The Most Controversial Argument Against Feminism

A man says “ I believe that men as a whole should have one definition of what it takes to obtain that manhood’‘. A woman counteracts by saying “that is incorrect and honestly stupid that you think that...” Sexism by definition is discrimination by members of one sex against the other; based on the assumption that one sex is superior, psychologically, or intellectually. This experience inspired me to write about the hypocrisy of extreme feminists and how they discriminate men.

Feminism has become an ugly word. Some say it does not even live up to its definition anymore. However, the definition remains unchanged in the pages of history. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary’s definition of Feminism reads, “The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” If one digs deep into this definition, beyond the surface of society’s view on feminism today, one can see that feminism would benefit both sexes. The true ideals of feminism break down gender roles, thus benefitting men, women and future generations.

Because women come from all races, social classes, and age, they have been an important instrument in shaping western ideology and the world. Feminism is a broad term encompassing the entirety of the historical movement in the nineteenth century and the philosophical thought leading into the twentieth century (Zophy and Kavenik 206). Although the term wasn’t popularized until the 1950’s and 60’s, it represents the ideology into the modern era. With Woman’s History being a major thread of United States history, it is important we understand the progression of women’s rights, freedoms, and feminism throughout the Colonial Era, the Woman’s Suffrage Movement, and the rise of second and third wave

The definition of feminism is very elusive. Maybe because of its ever-changing historical meaning, it’s not for certain whether there is any coherence to the term feminism or if there is a definition that will live up to the movement’s variety of adherents and ideas. In the book “No Turning Back,” author Estelle Freedman gives an accurate four-part definition of the very active movement: “Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently part of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies” (Freedman 7).

Feminism can be defined as “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” It is something that is debated all throughout society today. However, the problem of whether or not women should be equal to men has been around for much longer than any of us.

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.

In “Lean In,” Sheryl Sanders, short essay offers a simple-minded explanation of the feminist movement based on women gaining equal rights with men. Sandberg’s definition of feminism begins and ends with the concept that it’s all about gender equality within the dominant social system. Sandberg’s guidance isn’t just for select women. It’s for older women, for young women, especially for women of color and first-generation women. There have been various changes in America in the last era. Many aspects of life have significantly transformed when we compare our present day society to many years ago, or even a decade ago. One thing that continues is women 's struggle for equality compared to their male counterparts. Women 's equality rights

People have many misconceptions about feminism. A main problem is that the media misrepresents feminism. The media bases the information it releases about feminism on the second-wave feminist movement that took place from the 1960s-1970s. Due to this distortion, there are myths that feminists are only fighting to make women more equal to men and that feminism liberates women at the expense of men. However, the truth is that feminism not only liberates women but also liberates men. Feminism breaks down standards that are put up for both men and women by society and fights for people of every “[color, class ethnicity, nationality, religion, and cultural background]” (McCarty, 467). Early last year, the Fawcett Society designed a t-shirt that read, “This is what a feminist looks like” as a movement to empower women.

By definition, feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. Feminists believe in granting people the freedom to pursue their own ambitions, irrespective of whether they are male or female, and to be rewarded for their effort in a way that is equal to their other co-workers (Wright). One would think that this would be a cause that anyone, man or woman, would be proud to stand behind. Unfortunately, that is not the description society correlates with feminism. In today’s world, “feminist” is a label that many are hesitant to claim, myself included. Before I had researched in depth the history of feminism and its goals I was one of those people who bought into the stereotypes. I

The word feminist is believed to be characterized as an individual who demonstrates huge support and advocates that women should be just as equal as men, both being given the same rights and opportunities. A feminist might make the comment, “As a woman, I should be given the same opportunities to be as successful as a man.” Although there is still ground to make up in America, equality between men and women is becoming something that is generally expected (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy, 2012). American culture in many instances promote gender equality in relation to home and in the workplace for instance, women make on average 80% of what men do, yet other countries place great emphasis on inequality (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, & Roy,

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

Feminism has come a long way through our human history, since its roots can be found in ancient Greece. There are three recognizable waves of Feminism, and we are currently experiencing the third one. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women became more and more conscious about gender inequality within their societies, and started to carry out actions on calling for political powers for themselves, in which the desire of being franchised stood out. Followed by that, the second wave of feminism emerged in 1960’s, when the United States itself was trying to restructure after the World War II, women from different groups convened and spoke out for

Feminism is a huge part of today’s society. There’s a lot of female celebrities that are feminist and are fighting for their rights to be equal as men. There is not much of a voice for women especially when it comes to sexual harassment. Most women stay quiet when they are sexually harassed especially in the workforce. Sexual harassment has been a huge problem in society today and no one is saying or taking enough action against it. Women feel traumatized; however, their fear causes them to suppress their voice. Being a woman makes it hard for women to have free will in the society. Women are brought up to these ideals because of how females are treated. In Marilyn Frye’s book The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory, Frye describes

Intro: When someone says, they are a feminist majority of Americans seem to think of a woman who is angry at society, wanting justice for all the bad things men and the government have done to them. Someone who just plain hates men and is not in to “girly” things. Maybe some can be that way but when women talk about it they specifically like to mention that they are not that aggressive or angry as a feminist, that they just want justice for women and to be treated equally. Many feminists are usually sociable or even “in the closet” with their ideals. Although feminism has become something women tend to be ashamed of, and lately many countries as

“We can share the simple yet powerful message that feminism is a movement to end sexist oppression. Let’s start there. Let the movement begin again” (Hooks 6). Feminism is a concept and way of life that has been consistently misconstrued throughout its entire existence. Some people do not identify as feminist but support some values held by feminists; these people fall under the category of non-feminist. A common stereotype non-feminists hold is that feminists are only lesbian females with hairy armpits and a strong hate for men. Another misconception of people who do not identify with feminism is that the feminist movement is only about women’s rights and power. The general population believing these misconceptions causes an ongoing need for education and conversation. There must be an open mind from the public when it comes to the feminist movement. Modern feminism is defined as the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of equality of the sexes. This definition counters several common misconceptions of feminism by proving that its focus is on equality of the sexes, not just people who identify as females. Men have just as much right to gender equality and deserve a change in their gender norms. Hypermasculinity has forced men to think that they cannot show emotion or reveal a feminine side. In order for the feminist movement to continue moving forward, the misconception that feminism only benefits those who identify as female must be eradicated.