Feminism: Definition and Theories - Term Paper Example

Feminism: Definition and Theories s Feminism has a crucial significance in development of our modern society, which cannot be underestimated. It is a socio-political movement which goal is to provide with social rights all women who were discriminated on grounds of sex, race, age, ethnicity, social status. Representatives of the movement are trying to gain womens equality with men in all spheres of society, as well as to eliminate discrimination against women (Freedman 2003). Feminists and scientists define “three waves” in the history of womens movement. "First Wave" refers mainly to the suffragette movement which was originated in XIX-XX century, since 1848, when in the city of Seneca Falls (NY, USA) the congress to protect the rights of women had passed under the slogan “All men and women are created equal”. Its key issue was to gain the right to vote for women. The congress proclaimed "The Declaration of Sentiments", which raised important issues such as womens equality in property rights in marriage, in the free choice of profession, in getting good education, and so on. The authors of this paper were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott (Lerner 1994). Another important figure in the womens movement in the second half of the XIX century was Emmeline Pankhurst, who was one of the founders of the movement for womens right to vote in elections. One of its goals was to debunk sexism, rooted in all levels of British society. In 1903, Pankhurst established an organization in defense of social and political rights of women (Womens Social and Political Union, WSPU), which had gathered 5000 members in a year (Davis 1999). After the members of the organization have become permanently subjected to arrest and imprisonment for trivial manifestations for the movement support, many of them have decided to express their protest with hunger strike. As the result the health of the hunger strikers was that seriously undermined, which drew attention to the unjustified cruelty of the legislative system of that time, and thus, to the ideas of feminism. Under pressure from the WSPU English Parliament passed a series of laws aimed to improve the status of women, and thus it gave women the right to vote in local elections since 1894 (Lerner 1994). The second half of the XX century (1960s) in world culture was marked by a “Second Wave” feminism, which was rethinking the role of women in society and was aimed to remove socio-cultural gender discrimination. Its followers understood that various forms of cultural and political inequality of women are inextricably linked. They urged women to recognize that some aspects of their personal lives were deeply politicized and were a reflection of sexist power structures (Spivak 1981). During this period at least three theories were developed: liberal, socialist and radical (Yates 1975). Liberal feminism (B. Friedan) considered that the reason of the inequality of women was caused by the absence or lack of civil society and legal rights. And the only way to solve this problem it was in socio-economic and legal reforms. “Woman is equal to man” proclaimed liberal feminism, as it was based on the concepts of gender equality. Friedan thought that the necessity to be housewife and bring up the children was imposed on women by creating so called riddle of femininity. She noted that the pseudo-scientific theories, womens magazines and advertising industry have taught that women with true femininity doesn’t need neither career, nor college education and political rights, thus they do not need independence and opportunity for which feminists fought. All that is required of them - this is an early girlhood to devote himself to finding a husband and having children (Meyers 1997). Socialist feminism (Z. Eyzenstayn, L. Gordon) insisted on the need to highlight the women’s issues from the field of class and social problems. From the standpoint of socialist feminism, womens involvement in the economy is the main cause of womens oppression. Still, the radical feminism (K. Millett, S. Firestone, K. Delphi) was the most prominent and influential trend in the philosophy of feminism of the second half of the twentieth century. Proponents of radical feminism have criticized the “patriarchal culture”, considering the society and the family to be institutions of women’s suppression. They insisted on a review of the existing system of relations between the sexes and on the creation of a new culture - free and non-repressive (Echols 1990). In the center of the radical ideology was female biology. From the perspective of radical feminists, cruelty and oppression against women exist because they are women, and that is even more significant reason discrimination than class, ethnicity, religion etc. Radical feminists developed such issues as mens monopoly in culture and knowledge, gender discrimination in everyday, especially in the sexual life. By showing how the female body and sexuality are suppressed and are used under patriarchy, radical feminism brought into public discussion previously forbidden topics of sexual harassment, domestic