Feminism And The Fight For Women
Feminism is equality. Feminism is women and men on an identical playing field. Feminism, to me, is the right and the fight for women to be equal to men. Feminism is mostly acknowledged as an ideology, but it is incorporating these ideologies into one 's lifestyle that will facilitate a change. One does not just think feminism, one is feminism. I believe that through feminism, through women acknowledging the issues, putting in the effort to ignite change, and uniting as one regardless of race or class, there may actually be a chance for this revolution to occur.
In a world dominated by men there is a strong need for women to come together and to fight to have the same rights that men have. Feminism is a unified front of women. This unity should …show more content…
be considered more of a philosophy than a literal occurrence. Women need to keep in mind that in regards to our biology and our experiences as being defined 'women ' we are no different. This is important. Although we can all be considered 'women ' we are also classified by other descriptors such as our socio-economic status or our race. As women, though, none of this matters. Women must unite...regardless. As an ideology, Audre Lorde said it best in her article, The Master 's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master 's House: "It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths (1984, p. 23)." Lorde later went on to say, "The failure...to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a failure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson. In our world, divide and conquer must become define and empower (1984, p. 23)." "Our world" refers to the world of women. Women experience a lifestyle unlike that of men. In order to survive, coalitions must be formed, issues must be approached and only then can change occur. This unity should occur regardless of any other classification we may fall in to. Patricia Hill Collins discusses in her article, Some Group Matters, the idea of intersectionality; "the ability of social phenomena such as race, class, and gender to mutually construct one another (1998, p.68)." She notes that, "Individuals can assemble associations by coming together as already formed persons (p. 67)." Basically, all of the many classifications we can place ourselves in to help to shape the people we are. These unique experiences, if brought to the table to unite one of those classifications (i.e. women) can help support the cause being worked toward. This idea of feminism is more of an ideology or a way of thinking. Although actions should follow, the initial feminist act needs to be in the form of a mindset.
Inequality between the sexes begins at an early age. Parents, should they choose to raise their children in a way where gender stereotyping barely exists, need to start their teachings at an early age. Children are not born with innate knowledge. Children learn through experience and parents facilitate that learning whether they know it or not. In Barbara Risman 's article, Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex World of Children in Fair Families, she discusses a previous article written by Bem (1993) on this very same topic: "She argues that children try to make sense of the world by forming categories, or schemas, but says that these categories are shaped by existing gender categories in society. Gender is subtly transmitted to children by adults both consciously and unconsciously, so that the dominant way of understanding the social world is usually seen as the best way to understand it (1998, p. 171)." If a child often sees their female babysitter in the kitchen, they may associate 'females ' with 'kitchen. ' The next time they see their mother in the kitchen the schema is solidified. When children learn they need to make things as simple as possible. Therefore, a new schema may be created because of this. Now, the categories of 'mother ' and 'kitchen ' may be associated instead of just 'females ' and 'kitchen. ' The association may have been unintentional but it happened all the same. Feminism is teaching children to distinguish between 'sex ' and 'gender. ' Feminism is teaching children that just because a woman is female biologically, that does not mean that there are conditions placed on her which obstruct her from doing what others may define as "masculine". Feminism in this regard, is choosing a lifestyle, for oneself and for one 's offspring, which will aid in the destruction of gender stereotyping.
