Feminisms and their many variations, have a bit of duplicity about them. Critiques of white feminists, straight feminists, and many other identities, create never ending us vs them conversations, leading many to view feminism as a dirty word that just pits people against each other; instead of working towards change. Yet, many of the activities performed by feminist groups, whether self-proclaimed as such or not, are going to be key in moving forward into the future. Feminisms that focus on the intersectionality of more than one identity, not just gender, will be at the forefront of new conversations and societal change. Their practices of consciousness raising, education, sharing of experience and encompassing community well-being are fundamental in understanding how individual experiences are inextricably linked together. My op-ed essay Growing Up Rural: Insights into the Rural Trump Vote, is a combination of personal experience and a call to action for others like to me be a catalyst for change.
When we consider Womanism, Chicana Feminism, The Third World Women’s Alliance, NOW or other groups that focus on women’s issues, one thing that is common throughout is how personal experience and local issues shape these movements. Likewise, these groups of women emphasize the intersections of their identities as important to their feminism and issues that they were concerned with. I was inspired by two vastly different readings in this class to write the essay. First, was Taigi
The main arguments of Mohanty, Liederman, and Sen have similarities and differences. First, Mohanty’s main argument emphasizes the issue of white Western women belittling those of other cultures and ethnicities within the feminist movement. By asserting a universal notion of womanhood, these white Western women show ethnocentric universality through their ignorance of how the meaning of femininity, oppression, and liberation in the women’s movement vary in ethnic and cultural contexts (Mohanty, 1984, p. 335). By using a mindset that ignores ethnic differences, they therefore falsely construct and analyze “third world women,” believing that these women desperately need help to advance in society. Mohanty argues that in order for a feminist movement to advance, women must discontinue a paternalistic method of marginalizing women of different ethnicities to recognize the varied meanings of femininity, oppression, and liberation and enhance their solidarity and effectiveness as a whole group. This ethnocentrism is also present in Liederman’s
Today, the feminist movement has grown and is still growing as women around the globe have joined hands in the fight against inequality. Even though a lot has changed, all feminists, despite
Gender and gender issues must be viewed through an intersectionalized approach. I became aware of such issues through social media websites over the years. I encountered terms such a white feminism, feminism, LatinX, and intersectionality, but initially was not sure of their meanings until later. White feminism refers to the 1970’s Women’s Movement in the United States that essentialized men and women as 2 opposite monolithic groups while ignoring the variation within groups due to other variables such as race and class (Garcia, YEAR). Since white women were more educated than females of color, the concerns of the Women’s Movement
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”.
In a patriarchal society such as colonial Latin America, women were considered second class citizens. No matter their class or ethnicity, all women experienced the social and cultural limitations that are subjected to them by this patriarchal society. Women had limited access to education, women are used to satisfy men’s personal desires and legal systems neglected women’s court rights while heavily advocating men’s. However, not all women are subjected to the same limitations because of the difference in one’s economic status and ethnic identity. Nonetheless, women still found a way to carve out a space for themselves in attempt to overcome these regulations set by a patriarchal society.
I realized that feminism was rooted in equality but branches into so many other issues like combating rape culture or the inclusiveness of LGBTQA+ and POC in the movement. And a campaign that supported the eradication of toxic societal norms was something I could wholeheartedly get behind. Before this discovery, however, I lived in blissful ignorance because I shared the same sentiment as most teens my age; you’re a kid, you can’t make a difference. I did not stand for anything of importance besides the occasional bandwagon belief because what did my opinions matter? Did I even have my own? Or were my words simply regurgitations of the ideologies my parents fed me? At sixteen years old, I was unsure. Give it a year, some heated conflict with my parents as well as a relearning of values and I would be. At seventeen years old, I fully understood what I chose to back those beginning days in APUSH but, more importantly, the significance of having something to stand for. I realized that a person’s beliefs characterize who they are and before I became a feminist; I didn’t have much of an identity -- I knew who I wanted to be but not who I was. So, in a way, discovering feminism and the girls at my table who first educated me helped me unearth who I am today. And I’m proud of who I am, proud that I am no longer the girl that shames, the girl who is unwarrantedly spiteful, the girl that puts others down. Not
In “It’s All In the Family,” Patricia Hill Collins compares the importance of family to the concept of intersectionality, which was built upon the black feminist movement. Collins references the Combahee River Collective’s “Black Feminist Statement” in the second footnote as a place where the reader can learn more about “Black Women’s Studies” and their thoughts on intersectionality. The Combahee River Collective is a group of black feminists and lesbians that have been meeting since 1974. They specifically write to the two political movements in which they should be included: the white feminist and black male communities. Through an analysis of the birth of contemporary black feminism and the unique issues that black women face, the Combahee River Collective hopes to educate others about intersectionality and what it means to be fully inclusive in political movements.
