Is Feminism For You?

8/18/2019 Is Feminism For You?

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Running head: IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? 1

Is Feminism For You?

Meghan Funk

Loyola Universi y !hi"ago


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? #

Introduction

$s I %ind mysel% %ur her in o my gradua e edu"a ion& I have learned a'ou a varie y o%

heories and have "ome o de ermine heories are no universal( $s a "ri i"al hinker& I "an sele"

s)e"i%i" heory "hara" eris i"s I 'elieve o 'e rue& as *ell as hose I "laim o 'e %alse( +his holds

rue in regards o my vie*s o% %eminis heories( $% er mu"h resear"h and re%le" ion& I have "ome

o de%ine %eminism as he idea o% *orking o*ards ending gender and se,is o))ression 'y

"rea ing e-ui y %or all genders *hile mee ing he needs o% all in erse" ing iden i ies( In regards o

he di%%eren %orms o% %eminism& I 'elieve my de%ini ion mos "losely rela es o li'eral %eminism(

Liberal Feminism

I resona e mos *i h li'eral %eminism.s "hara" eris i" o% ending gender/'ased

dis"rimina ion( $""ording o Eli0a'e h $llan #2113& 4li'eral %eminis s "on end dis"rimina ion

agains *omen is %undamen ally un%air and no in kee)ing *i h a 5us so"ie y.s need o %os er

human righ s and he a'ili y %or individuals o e,er"ise au onomy and sel%/%ul%illmen 6 )( #23( I

'elieve in order %or %eminism o 'e su""ess%ul& so"ie y mus *ork o*ards ending all gender and

se,is o))ression and no sim)ly he o))ression o% *omen( 7y %o"using on 'uilding e-ui y %or

everyone& so"ie y "an *ork o*ards ending )a riar"hal s ru" ures and he "on inuous "y"les o%

o))ression(

$no her li'eral %eminism "hara" eris i" my de%ini ion shares is he idea o% re"ogni0ing he

im)or an"e o% mee ing he needs o% all individuals in regards o heir in erse" ionali ies( Nan"y

+uana and Rosemarie +ong 18893 s)oke o li'eral %eminis )ers)e" ives *hen hey s a ed

4li'erals advan"ed a 'elie% in he na ural e-uali y and %reedom o% human 'eings and advo"a ed

he "rea ion o% a so"ial s ru" ure ha *ould re"ogni0e he uni-ueness o% individuals and )rovide


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU?

hem *i h e-uali y o% o))or uni y6 )( 93( I a))re"ia e ho* hese au hors address ho* everyone

is di%%eren and ha so"ie y needs o address hose di%%eren"es( So"ie y "anno sim)ly %o"us on

ending gender and se,is o))ression *i hou looking a in erse" ing iden i ies and ho* hey

im)a" one.s gender iden i y(

My Definition, My Identities

Gender

+hroughou his ory& *omen have 'een "onsidered in%erior o men( $ris o le s a ed as

"i ed in ;re) s& 18


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? >

"anno o""ur *hile )o*er s ru" ures e,is & *hi"h is *hy my de%ini ion o% %eminism in"ludes

*orking o*ards ending all gender o))ression(

In my e,am)le a'ove& I e,)ress he %ears I have o% *alking home alone a nigh and

)ossi'ly %a"ing gender violen"e due o my iden i y as a *oman& *hi"h so"ie y deems as *eak

and imid "om)ared o men( @hile I re"ogni0e *omen %a"e gender o))ression& I am also a*are

o her genders %a"e o))ression in similar si ua ions( For e,am)le& individuals *ho iden i%y as

ransgender may also %ear *alking home alone a nigh 'u %or di%%eren reasons( Individuals

*ho iden i%y as ransgender may %a"e he %ear o% 'eing a a"ked %or iden i%ying ou side he

gender 'inaries and as a resul & "ould %a"e many di%%eren %orms o% 'ru ali y( $s I %ur her e,)loregender violen"e& I also re"ogni0e he reali y ha men are no he only gender "a)a'le o% gender/