violence, pornography, abortion, contraception etc. (Krolokke & Sorensen 2005). “Third Wave” feminism was developed in response to the failure of the “second wave” as its continuation. Its emergence refers to the 1990s. The characteristic features of the third wave feminism are the incorporation of queer theory components, internationalism and release of female sexuality (Thomas 2000). Particularly to a more neutral has changed attitude towards pornography as to one of the ways of women exploitation (which was a characteristic of the second wave). The most prominent members of the movement are Rebecca Walker, Lili Taylor, Naomi Wolf and others. The modern "feminism" does not imply a single ideology and now within this movement there are many theories and groups. They were created and developed due to various historical precedents, the differences in position and social status of women in different countries, as well as because of other factors. Many theories are duplicative and feminists may be the followers of several trends (Krolokke & Sorensen 2005). Nowadays, sometimes they say about the fourth wave of feminism. The generation of women who fight for personal rights has changed again, as well as have changed conditions of communication feministic ideas to society, thus, we may talk about new historical phenomena. Technologies of social media defined its main characteristics, enabling to build online strong, reactive movement. Feminists got a possibility to create and sign online petitions even against harassments and misogyny which occur in the Internet (for instance against some pages on Facebook) fighting for changes in moderation policy of virtual life. In addition, some new problems have been raised. One of them is the problem of female genital mutation, which is still being practiced in some countries, and among those who fight against it are Nimko Ali, 29, and her group Daughters of Eve. Moreover, Black Feminist groups are being created – there are already several in London and in Manchester. What is mutual for all these fighters for women’s rights is that they define themselves as intersectional feminists – they attempt to elevate and make space for the voices and issues of those who are marginalized. Some other important problems of the feminists today are the massive growth of the beauty industry and “pornification” – the infiltration of pornographic imagery into mainstream. These fighters are trying to elevate how women’s experience of discrimination is affected by class, gender, race, age, ability, sexuality and other issues. The feminist movement has led to various changes in Western society, including giving women the right to vote in elections; eligibility to apply for a divorce; rights to own property; right to control woman’s own body and the right to decide what medical intervention is acceptable for her, including the choice of contraception and abortion. Some of the extremely radical feminist views are now widely accepted as the traditional political thought. The vast majority of the population in Western countries doesn’t see anything unnatural in the womens right to vote, to choose her spouse, to own land - all that had seemed to be incredible a hundred years ago. It may be said for sue that it totally new generation of feminists. They are in their teens or twenties and they grew up being told that sexism and misogyny were over and they live in post-feminist society, though attitudes to women were still very confusing. But they are affected also by the years of financial crush, thus many activists have been involved into other movements, such as Occupy!, students’ campaign against fees etc. Thus the fourth wave reflects the work of activists in the world of unemployment, workfare and social exposure from the state. The women of the fourth wave of feminists were brought up to know that they are equal to men, and when they face with reality in their early adulthood, they have more than enough confidence to defend their rights (Cochrane 2013). Arabian Feminism. Feminism, which was originated in the West and required rights and freedoms for women eventually spread across the globe, and now continues its struggle in different cultures, in different versions. With the changes in society important changes in the requirements and purposes of this motion took place, but in general it does not give up the struggle against patriarchal society, where the main role is played by men. Feminism shows different versions depending on the cultural environment and conditions, but in all these versions didnt lost their main purpose to gain the equality. Islamic feminism is a form of feminism which tries to improve the role of women in Islam. It is aimed to prove the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of gender, both in public and private life. Islamic feminists fight for womens rights, gender equality and social justice on an Islamic basis. The movement tends to emphasize on the deep roots of the doctrine of equality in religion and develops more justice society. Islamic feminism has rather mixed ideology that just recently started tries to find a place in life. This trend includes all