Alyssa Hollingsworth
Inst. C. Calhoun
English 101
Expository Draft
September 4, 2015
Feminism is Not a Dirty Word
As the topic of feminism has become an arising concern in society, lots of people have associated it with a negative connotation. For centuries, the mistreatment of women have been a constant battle, and some of our generation fails to understand the concept that women are equal to men. The misconceptions and stereotypes of feminism have led people to ignore and ridicule the importance of the feminist movement. The feminist movement is not just solely limited to proving that women are equal to men, we’re also busy killing the patriarchy, slaying misogynists, fighting the battle for women of color, actively promoting LGBTQ
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Before you can choose where you stand in political topics, you have to research the topic, see what you agree with and what you don’t agree with. The same goes for the topic of feminism. According to a Huffington Post poll that started in 2013, only 20% of Americans consider themselves feminists, however, when the same people were asked if they believed women should be equal in terms of social, political and economic standards, 82% of people said they did. Feminism is so widely recognized as a negative thing, which is why only a select few identify themselves as a feminist, and this needs to change. Feminism, has been, is, and will continue to be a fight for women to get social, political and economic justice they so righteously deserve. Feminism is not a complex idea. Feminists can be any person of any gender, sexuality, religion, race or age. If you believe that women deserve the same opportunities as men, you are a feminist. The gender pay gap is real. According to the White House, women who work full time, only make 77% of what men make (Other studies have shown this percentage is closer to 84%). In the lower entry level careers, the pay gap is almost even, but as women go farther up the food chain in their careers, the gap widens between women and men, and they end up working about forty days more than men before earning the same amount of them for the previous year. From a young age, every girl can remember being told, “Sit
Feminists today are viewed as raging, man-hating bitches, but feminism in its true sense simply advocates women’s rights. While there are extremes on either side of the scale, most feminists fight
4.) The term feminism means the support of women rights to have equality of both male and females and the social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. I agree that women should have equal opportunities to men. I think equality is a positive thing for society. We should all be respected and treated equal regardless if you're male of female. Feminism is a positive thing in my opinion.
It 's unfortunate that when some people hear the term feminism, they automatically place that as a negative word and it becomes something they don 't want to be associated with. It is unfortunate that people will try to avoid it however, people will still embrace the feminist politics. As feminist scholar Susan A. Mann (2012) describes, when people refuse to identify as a feminist they create the "I 'm-not-a feminist-but" syndrome. This refers to when people understand the importance of struggles with gender issues, such that include the wage gap or domestic violence, but they will still reject the notion that it may actually mean they are a feminist if they are fighting for that cause. Feminism has a simple definition, it means that women seek gender equality through political, social, and economic gain.
Feminism at its root is “the advocacy of women’s right on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” Despite various claims that declare feminism is trying to bolster women over men, fundamentally, feminism is simply working towards equality. However, the collective population does not necessarily agree with this. In “The Men’s Right Movement Is a Response to the Excesses of Feminism” by Bruce Walker, where he explores how feminism is unjust and out of place. Regardless of what feminism really is, people will object and take offense.
Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings. It’s a quote that has been attributed to dozens of women throughout history, but no matter who whispered those wise words, they still hold a significant impact in the modern social body. Much like with the civil rights movement for African Americans, women have won their suffrage and have been granted equal rights; however, also much like the African American people, oppression is still very real for women in the modern social body. The growing disparity between the wages of males and females is frightening, the presence of a rape culture is devastating, and the failures to recognize the right of a woman to choose are cataclysmic. So, if the feminist
What does it mean to be a Feminist? Does it automatically mean you hate men or does it mean you're an activist for women's rights? Contrary to popular belief, feminism is not about establishing a superior gender. It is about fighting for equality and destroying the social, cultural and historical norms set upon women throughout the world. The Twenty-first century has brought change and growth to female empowerment. Although, in many parts of the world women are given the same rights as men, they are still treated and viewed inferior to men. G.I. Jane perfectly illustrates the struggle women have gone through, even when given “identical” opportunities as men.
There is a heavy stigma surrounding the word “feminism”, saying it out loud evokes emotional responses from many people. During my conversations, I received many casual responses to feminism, or rather the traditional, “I believe in equality” response. I also received some negative responses from people that did not approve with modern day feminism, or believed that we had already achieved equality. And finally, I received some very strong — yet positive — responses to feminism, however, these people explained that feminism itself is on a downward spiral.
The term "Feminism" is a hotly debated word. To some it represents liberation and long-awaited justice, but to others it only represents radical animosity. "Feminism" in its strictest definition according to Merriam Webster Dictionary means "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities; organized activity in support of women's rights and interests" or "The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men." A lot feminist movements in today's society campaign for women's rights, including the right to earn fair wages or equal pay, to have maternity leave, and also work to protect women from rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. Some feminist groups have radicalized
Have you ever seen a slut walk? I mean women walk around naked saying that they are not asking for attention. Feminism originated in New York, 1848. “The first wave of feminism in the United States began with the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights convention, held at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19 and 20, 1848.” (Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America:) Third Wave Feminism started in the mid-90’s. (“Four Waves of Feminism.”) More women hate third wave feminism than men. Third Wave Feminism claims that North America is a rape culture, that women are always right, and that all men are the same. We have no need for Third Wave Feminism. Although people may claim that we need Third Wave Feminism in the United States there are many reasons to prove that we indeed do not need this cancer in our country. “Feminism is Cancer” - Milo Yiannopoulos.
Feminism is considered to be controversial due to its beliefs and ideas. People tend to question what feminism does and how it affects others. To those who support feminism, believe that the movement gives them a sense of empowerment, purpose, and unity. However, those against the movement, strongly feel that the movement is nothing, but a radical idea and its purpose is to hate men and to create an overwhelming domination of women. For many women around the world, feminism is a way to express and speak out about how women are treated and to support the idea that women deserve to be treated equally to men. For most feminists their goal is to create equality between males and females and to resolve not just the issues that
In order to understand the present day feminist movement, one must understand how feminism originated and the basic definition of feminism. What comes to mind when you hear the word feminism? For many, phrases like “man-hater” and “feminazi” have become equated with feminism. However, feminism is quite simply defined as “political, economic, and social equality of
Feminism is a living word. There can never truly be a one set definition for the word as the term has often shifted meanings to correspond to the time period. Feminists fight for the rights that men have under the United States Constitution and to have the right to not be discriminated against. Any action against any woman, intentional or not, goes against the principles that many women and men stand for.
In our first American history class, we learn about the battles we won, disasters we dodged, and equality we achieved. We learn about religious freedom, how slaves were freed, and how women gained the right to vote in 1920. Focussing on the victories allows us to disregard the inequality that is ever present in our society today. We turn a blind eye to the blatant discrimination, and many accept it and believe America is completely equal. While America has improved tenfold over the many years due to protests and reformation, our country still has a very long way to go. There is still racial prejudice, controversy over sexuality, and
The closest working definition feminism holds states: feminism is a social and political movement that seeks equality of opportunity for all people, regardless of gender; and when there is no equality of outcome, feminists wonder why. However, not everyone is aware of
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.