Women of today and in the past face many different challenges. As we learned from my last essay all women don’t experience things the same. As we should now know this view of feminism is intersectionality. Which this concept was developed by Kimberle Crenshaw. Intersectionality covers different views of women’s lives, such as sexuality, gender race, education, religion and etc...
For many years, women have been striving to gain equality with men. Women have been held back from many opportunities just because of their gender. This inequality based on gender is seen all over the world. The Chicana movement of 1960s stated the goal of empowerment of Mexican-American women. Latina feminist believed that they were just as important as men but they faced many cultural obstacles. The most obvious problem for the feminist Latinas were the reaction of the Latino. The men was not pleased with this movement because they felt threatened by these focused and confident women. The men considered the feminist movement as an assault on their Mexican cultural. Latinas who promoted the women’s rights faced the resistance of male authority
Shah’s book is organized into four sections. First, “Strategies and Visions” explores how Asian-American feminist movements have been historically effective and envisions how they should develop in the future. “An Agenda for Change” further elaborates on these visions, citing specific issues Asian-American feminists have addressed in the past and must continue to address in the future. “Global Perspectives” expands this movement on an international scale, immediately followed by the exploration of the small-scale individual impacts of activism in “Awakening to Power.” The anthology is pan-Asian in nature, avoiding the trap of only focusing on East Asian voices. It features a litany of diverse and engaging genres from discussions to personal narratives to research essays, all playing an important role in the development of Shah’s argument.
The theory of intersectionality as a research tool has practical implications in political practice and public policy. This allows for greater efforts to be made to address the structural disparity between women’s rights based on factors such as race, class, sexuality, ability and so on. The importance of implementing intersectionality, as a feminist theory, within these spheres is that significant changes can occur and this can allow for more adequate policies in regards to women’s needs. There has been further discussion surrounding how developing ideas of intersectionality towards these structures and institutions will allow for further debunking of politicized identities, which I will further discuss in this essay as posing a limitation
Though the media has maligned feminism as a drive for selfish fulfillment by female professionals, those who stand to gain the most are actually those who have the least. The demand for full equality for all women is profoundly radicalizing when it addresses the additional layers of discrimination women experience because of class, race, sexuality, disability, and
All around the world women are crying out, claiming "that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate form human rights," (Hillary Clinton -- Tumulty, 1997). The abuses females endure are found everywhere in places like Senegal, Bangladesh, and Berjing, China. Abortion, denial of political rights, and suppression of speech (Tumulty) are forces upon women daily. But feminism has taken a strong hold of the women around the world, giving them hope for equal rights in the future. "Our community could see we were a society of strong willed women," prides Faustima Nunez, a resident of Chica, "and we are no
Feminism, in theory, binds women from all over the world. They come together to protect their rights as equal human beings. For such a long time, men have dominated over women, looking down upon them and perceiving them as lesser beings. Feminism has allowed women from all cultures and races, to come together to fight for their rights. However, nothing is ever as simple as one may hope. Feminism constitutes women from all over the world, making it difficult from time to time to understand and empathize with each other due to different cultures, races and religions. Teresa de Lauretis (2014) says that “the identity as a woman of color is one not given but acquired, attained, and developed out of the specific historical experience”.
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.