kinds of feminism and became the object of debate allover the muslim countries. These disputes were initiated by well-educated and fairly affluent young Muslims, who began to appear without headscarf in public and eventually gained scale. In the literature there are also appeared a lot of discussions about the modern human rights and the equality of all people. But in the practice of the Islamic world everyday life there are different attitudes to men and women, and thus men get higher social status. Desire to destroy such "traditions", as well as to protect the equality and/or the superiority of Muslim women, has given rise to a phenomenon called Islamic feminism. As a rule, most of those who deal with this problem are female scientists and writers mostly from the Arab world and the Indian subcontinent, who got their education in the West and make their investigations in Western languages. As the basis of their works about women rights they are usually using Islamic source, avoiding in their writings clear contradiction with the religion, and those elements in religion that are contrary to feminist statements, are interpreted from a historical perspective. The modern movement of Islamic feminism began in the nineteenth century. Iranian poet Tahiri was the first modern woman who has made interpretation of the Koran. She was born and raised in a traditional Muslim family, and later became a prominent activist of the feminism, she openly condemned polygamy, wearing a veil and fought against other restrictions imposed on women. One of her most famous quotes is her statement: "You can kill me as soon as you want, but you can not stop the emancipation of women." Aisha Abd al-Rahman, who was writing under the pen name Bint al-Shati ("Daughter of the river bank"), was the second modern woman who has made interpretation of the Koran, and although she did not consider herself a feminist, her work reflects feminist themes. She began to produce popular books in 1959, the same year when Naguib Mahfouz published his allegorical and feminist version of the life of Muhammad. She wrote biographies of women in Islam, including the mothers, wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as literary criticism. According to Islamic feminists, Islam has been usurped by men, imbued with patriarchal consciousness. And, in their opinion, Muslim religion must become "free", cleared from interpretations and practices that leave women on the sidelines Islamic feminism, as in the West, has passed its evolution, has changed under the influence of time. In countries where Islamic culture dominates, feminism is more cautious, and feminist demands are more focused not on the equality of men and women, but on their similarity. Thus, women force society to hear their voices expressing their opinion in different Muslim magazines, print media and public meetings. These women, gathered under the slogan "Do not be a woman, be a man" are demanding to open the way for them. And although they are considered to be a feminist product of the West and it is assumed that its ideology will not be able to fit into the Muslim society, it is taken as a basis for the feminist movement in Muslim countries (Glavanis-Grantham 1996). In 1990s on the background of the disputes about the womens nature and identity started to be published the magazine «Mektup» («Letter") under the slogan "for both men and women about the identity of the woman from the pen of women". It created a kind of platform for debates and offered solutions for understanding women and their sexual nature in the Western way of life; it explained that the exploitation of the female body took place because of the transformation of the body into a commodity by capitalist system. Thus the Prophet era was the best for women, as they got their right to take part in social and political life. In Arab countries, the most heated debates rise around the questions of hijab. It began after the coup of 1980 and since than in secular circles the question of wearing hijab in public places become to be in the focus of debates. Women who defined themselves as Muslim gained public recognition, and forced to listen to themselves. With the strengthening of disputes around this topic, it has gained only a greater width and depth. Educated young Muslim women, expressing their point of view on the basis of Islamic values established interpretation and practice which hitherto are observed from a female point of view. And such a thing as Islamic feminism emerged as a result of heated debate in such statements and practices. To conclude I would like to mention that feminist movement undoubtedly influenced heterosexual relationships both in Western society and in other countries. While in general this effect is estimated to be positive, also points to negative consequences. In some respects, there was a change of power poles. In such cases, both men and women have to adapt to relatively new situations, which sometimes causes confusion and turmoil in addiction to non-traditional roles for each sex (Jackson & Jones 1998). Though women now have more freedom to choose the opening opportunities for them, some feel