It may be hard to conceive but even language holds women back from being equal to men. It is such a universal mechanism that one might assume there were no restrictions, placed on a particular classification of people, within it. In fact, a solution does exist within the framework of language but first let us look at some instances of these restrictions. There are many examples of gender inequality in Laurel Richardson 's article, Gender Stereotyping in the English Language. Richardson first notes, "...In actual practice, our pronoun usage perpetuates different personality attributes and career aspirations for men and women. Nurses, secretaries, and elementary school teachers are almost invariably referred to as she; doctors, engineers, electricians, and presidents as he (1987, p.89-90)." These connotations spread the idea that women cannot hold a physical or mechanical position and instead may only work in jobs where they serve others or perform simple tasks. Richardson also asks the reader to "consider the difference in connotation of the following expressions: 'It 's easy. ' 'He 's easy. ' [and] 'She 's easy. ' (p. 91)." Each expression conjures far different images. The first one makes us think that something is "easy to do". In the second one we might assume that a man is "easygoing". For the third, however, the connotation implies that the female is "an easy lay". (Richardson 1987, p. 91) Sherryl Kleinman also takes note of the use of language to provide negative connotations when referring to women. Her poem Why I 'm Not A Lady (And No Woman Is), discusses the use of the word 'lady. ' "A lady doesn 't sit with one leg dangling over the arm of the chair like she just doesn 't give a damn. Ladies don 't fix cars, build bridges, wire houses. Ladies become First Lady, not President (2003, p. 94)." You 'll notice that the word 'lady ' in this quote was not used as positive, but rather as a demeaning term. 'Lady ' to Kleinman implies that women are polite, demure, weak and nothing more than an object to be viewed. 'Ladies ' are by no means a person of power. The solution to overcoming these language barriers has already begun to take place. It is using 'he/she ' instead of just 'he. ' It is using 'humankind ' instead of 'mankind. ' It is another lifestyle change that will help the feminist movement and will push women one step closer to being viewed as equal to men.
Everyone has heard the term 'equal pay for equal work, ' but where did it come from and why is it used?
It has been a fact for many years that women, on average, working the same job as men, do not receive the same salary that the men do. According to Christine E. Bose and Rachel Bridges Whaley in their article Sex Segregation in the U.S. Labor Force, "...women earn an average of 74 cents for every man 's dollar (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999) (2001, p. 206)." Women 's wages have been lower than men 's wages for quite some time now. In Alice Kessler-Harris ' piece The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman 's Worth she notes that in the late nineteenth century, "Women...were to be paid only according to their most minimal needs" because, according to John Ryan, an advocate for lower wages for women, "it [was] possible for [women]...to keep alive upon less (1990, p. 187)." One of the initial reasons for lower pay was that women 's wages were thought "...to ensure attachment to family. The male wage, in contrast, provided incentives to individual achievement. It promoted geographical mobility and sometimes hinted at the possibility of social mobility as well. The female wage allowed women to survive; the male wage suggested a contribution to national economic well being" (Kessler-Harris 1990, p. 191). Women deserve the same pay as men. There is no reason that a woman should work the same job as a man and receive three-fourths what the man receives in salary. Without equal pay there remains an imbalance of power between the sexes. Evening out that scale will allow both sexes to stand on equal ground. As history has illustrated, the inequality will continue until women stand up and fight for these rights. Feminism is seeing one-sidedness in a male versus female issue, and acknowledging it. Feminism is never ignoring the important topics but making a conscious effort to address them in hopes of
change.
What is feminism? To me, feminism is equality between men and women. Feminism has to be a lifestyle as well as an ideology if there is any hope for change. To be a feminist, women must unite with other, presumably, women despite any other sort of classifications. Feminists must teach their children that females are capable of doing anything a man can do. Feminists must make a commitment to change their way of life by going as far as altering the language they use. Feminists must fight for equal pay for equal work. All of this is feminism to me. Feminism is not just a philosophy it is a lifestyle. One does not just think feminism, one is feminism.
Bibliography
Bose, Christine E and Rachel Bridges Whaley "Sex Segregation in the U.S. Labor Force" from Gender Mosaics: Social Perspectives, edited by Dana Vannoy. Roxbury Publishing Company, 2001.
Collins, Patricia Hill. (1998) "Some Group Matters." Fighting Words: Black Women and the Search for Justice. Regents of the University of Minnesota.
Kessler-Harris, Alice "The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman 's Worth" from A Woman 's Wage: Historical Meanings and Social Consequences. The University Press of Kentucky, 1990.
Kleinman, Sherryl "Why I 'm Not a Lady (and No Woman Is)". 2003.
Lorde, Audre "The Master 's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master 's House" from Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984.
Richardson, Laurel "Gender Stereotyping in the English Language" adapted from The Dynamics of Sex and Gender: A Sociological Perspective, Third Edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1987.
