as though they are being attacked. And women demean themselves, setting double standards that confuse and infuriate the average person.
So what is the solution? There really isn't one. I feel as though we are about as close as we're ever going to get, despite any more trying...Becasue of the dissent among women. There are feminists who are extremely radical, and they resent women who are not as radical. There are plain women, and then men who fight for feminist rights but are put down becasue they're not female. Let me leave you with this. Are we ready for a women president? Who knows? But should women all vote for a woman just because she is that...a woman? No. Thats the same as men not voting for her...it should be about the person, not the gender. And unfortunately until we realize that revenge does not equate to change, we will stay in the same position we're in.
The gender clash has permeated American history for centuries. While the standard notion of "male dominance" has been overcome in many arenas, feminism remains a vital and sociological movement.
The general degradation of women in places like home, work, and public facilities has fortunately ended. Females are no longer restricted to domestic responsibilities and can function as active members of the community. They can write books (who people will actually publish!), become millionaires, earn a master's degree in business management, and date without supervision. Women have ultimately earned greater respect and independence.
Despite all that has been achieved over the centuries, feminism has more to accomplish. The movement is in fact just as strong as it was in the late 60s, however, strong in a different way. Just because feminism currently is not rooting for the women's right to vote doesn't mean that its goals aren't as important. The female's under-representation in politics is very much apparent. This country has thrived for over four hundred years, and it taken until the 2008 election to consider the possibility of a woman in the White House!? Furthermore, there are still shelters for battered wives and women's support groups, suggesting that some males continue to view women as inferior objects. The marketing world also promotes this image at times...I myself may be guilty as well since something as simple as wearing red heels may be seen as negatively portraying women. Finally, acclaimed female authors, athletes, chefs, etc boost feminism by displaying women in a positive light. Feminism has not ceased in being an integral part of American culture.
so all of you are talking about how woman are demeaned in society....well what's demeaning?
1. To debase, as in dignity or social standing. does the fact that someone would rather stay home with the most important thing in their life(their kid) mean that they're demeaning themselves? are you kidding me? thats so preposterous. it's a life choice and its personal. the sad thing is that in these days cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children have become DEMEANING when a woman does it. the blessed thing about this country is that a woman can make a choice. if a woman chooses to stay at home and have the pleasure of seeing her child grow up while keeping a gorgeous home...that's not demeaning, that's their life choice. women who obsess with college, grades and the business world don't think highly of "suburbia moms" just because they think anything other than what they want out of life is "demeaning".
of coarse we're not all equal, as long as there is a majority and a history of oppression. its in human nature to want to be superior, and all we can do is try to do what makes us happy, and if we are lucky enough to do what makes us happy, whatever it may be, it's not demeaning, it's admirable.
Last night my brother was doing a take-home test for history. The question was what were some of Confucius’ ideas that oppressed women? In the passage it mentioned how men were superior to women, and their inferiors (women) had to be loyal, and take care of house and home…blah blah blah. Then my brother asked, yeah but does that answer the question, and my dad said “Ask your sister if that’s how she feels.” Automatically I said “No.” My dad said something to the effects of if it’ll get you slapped by your sister it’s oppression. I know that’s kind of long, but it ties in to this…
I think that it’s important that people know that there was a problem with how women were treated. I’m 100% for women’s equality, and I can’t stand being told I am not allowed to do something. Unfortunately studying it in history is not enough. In our society women are still mainly the caregivers, and in most divorce cases they are awarded the children, but they also have to work as well. Then in other countries women still have to hide behind layers of clothing. It isn’t fair, and people still have to work on not looking down to anyone no matter their race, age, sex, or religion…yuk, sorry I wrote a book.
