Women's Studies. Claiming Feminism - Essay Example

Claiming Feminism Women Study Women Studies a taught in many universities and colleges. This mainly focuses on politics, society, media, history and literature from women’s point of view (Regain, n.p.). Women's studies are also called as feminist studies. Logical and intellectual study and discussions of gender inequalities allows students to become aware of the injustices in the world towards women and to work and make effort towards changing unhealthy dynamics in any situation. Feminism Feminism is support and encouragement of women right on the basis of political, social and financial equality to men (Heywood, 34). Feminism is a belief that women and men are equal. To support this belief a movement started. In history feminism came into existence due to inequality between the two genders. Nowadays Feminists activist work towards area like domestic violence, gay marriage, equal pay, equal rights, sexual harassment, discrimination and reproductive. When I think of feminism first thing that comes to my mind is a woman with a broom. It is simply because a woman is associated as being a house wife. Her main responsibility is to look after the house and children. In third world countries this idea still prevails. A woman is still not free in her decisions about her life. What she wants is either decided by her elders or her husband. There are countries where women are not allowed to drive. They cannot travel without their male partner. History In 1800 women had very little control over their lives. Even the rich women had limited authority in domestic life. They had no property rights, political rights or financial independence. Higher education was not accessible to women. Lower class women worked hard alongside men. Lower class women faced same social and legal restrictions. The awakening started in the 1790 which emphasized emotion experience over a certain belief or view. It allowed women more opportunities outside home. The First Wave of feminism started from early 19th century up till the year 1921. The first wave started in abolitionist movement. Feminism movement was aligned with anti salivary and anti racism movements. As the civil war ended the right to vote or suffrage was granted to former slaves but not to women. Many women who were part of feminist movement left their coalition with anti-racism movement. In the initial stage the aim was to support a wide range of rights for women. But with time the first wave of feminism movement narrowed its focus on the goal of achieving women's right to vote. The first college that enrolled first 15 women in higher education was Oberlin College in Oberlin. In 1948 the feminist movement started at Seneca Falls convention. It was the first women’s rights convention. It was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with others. It all started in June 1840 at World Anti-Slavery Convention. The Convention was held in London. The ordinary point of view at that time was that women are not capable of speaking in public. The topic that was discussed was not slavery as planned but rather it was whether women are capable of leadership.. The conclusion was that women are not fit for public speaking. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were sent away from convention. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton went out angrily from the convention. There were many achievements made by First Wave Feminist. In 1954 Florence Nightingale established female nurses with the military. In 1860 Suffragists New York passed the Married Women’s Property Act. The bill allowed women to inherit property, share custody of children and control over their wages and wills. In 1916 Margaret Sanger opened first birth control clinic in the U.S. She was giving reproductive rights to women. The clinic had all-female staff. These actions led to her arrest. In 1918 “Married Love” was published by Marie Stopes. Book was about women’s sexual desires (Jutte, 165). The book got very famous at that time. The right to vote was granted to some UK women in 1918 In 1920 the main accomplishment of the first wave feminist was the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Smith, 435).  It gave the women the right to vote. This was the major victory of the feminist movement. Overall it also included improvements and change in higher education, in the workplace and professions, and in health care. The second wave of feminism emerged in the beginning of 1960. It continued till 1980s. White middle class women had seemed to have dominated second-wave feminism. Second wave of feminism focused on the actual inequalities or unofficial inequalities. Second wave of feminism helps women understand structure of power based on sex. They helped women understand their personal lives and politics. .Although there were many successes during this wave, it was still said that the second wave had failed (Wood, 72). Third wave feminism is similar to second wave feminism. The same issued of second wave feminism are still discussed. Third wave feminism looks at the view of all the races rather than only of white middle class women. Thirds wave feminism is addressing topics like social feminism, black feminism and lesbian feminism. The focus of third wave feminism has been criticized of being too broad and wide. The main focal point is to fight all inequalities (“yahoo voices”). There are also some feminist who say that pornography and sex work should not be illegal. According to them it gives women more freedom and empowerment. Teaching Feminism