Feminism In The United States

The Women's Rights Movement was a significant crusade for women that began in the late nineteenth century and flourished throughout Europe and the United States for the rest of the twentieth century. Advocates for women's rights initiated this movement as they yearned for equality and equal participation and representation in society. Throughout all of history, the jobs of women ranged from housewives to factory workers, yet oppression by society, particularly men, accompanied them in their everyday lives. Not until the end of the nineteenth century did women begin to voice their frustrations about the inequalities among men and women, and these new proclamations would be the basis for a society with opportunities starting to open for

The discussion that has debates like no other is that of feminism, either you are for it or against it, but could there be more to the black and white that has been created? We live in a country that is said to have equal opportunities for all, often using this as an insignia to push our standards upon others. In order to understand and approach the topic of feminism, I have to understand what is feminism exactly and how is it perceived; just because we think we know what something is, does not mean that is how it is perceived socially.

When thinking about feminism in today’s society we tend to direct our minds and thoughts to a more radical and powerful train of thought. Feminism has been going on for centuries, with two main ideologies at the forefront; liberal and cultural feminism. Someone who identifies as a liberal feminist is someone who believes that women and men are a like and equal in most respects and deserve equal roles and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). And cultural feminism is someone who identifies as someone who believes that men and women are fundamentally differently; you have different rights, role and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). The women’s rights movement can be understood and broken down into three “waves”.

Throughout the history of this country especially beginning in the 1800s with the women's suffrage movement, women have fought for equality. It is no secret that the role of men versus women have change immensely over the last century however some things have not changed. As a result of the unchanging or slowly evolution of equality feminism has arise.

The first rumblings of feminism began in the latter part of the eighteenth century with what was later to be called the “women’s movement.” By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the political focus of the women’s movement would center on suffrage—the political right or act of voting, and those who advocated such rights for women suffragists or suffragettes. (Klein 29) During this beginning era of feminism, it is clear that equality means one and only one thing: sameness. That is, being viewed as essentially the same as men; having the same rights, opportunities and privileges as

As the century immediately following the American Revolution, the 19th century experienced a rise in feminism as it harbored the first feminist movement in America. Although some women chose to embrace their “roots” by retaining their domestic sphere of influence, many women began to show discontent with the limited number of rights women held. Soon enough, the fight for women’s rights resulted in women gaining more prominence in society.

The Merriam-Webster definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In the past century, gender roles have been challenged because of feminism. The very idea has completely flipped households, workplaces, and the general community and changed it for the better. A plethora of women’s movements were initiated in the 1960’s, and it gave people a look at how powerful women are when we stand united. Feminism has gained many followers in the past thirty to forty years as more people are becoming aware of conflicts pertaining to discrimination. However, there are many that were hesitant both in the 1960’s and in the present day, but for very different reasons. Nevertheless, persistence seems to be a beacon in women’s rights movements, thanks to very strong and level-headed role models.

Women had no rights in the 1800 hundreds. The hierarchy in the United States of America back then was rich white men, poor white men, white women, black men and black women. During those time women were uneducated and as a result had to take care of the house chores such as cleaning, cooking, going grocery shopping and lots more. Today women has the opportunity to become whomever they aspire to be, they are liberated and educated. As a result they are able to fill positions such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and so much more.

For years, women have fought to gain the same rights and treatment as men. Those women that have been fighting to gain equality have been held back and their opportunities have been stripped away from them due to the simple fact of being women. “Feminism is the belief in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes” (Scholz 2013). The feminist movement has been the key factors in helping women gain equal rights for those who have been underprivileged of their rights and equivalence that society refuse to give to them. A woman has every right to be treated equally to men and feminism is accomplishing this slowly. Feminism is not only beneficial to women, it helps both men, women, and children because it is allowing the communities

The ideology that I believe will most likely improve in the United States is feminism. I say this because we have seen improvement pertaining to this ideology within the last decade. Women are gaining respect and becoming authority figures in today’s society. They are climbing the corporate ladder and achieving a pay increase. The principles of the feminism that I considered when deciding that feminism will most likely improve are (1.) Women, no matter who they are, should have equality with men and should have as much independence as men have, (2.) The concept of patriarchy, in which men hold superior positions over women needs to stop, and (3.) Men and women should receive equal wages holding the same position in the workforce. All these concepts have improved, but there is still need for advancements within these categories to meet the needs and want that pertain to the feminist ideology.

Feminism is a thriving force in today 's society; molding American culture since the 19th and early twentieth century 's by navigating politics with powerful voices from incredibly influential women such as Susan B Anthony, Mary Wollstonecraft and Betty Friedan. Feminism has created a rich history for itself and has been plagued with controversy since its conception but how much of that controversy is unwarranted; how many fallacies lie beneath the true rise of the organization and could it be that feminism is more harmful to gender relations then we actually realize? I believe the most important question we need to ask is; do we truly need feminism today; or for that matter has it ever been needed? If not, then why do we agree to let the opinions of one group dictate the way we live? I pose these questions because as a former feminist I find it hard to stand by and stomach the damage done to our society grounded solely on emotions; although I take solace in knowing these problems may be alleviated if we take immediate action. Before I continue my 'mansplanation ' of feminism and come off as an abhorrent sexist and biased misogynist I’d like to clarify that my views do not stem from a personal vendetta but from lots of research and years of deliberation.

Women and men around the world join together for equal rights and fair treatment. Van Deven explains the importance and roles that males give feminism:

It is safe to say we have come a long way in terms of gender equality. From the year 1920 which marked the dawn of a new era when we saw the ratification of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, to the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which stopped employers from firing women due to pregnancy. Women definitely weren’t treated anywhere near the level men were, with elite education not being possible from even some of the smartest women until Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania began to accept women around 1870, nonetheless some Ivy League universities still weren 't accepting women until two decades after WWII. From reading the title and first few sentences, this may appear to be one of those “women are treated unequally to men” essays but it is actually rather the opposite. I am standing up for men as I believe gender inequality does not exist anymore and feminism has gone too far. This coming from a woman may be shocking to some, but I would rather stand up for men that be considered a feminist. Feminism is no longer the desire for equality but more so an unjustified attack on men. If woman and men came together imagine the difference we could make as one, instead of two groups contending with each other in an unattainable aim to be the same.

Throughout the last century, women have had to fight to have the same opportunities as men. Women have had to earn the right to vote, the right to have a career, and the right to autonomy. However, these are all rights that men have simply been given, which is why today’s feminists work to promote equality. Despite these efforts, feminism is often misunderstood and is interpreted with a negative connotation. According to a study conducted by Precopio and Ramsey (2017), “feminism is commonly recognized as a movement driven to grant social, political, and economic equality to both women and men.” The participation of others besides women is crucial to the spread of equality among the genders. Furthermore, the stigma and negative feelings surrounding feminism must be reduced in order for the ideals of feminism to have a greater impact.

In 1776, the then First Lady of the United States was the first to raise her about women’s rights, telling her husband to “remember the ladies” in his drafting of new laws, yet it took more than 100 years for men like John Adams to actually do so. With the help of half a dozen determined, and in this case white upper-middle-class, women the first-wave feminism, which spans from the 19th century to the early 20th century, finally led to their goal after 72 years of protesting. The Nineteenth Amendment, which secured the rights for women to vote finally passed in 1920. This grand victory brought other reforms along, including reforms in the educational system,