Richardson, Laurel, Verta Taylor and Nancy Whittier, eds,. Feminist Frontiers, Sixth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2004.
Risman, Barbara "Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex Worlds of Children in Fair Families". Yale University, 1998.
In a world dominated by men there is a strong need for women to come together and to fight to have the same rights that men have. Feminism is a unified front of women. This unity should …show more content…
be considered more of a philosophy than a literal occurrence. Women need to keep in mind that in regards to our biology and our experiences as being defined 'women ' we are no different. This is important. Although we can all be considered 'women ' we are also classified by other descriptors such as our socio-economic status or our race. As women, though, none of this matters. Women must unite...regardless. As an ideology, Audre Lorde said it best in her article, The Master 's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master 's House: "It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths (1984, p. 23)." Lorde later went on to say, "The failure...to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a failure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson. In our world, divide and conquer must become define and empower (1984, p. 23)." "Our world" refers to the world of women. Women experience a lifestyle unlike that of men. In order to survive, coalitions must be formed, issues must be approached and only then can change occur. This unity should occur regardless of any other classification we may fall in to. Patricia Hill Collins discusses in her article, Some Group Matters, the idea of intersectionality; "the ability of social phenomena such as race, class, and gender to mutually construct one another (1998, p.68)." She notes that, "Individuals can assemble associations by coming together as already formed persons (p. 67)." Basically, all of the many classifications we can place ourselves in to help to shape the people we are. These unique experiences, if brought to the table to unite one of those classifications (i.e. women) can help support the cause being worked toward. This idea of feminism is more of an ideology or a way of thinking. Although actions should follow, the initial feminist act needs to be in the form of a mindset.
Inequality between the sexes begins at an early age. Parents, should they choose to raise their children in a way where gender stereotyping barely exists, need to start their teachings at an early age. Children are not born with innate knowledge. Children learn through experience and parents facilitate that learning whether they know it or not. In Barbara Risman 's article, Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex World of Children in Fair Families, she discusses a previous article written by Bem (1993) on this very same topic: "She argues that children try to make sense of the world by forming categories, or schemas, but says that these categories are shaped by existing gender categories in society. Gender is subtly transmitted to children by adults both consciously and unconsciously, so that the dominant way of understanding the social world is usually seen as the best way to understand it (1998, p. 171)." If a child often sees their female babysitter in the kitchen, they may associate 'females ' with 'kitchen. ' The next time they see their mother in the kitchen the schema is solidified. When children learn they need to make things as simple as possible. Therefore, a new schema may be created because of this. Now, the categories of 'mother ' and 'kitchen ' may be associated instead of just 'females ' and 'kitchen. ' The association may have been unintentional but it happened all the same. Feminism is teaching children to distinguish between 'sex ' and 'gender. ' Feminism is teaching children that just because a woman is female biologically, that does not mean that there are conditions placed on her which obstruct her from doing what others may define as "masculine". Feminism in this regard, is choosing a lifestyle, for oneself and for one 's offspring, which will aid in the destruction of gender stereotyping.
It may be hard to conceive but even language holds women back from being equal to men. It is such a universal mechanism that one might assume there were no restrictions, placed on a particular classification of people, within it. In fact, a solution does exist within the framework of language but first let us look at some instances of these restrictions. There are many examples of gender inequality in Laurel Richardson 's article, Gender Stereotyping in the English Language. Richardson first notes, "...In actual practice, our pronoun usage perpetuates different personality attributes and career aspirations for men and women. Nurses, secretaries, and elementary school teachers are almost invariably referred to as she; doctors, engineers, electricians, and presidents as he (1987, p.89-90)." These connotations spread the idea that women cannot hold a physical or mechanical position and instead may only work in jobs where they serve others or perform simple tasks. Richardson also asks the reader to "consider the difference in connotation of the following expressions: 'It 's easy. ' 'He 's easy. ' [and] 'She 's easy. ' (p. 91)." Each expression conjures far different images. The first one makes us think that something is "easy to do". In the second one we might assume that a man is "easygoing". For the third, however, the connotation implies that the female is "an easy lay". (Richardson 1987, p. 91) Sherryl Kleinman also takes note of the use of language to provide negative connotations when referring to women. Her poem Why I 'm Not A Lady (And No Woman Is), discusses the use of the word 'lady. ' "A lady doesn 't sit with one leg dangling over the arm of the chair like she just doesn 't give a damn. Ladies don 't fix cars, build bridges, wire houses. Ladies become First Lady, not President (2003, p. 94)." You 'll notice that the word 'lady ' in this quote was not used as positive, but rather as a demeaning term. 'Lady ' to Kleinman implies that women are polite, demure, weak and nothing more than an object to be viewed. 'Ladies ' are by no means a person of power. The solution to overcoming these language barriers has already begun to take place. It is using 'he/she ' instead of just 'he. ' It is using 'humankind ' instead of 'mankind. ' It is another lifestyle change that will help the feminist movement and will push women one step closer to being viewed as equal to men.