nowadays Meredith A. love And Brenda M. Helmbrecht are feminism Professors. The articles discuss the challenges a teacher face while teaching students who consider themselves part a part of third wave feminism. There is no doubt that due to work of feminist our lives have changed a lot. In fact our lives have improved so much that younger generation today have no idea that they have come a long way. Today young women care more about their self image rather than social activism. Young woman are more concerned about self?fulfillment and consumerism (Love & Brenda, 41). Techniques such as engagement of students in debates and arguments, statistics and analyzing must be used in the class. Love and Helmbrecht’s define the second wave feminism as the ancient who believe in the de-sexualizing of women’s character. According to Love and Helmbrecht media is responsible for slowing down the female empowerment. The third wavers focus on a more personal rather than institutional approach to feminism as opposed to second wave feminism generation (Love & Brenda, 43). Love and Helmbrecht argues that there is a difference between perceived empowerment and actual empowerment. Personal empowerment is not connected to feminism movement. The third wavers argue that their conversation empowers all women. They fail to recognize that their empowerment is individual or personal rather than global. They have failed to change the society that is oppressing them. In fact they have created a shallow fix to deep rooted society problems. The media has led them to think that are they are creating change by having a choice. In fact it is masking the truth that they have only social choice and control within the same oppressive society (Love & Brenda, 55). 3 examples of brands are given that they claim to deliver women empowerment message. Pink. Dove and the move “the devil wears Parada”. Pink and Dove gives the message that empowerment can be achieved by ones buying power (Love & Brenda, 52). Actually empowerment can be achieved by meaningful movement within a culture. In the movie the message that is delivered is that women must choose between career success and personal success. It gives the false message (Love & Brenda, 54). Fear of Feminism Lisa Hogeland is author of “fear of feminism”. She discuss the problem that why some modern young women are afraid of feminism. She writes that Young modern women feel that feminist is a identity that would put them out of the group for many men (Hogeland, 19). They feel that men will not reach out to them of they find out that they are feminist. The basic agenda for feminist study is that how men have treated women and how women should have responded to men for the past 100 of years. In the public eye many of the feminist are believed to be homosexual or Lesbian. Feminist image is that they hate men. These opinions have led many young girls fear that they will put at risk their relationship with men. Many men would not like to be in a relationship with women who is feminist. Heterosexual feminist has to go through a lot of pressure. According to Author Lisa Hogeland being a “heterosexual feminist” does not mean you have to give up on your personal relationship with a man. It just means that you have to somehow uphold and balance the relationship. You should find ways and method to communicate your feminist views without hurting you relationship with your male partner. Male Dominated Society Peggy McIntosh is associate at Wellesley College Center for Research on Women. Peggy McIntosh wrote “White privilege and male privilege”. The article discussed that there being white skin gives you unearned advantages. White skin open doors to many advantages and privileges (McIntosh, 32). Same is the case with Male gender. Being men gives men a lot of advantages. Some of the advantages are There are many few chances of sexual harassment for men. There are fewer chances of Men being raped They can go alone anywhere at any time without the fear of harassment For men travelling alone is not a big issue. Most of pornography is associated with women. Even if the viewers are men They don’t have to go through reproduction or abortion issues. Men don’t have to face the pressure to choose between a family and career. This kind of inequality is deep rooted in our society. Although we don’t like gender inequality but still are society is designed in such a shape that we are able to avoid it. References Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Heywood, Leslie. Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism. Minneapolis [u.a.: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1997. Print. Hogeland, Lisa. "Fear of feminism: Why young women get the willies." Making sense of women's lives: An introduction to women's studies (2000): 17-22. Ju?tte, Robert. Contraception: A History. Cambridge: Polity, 2008. Print. Love, Meredith A., and Brenda M. Helmbrecht. "Teaching the conflicts:(Re) Engaging students with feminism in a postfeminist world." Feminist teacher 18.1 (2007): 41-58. McIntosh, Peggy.  "White Privilege:  Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack". Independent School 49.2 (Winter 1990): 31-6. Reagin , Nancy. "Women's and Gender Studies." Pace University in the City of New York and Westchester County . Pace University, 2011. Web. 27 May 2013. Smith, Bonnie G. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History. Oxford [England: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Wood, Julia T. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage, 2013. Print. Bottom of Form Read More