I have to say I agree with Kristen on the fact that everyday is still a struggle for women. What one person may call "improvement" might be regression to another. I feel as if we will never be happy with whatever may come, there's always gonna be a need for more improvement and to be honest I don't think we can stop this at all. Women will always struggle with the stereotypes because it is how people are. Laws don't and won't make a drastic change...stealing is a law, do people still do it? absolutely. It seems as if in some way feminism movements have hit a dead end on a long traveled road. I also think think that some feminists cause too much attention when trying to obtain the rights that they just don't receive, this "attention" is really only bad news. This is what causes our steretypes people. Don't get me wrong though I am all for women's equality but it's as if the more we fight, the more we just get brought down. I feel like women have pushed and pushed and that pushing has brought us to where we are today and that's it. Feminism will continue I have no doubts about that but so will those that believe women should not have it all and those that continue to judge.
I don't think the goals of feminism will ever be achieved...and it still continues to affect and shape our society today. The idea of females being subordinate to males and male dominance in almost all realms of everyday life has such a deep root--which I personally think will be impossible to erase. From the beginning (whatever you think the "beginning" of mankind is", this difference has evolved. We talked about this in class one time. It's the idea that males were "scared" of women because they possessed a God-like power--to create life. And that fear is still reflected to today. Just because women gained the right to vote, it still hasn't changed the attitude of our male-dominated society (like Amanda said). Even today, we see that women still aren't treated equally. Some men don't take women seriously in the professional field...or at least that women aren't as competent as they are. Even McCain (I don't mean to bring politics into this whole thing) didn't support a bill that was for equal pay for equal work. I don't know the details of this, but I think it still reflects the larger picture.
I certainly agree that feminism and women's rights have come a long way in literature and all other areas. It is perfectly acceptable now for women to have successful careers instead of staying home and being the perfect housewife. However, fighting for women's rights will never be officially over. There is always going to be that one person who feels that women are still subordinate to men. And i see it often. For example today in statistics there was a problem that involved a question that asked if female athletes should be paid the same amount as male athletes. I thought that was a pretty ridiculous question seeing as they're both doing the same job yet one person should earn more than the other simply because of gender. Obviously complete equality between males and females has not yet been achieved and I'm not sure it ever will be. As time goes on feminism will definitely continue to improve. Yet it will always be a relevent cultural and sociological movement.
I agree with the fact that women have made very exciting advances in terms of equality with men. There will always be discrimination against women to a certain degree but the days of complete inequality are certainly over in America. Many people seem to forget however, that women in other countries around the world are experiencing the discrimination that we overcame decades ago. In areas of the world such as North Africa and the Middle East, laws throughout the region relegate women to a subordinate status compared to their male counterparts. Women have an inferior legal status meaning they are denied basic rights like freedom of speech, and expression. They are also denied a part in all family decision making which is thought to be the exclusive territory of men. In my opinion, the feminist movement will never be realized until women all around the world experience the same level of freedom and equality we have here in America.
women have come a very long way in comparison to the past when employers openly paid women less and women were obviously not allowed to do many things. Though now women have much better working conditions can go to college and get high paying jobs they are still treated as inferior to men though not so obviously. Many women are expected to quit their jobs and abandon their careers to raise their children. while nurturing children is wonderful it is better that women do it out of love and not expectation. Also there has never been a women president! Not that i am a fan of hilary clinton at all but wouldnt it be nice if in all this time of supposed equality a women had become president. Why not? Because men still feel they are superior, the men appear strong and gain more support. Also why are women used way more times then men on commercials. seriously it is way more often that you see a sexy picture of a woman in an ad. Is that because men are more likely to cheat or be drawn in than women? As you can see men and women are not treated equally in today's society though many people say oh everyone is equal in America but in truth there is still discrimination.
I think that overall we have come a long way in terms of garnering equal rights for men and women, yet I think we have a long way to go until the idea of women's inferiority is diminished. Society acknowledges that women are able to perform in the same careers and create valuable ideas, yet I think that there is still the notion that men are able to do jobs better then women. Men and women are beginning to share roles in the workplace and at home, but it is still taboo when a wife works in corporate America and a man stays home to keep house and takes care of the children. Couples do this, but there are still parts of society that don't see it as normal. Even in literature, the most critically acclaimed authors tend to be men. Though this is due to the fact that it was not acceptable for women to write in past eras, it means that women still have to work to gain a place amongst the best male writers. Male authors have been writing for centuries, but female authors have only been prevalent for about 100-150 years. Therfore, the female authors of present day have to work to catch up since they have gotten a late start.