considerable discomfort from having to play the role of "superwoman", retaining balance between career and taking care after her family (Silverman 1992). At the same time, instead of shifting the responsibility for education and childcare exclusively on mothers, many fathers have become more actively involved in this process, recognizing that it is their responsibility too. Unfortunately, modern feminism is often discredited irrational and anti-male antics of some representatives of the movement. Some radical feminists are against the participation of fathers in raising children, and some even insist on destruction of men (Andersson 2008). Separatism, created such way, as well as the war for heterosexuality, creates repel among both men and women. Contemporary feminism is also sometimes lopsided, as the obvious facts, uncomfortable for feminism, are not being noticed and minor facts are swelled to enormous size (Whelehan 1995). Still, in my opinion such misunderstanding of the role of feminism takes place because of the lack of support from men’s and boys’ side. Emma Watson, who after she grew up, became not just a “Harry Potter Girl” but also UN Women Goodwill Ambassador at the HeForShe Campaign 2014 paid attention that fighting for women’s rights too often comes synonymous to men hating. And this has to stop. It is a real problem that women are choosing not to identify themselves as feminists. It is right to make possible for women to make decisions about own body. Women should be afforded the same respect as men. But there is no country in the world, where women may be sure they would receive these rights. And nothing may be changed, while men, one half of the humanity considers, that the problem of women’s rights doesn’t concern them. Gender equality is also their issue. Father’s role as a parent is being valued by society less than mother’s, despite the child needs attention of both of them. And men also have the right to ask for help, as it won’t make them less masculine. Men are more often being imprisoned because of gender stereotypes. Thus men should be free from these stereotypes, and things for women would change as a natural consequence. If men won’t have to control, women won’t be controlled. Both man and women should feel free to be both sensitive and strong. We should stop defining us by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are. It will make us freer from prejudice. Thus, in modern society feminist theory becomes the necessary part of real life. Despite the ongoing criticism of some aspects of some of its theories, we should recognize that feminism has forced society to listen to women, and thus probably its reformist (but not radical) branch would have a crucial part in the strategy and tactics of the worlds post-industrial community development, and real equality and cooperation between men and women would be gained. Moreover, it is possible that due to feminism would be built relationships not only between different social segments, but also between the Arab and Western worlds. Bibliography 1. Andersson, Ulf. 2008. Report on the Father Congress in Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe. http://www.daddyspride.it/images/news-maggio2008-Sweden-Germany-Eng_Report%20on%20the%20Father%20Congress.pdf 2. Cochrane, Kira. 2013. The fourth wave of feminism: meet the rebel women. The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/fourth-wave-feminism-rebel-women 3. Davis, Mary. 1999. Sylvia Pankhurst: A Life in Radical Politics. London: Pluto Press. 4. Echols, Alice. 1990. Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America, 1967—1975. University of Minnesota Press. 5. Freedman, Estelle. 2003. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. Ballantine Books. 6. Glavanis-Grantham, J. 1996. The womens movement, feminism and the national struggle in Palestine: unresolved contradictions. USA: Taylor&Fransis. 7. Jackson, Stevi; Jones, Jackie. 1998. Contemporary feminist theories. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 8. Krolokke, Charlotte; Sorensen, Anne Scott. 2005. Gender Communication Theories and Analyses: From Silence to Performance. Sage Publications. 9. Lerner, Gerda. 1994. The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-Seventy. Oxford University Press. 10. Meyers, Diana. 1997. Feminist social thought: a reader. New York: Routledge. 11. Sarachild, Kathie. 1978. Feminist Revolution. New York: Random House. 12. Silverman, Kaja. 1992. Male Subjectivity at the Margins, p.2-3. New York: Routledge. 13. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. 1981. French Feminism in an International Frame. Yale French Studies, 62. 154-184. 14. Thomas, Calvin, ed. 2000. Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality, p.39. University of Illinois Press. 15. Watson, Emma. 2014. Speech at HeForShe Campaign 2014. Official UN Video. http://youtu.be/gkjW9PZBRfk 16. Whelehan, Imelda. 1995. Modern feminist thought: from the second wave to «post-feminism». Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 17. Yates, Gayle Graham. 1975. What Women Want: The Ideas of the Movement. Cambridge; Harvard University Press. Read More