Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints Analysis

The most prevalent and popular stereotype of the post World war II era in America is one filled with women abandoning their wartimes jobs and retreating into the home to fulfill their womanly duties. In Joanne Meyerowitz’s Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, she shows how far women departed from this one dimensional image. While Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique is reflexive and focused on the mainstream, Meyerowitz’s analysis is a broader and more inclusive exploration of media, as she draws upon multiple sources. Although Friedan effectively unveiled the thought process and reasoning behind society's belief that the message of media was to make women think that their place was to be the happy housewife, Meyerowitz expanded her media archives and found a differing message in analyzing both female responses to media and exploring their stories.

In choosing for this research project I have decided to challenge the ethical problem of the shortcomings of feminism. There has been much debate over feminism, the questioning of its purpose, its design, its inclusiveness, it is stance on other matters that connect to it. In a quest in finding the shortcomings, and bringing them to light. Using other essays as sources I plan to make this bibliography a journey into the scope not just feminism, but the history of feminism, intersectional feminism, the wage gap, and what defines a feminist. We will take into account of all aspects of feminism and how authors of some essays included have offered their

In this essay I will explore the different schools of feminism such as Marxist, liberal and radical feminism, who share the view that women are oppressed in a patriarchal society but differ in opinion on who benefits from the inequalities. Each school of feminism has their own understanding of family roles and relationships which I will assess through this essay.

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.

Daddy’s princess. Big brother’s responsibility. Daddy’s little girl. Some people view these as a sweet pet names for young ladies, but these verbal cues inexplicitly condition women to view themselves as the property of men starting at a young age. These learned notions may take hold as women begin to develop. As young girls mature, they find themselves striving to please their fathers and other male figures as one of their main aspirations in life due to this conditioning from society. (Rholetter p. 1) The submissive nature of young girls is a common theme in literature, but looking through the Feminist Lens offers readers a better understanding of the struggle surrounding remaining submissive or demanding power occurs.

Throughout history, women’s rights have had less rights then men. In the short story “Trifles,” written by Susan Glaspell, there is a search for the victim of a murder case and the women are discriminated. In the “Yellow Wallpaper,” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a woman is in a limited lifestyle were her husband, and has to deal with having less of a say in conversation. Constant communication of feminism throughout the world will allow everyone in the world to realize that equal rights between genders are normal. Feminism is a necessary aspect of the human race until society gives equal rights to women so they can feel important when they give their opinion, can have a relationship that is not controlling, and get an occupation that men are controlling.

In Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life, the author describes the power struggle that feminists face when they go against large institutions. The willingness to make change is halted by whether or not the institution wants to actually make change or just appear to. Ahmed describes two forms of “diversity work” which include trying to change an institution and not belonging to the norms in a given institution. They argue that knowledge comes about when trying to change an institution, do you think this knowledge is limited? How can someone know the true nature of an institution when the presence of a diversity worker alters it? Furthermore, if the people who do not display the norms in an institution are asked to change the institution how could they

During present times, society has been created for the majority group. Society has been used in order to use forms of sexual norms and use of gender to shape our lives. Ultimately, ones identity becomes most important and directly correlates with the struggles and limitations they will encompass in life. Therefore, forcing people to choose between which identities will be less problematic. The dominant majority in society uses power and politics to run the lives of the less powerful. Even though all women are oppressed for their gender, some have more of a plight. White women have been known to use their power dynamics to oppress those of racial minorities, even when oppressed they. Women of color have been oppressed on all fronts in life. One can't fight fire with fire, but fight fire with water, fight racism with solidarity. According to Nadine Naber, “There are basics that many Western Feminist do not even address. So, I do get frustrated sometimes by some feminist who try to impose their agendas on others or try to dictate to other women what they should be concerned with (page 164).” In order to understand feminism for women of color, especially Arab and Arab American women, one must understand the class and race struggles. As the bottom of the ladder, the women of color feminist movement have suffered. Nevertheless, the women being silent from the movement. Therefore, we must reflect and understand the need for unity that will overcome the grip that is suffocating us.

Discussing feminism can be confusing for many people if they lack knowledge about the term. Feminism, itself, is the support or promotion of women right’s on the grounds of social, political, and economic equality to men. More specifically, black feminism is thought to be equity; seeking equal rights for men and women, as well as, patriarchy which in today’s society is considered to be unequal power between women and men, whereas women are oppressed and systematically disadvantaged.

This week’s readings focused on the rise of women’s organization and feminism as it developed in Latin America especially Brazil and Argentina. The book has three primary sources, Maria Abella de Ramirez’s “Basic Plan for the Vindication of Women (1906); Ernestina A. Lopez’s “What Feminists Stand For” (1910), and Paulina Luisi’s “Call for the Solidarity of the Sexes” (1936), each of these primary sources several aspects of feminism and women organizers. According to each of these females the main power of women organizing for equality between the home and the domestic sphere. These the primary sources and considering additional analysis provided by this chapter’s secondary sources, we can tell that although rooting women’s power in the home

Ever since the beginning, feminism has been severely needed more than most realized. Although we have came a long way since the days of Mary Wollstonecraft, there is still a lot of work left to be done for us women. Despite the many people who would be bold enough to say feminism is not needed, there is another underlying issue with feminism that some wish to leave unaddressed. Women of color are virtually invisible when it comes to popularized feminist movements and rights [known to some as white feminism] which is tremendously disadvantageous for the feminist movement as a whole, for we are all still women and looked down upon as the weaker sex by

She explains that to the success of women’s struggle to implement women studies as an academic discipline, it caused more harm than good to the concept of feminism. Women, before feminism was implemented as academic discipline would create discussion groups to confront their own sexist thought and behavior, but when feminism became an academic discipline it lost it true meaning and it became about privileged white middle class women who wanted to move to higher positions with a focus on women being “victims” of men. This was very interesting, because being in a women’s study class today it appears to me like we have something similar to the discussion groups that could talk about their internalized sexism and the oppression they have been under or

The world today needs feminism for many reasons. Feminists are not "angry lesbians who hate men". Feminists are too often depicted as believing women are better than men or as believing women are victims or as having the mindset that women should have special privilages. This is not true. In order to be considered a feminist, you have to believe that all genders, whether they be male, female, or transgender, should have equal political, economical, and political rights.

Many times in life men do not think that women can do the same things that they can; whether it’s picking up boxes or being president. There will always be that “macho man” thought of the man being stronger than the woman. In many jobs women might do the exact same thing that men do except men are getting paid more than women even if it is an insignificant amount, it happens in many places and even though many people disapprove of it there are still jobs like that out there. And there are still employers who think that a woman should not be in the work force if so home. Many feminist have been working to solve this problem and there are still people who are working to solve and change many more of these problems, and even though in some places it doesn’t seem like it, feminism and feminists

In chapter twelve of the textbook titled The Moral of the Story we are faced with theories of feminism that we encounter on an everyday basis. The issue on feminism is one that has been fought for by both men and woman for many years and yet still seems to be an ongoing battle to achieve full gender equality. I personally feel that gender equality is important in this world because I for myself have met women in my life who I not only look up to but who have also inspired me to keep moving forward in my journey of life. In this paper I will describe all four feministic theories as well as to why I support feminism as a whole. I will also compare the similarities as well as differences of these theories as well as to which theory I tend to see more of on a day-to-day basis.