I believe that feminism has been taken to a bit of an extreme by some these days because I think that for the most part, things are equal for women. Sure, there are still some stereotypes but there will always be those people. As long as the public offers the same rights to women as they do to men, then things are as they should be and feminism does not need to be pushed as strongly.
Also, it is possible that some women feel pressured into mainstream feminism but I don't think that most women are easily susceptable to this. Unless they have a very low self-esteem, if they want kids, they'll be very likely to flip the bird to anyone that tells them that they shouldn't.
I have never really been extremely into feminism, not that i am not interested in equal rights for women and men, but i do believe that many times a lot of the feminists went a little overboard. anyway like most of the other comments i do believe that feminism has come a long way and has achieved many of its demands. however i still think that feminism can continue and that feminists all over the world will still have many wants and needs. obviously women have gained an incredible amount of rights thanks to the feminist movement. women can now do the same jobs, go to the same schools, and recieve the same respect as their male counterparts. and so even though we do learn about it in our history and english courses i still think it is an important idea that we must continue to discuss and think about, because so many women put all their time and effort into changing not only their own lives but the lives of all women. i do still believe that many men think they are superior to women and that is something that needs to change,so of course feminism is not over, and i dont believe it will ever be over since women know what they want and are very determined to get it, and yes i do understand that was very sterotypical
maybe feminism should be studied in history books and no where else because it seems that in today's society feminists are looked down upon by other women. Women want to take away other women's rights (Sarah Palin) and that is so conterproductive it is rediculous. so if this is what its come down to women takeing down their own rights, and it seems we will never have women truly in power since only 5% of CEOs are women, maybe we should just give up.
Since "women's studies" is a course being offered at colleges, feminism is not an object of the past. Feminism is vital part of our society, still. In the USA it's better, because women are given ALMOST the same rights/respect as men, but it's not like that in Costa Rica, for example. Women in the USA can say that they want to share cooking/cleaning/outdoor duties with their husbands, but there's still the notion that men are stronger. It doesn't make a difference in a country like Costa Rica that more women are studying in universities than men, because the men are out there doing the "important" (important to Ticos) jobs, such as farming cocoa beans, plantains, and other major exports. My host mother in Costa Rica expressed her thoughts very emotionally about why she isn't marrying the man who comes to her house to sleep with her most days of the week. She said something very close to, "I want to get a job, and I want him to do all the cooking and cleaning in my house because I am sick of being like a maid. I'm a woman, and I want to be treated like one my way." Clearly, the feminism movement hasn't finished, because women still have strong opinions on the changes they demand to see in society. In all honesty, I don't think feminism will ever end. If women become more powerful than men at some point in the future, men will jump right back up in a "masculinism"(??) movement, because there will always be a battle of the sexes.
I feel that feminism has been crucial to the development of literary works and the transformation of the English way of writing. I think the critical differences of how feminists look at pieces of work and how regular critics look at works are very different. Feminism should not just be studied in the classroom. Just because the feminists have achieved their goal of equality does not mean the idea should vanish. I think it should stay with everyone forever. I do think it is a vital and relevant cultural and sociological movement. It changed the way people look at language arts. It changed the way people look at women, and it therefore changed society as a whole.I think feminism should live on forever as one of the greater movements of the time.
A final thought: Nick, I am so impressed that you were able to sneak this comment in with only 3 minutes to go! Otherwise, very perceptive and interesting discussions throughout ... I'm not sure I have much to add, except to caution you all to continue to revisit this topic as your experience in the world (college and beyond) continues to grow. As with all opinion-based questions and issues, by all means form strong opinions and be proud of those opinions, but always listen to a variety of other opinions and voices, and always always always be open and receptive to modifying and changing your own beliefs and opinions. Changing your mind about something doesn't make you a hypocrite - it makes you a thinking, growing human being.
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