Everyone has heard the term 'equal pay for equal work, ' but where did it come from and why is it used?
It has been a fact for many years that women, on average, working the same job as men, do not receive the same salary that the men do. According to Christine E. Bose and Rachel Bridges Whaley in their article Sex Segregation in the U.S. Labor Force, "...women earn an average of 74 cents for every man 's dollar (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1999) (2001, p. 206)." Women 's wages have been lower than men 's wages for quite some time now. In Alice Kessler-Harris ' piece The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman 's Worth she notes that in the late nineteenth century, "Women...were to be paid only according to their most minimal needs" because, according to John Ryan, an advocate for lower wages for women, "it [was] possible for [women]...to keep alive upon less (1990, p. 187)." One of the initial reasons for lower pay was that women 's wages were thought "...to ensure attachment to family. The male wage, in contrast, provided incentives to individual achievement. It promoted geographical mobility and sometimes hinted at the possibility of social mobility as well. The female wage allowed women to survive; the male wage suggested a contribution to national economic well being" (Kessler-Harris 1990, p. 191). Women deserve the same pay as men. There is no reason that a woman should work the same job as a man and receive three-fourths what the man receives in salary. Without equal pay there remains an imbalance of power between the sexes. Evening out that scale will allow both sexes to stand on equal ground. As history has illustrated, the inequality will continue until women stand up and fight for these rights. Feminism is seeing one-sidedness in a male versus female issue, and acknowledging it. Feminism is never ignoring the important topics but making a conscious effort to address them in hopes of
change.
What is feminism? To me, feminism is equality between men and women. Feminism has to be a lifestyle as well as an ideology if there is any hope for change. To be a feminist, women must unite with other, presumably, women despite any other sort of classifications. Feminists must teach their children that females are capable of doing anything a man can do. Feminists must make a commitment to change their way of life by going as far as altering the language they use. Feminists must fight for equal pay for equal work. All of this is feminism to me. Feminism is not just a philosophy it is a lifestyle. One does not just think feminism, one is feminism.
Bibliography
Bose, Christine E and Rachel Bridges Whaley "Sex Segregation in the U.S. Labor Force" from Gender Mosaics: Social Perspectives, edited by Dana Vannoy. Roxbury Publishing Company, 2001.
Collins, Patricia Hill. (1998) "Some Group Matters." Fighting Words: Black Women and the Search for Justice. Regents of the University of Minnesota.
Kessler-Harris, Alice "The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman 's Worth" from A Woman 's Wage: Historical Meanings and Social Consequences. The University Press of Kentucky, 1990.
Kleinman, Sherryl "Why I 'm Not a Lady (and No Woman Is)". 2003.
Lorde, Audre "The Master 's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master 's House" from Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984.
Richardson, Laurel "Gender Stereotyping in the English Language" adapted from The Dynamics of Sex and Gender: A Sociological Perspective, Third Edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1987.
Richardson, Laurel, Verta Taylor and Nancy Whittier, eds,. Feminist Frontiers, Sixth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2004.
Risman, Barbara "Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex Worlds of Children in Fair Families". Yale University, 1998.