'ased violen"e( Aooks #2223 re%erred o her *ri ings in Feminist theory: From Margin to

Center *hen she *ro e:

'y only "alling a en ion o male violen"e agains *omenB *e %ail o ade-ua ely address

he )ro'lem o% violen"e and make i di%%i"ul o develo) via'le resis an"e s ra egies and

solu ionsB @hile *e need no diminish he severi y o% he )ro'lem o% male violen"e

agains *omen or male violen"e agains na ions or he )lane & *e mus a"kno*ledge ha

men and *omen have oge her made he Uni ed S a es a "ul ure o% violen"e and mus

*ork oge her o rans%orm and "rea e ha "ul ure ))( 9/ 3(

My de%ini ion o% %eminism en"om)asses he idea ha all genders )lay a role in he

)a riar"hal sys ems o% o))ression( +here%ore& i% my goal %or %eminism is o "rea e e-ui y %or all

genders& his *ould mean a" ive )ar i"i)a ion is re-uired 'y all genders *i hin he %eminis

movemen ( $s Olive 7anks 18C 3 *ro e 4)erha)s he mos s riking hing a'ou %eminism is he

e, en o *hi"h i has 'een a movemen o% *omen and no 5us %or *omen6 )( 12 3( I 'elieve


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? 9

his -uo e s)eaks o he s ruggle %eminism has in gaining su))or ( I% *omen are %igh ing o end

o))ression %or o hers& hey mus in"lude o hers in he movemen (

Intersectionality of Gender Expression and Sexuality

+hroughou my li%e& I have al*ays "onsidered my gender e,)ression o 'e %eminine(

Ao*ever& *hen I *as younger& my e,)erien"es augh me ha 5us 'e"ause I 'elieved I *as

e,)ressing mysel% as %eminine& did no ne"essarily mean o hers )er"eived i so( I also learned

ho* gender e,)ression "an 'e ied o one.s se,uali y and ha se,is o))ression "an )lay a role in

'o h iden i ies( In middle s"hool& I )ossessed *ha so"ie y may "onsider mas"uline rai s and

*as o% en re%erred o as a 4 om'oy6( During his )eriod in my li%e& I e,)erien"ed di%%erenrea" ions %rom a varie y o% )eo)le( Some individuals rela ed he *ay I e,)ressed mysel% as

4'oyish6 hrough "hara" eris i"s o% 'eing s rong and ough( $s a resul & I %el my )eers *ho

iden i%ied as 'oys res)e" ed me 'e"ause I had )roven mysel% o 'e "loser o heir level o%

s reng h& s)e"i%i"ally in regards o a hle i"s( I *as o% en one o% he %irs )eo)le )i"ked *hen i

"ame o de ermining eams in gym "lass& and I *as al*ays *el"omed in o he 'oys. so"ial grou)(

Unlike mysel%& my %emale "lassma es *ere )i"ked las in gym "lass and *ere un*el"omed in he

'oys. so"ial "ir"le( $s I en ered 5unior high& hese dynami"s -ui"kly "hanged( irls *en %rom

'eing dismissed 'y my male )eers o 'eing se,ually desired( +his *as no he "ase %or me(

Sin"e I *as s ill no "on%orming o my %emale "oun er)ar s& he 'oys did no see me as desira'le(

Ins ead& I remem'er rumors s)reading regarding my gender e,)ression and se,uali y& %ollo*ed

'y he assum) ions ha I *as a les'ian(

Sin"e I e,)ressed mysel% less %emininely in so"ie y.s eyes& my )eers sa* my a" ions as

more "losely rela ed o ha o% a 'oy and here%ore& assumed my se,uali y aligned *i h

he eronorma ive 'elie%s& *hi"h ul ima ely led hem o 'elieve I had o 'e a ra" ed o %emales(


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU?

+his "on%used me as a "hild 'e"ause I did no unders and ho* he *ay I dressed& a" ed& and he

%a" I "hose o hang around *i h 'oys suddenly made o hers -ues ion my se,uali y( Sin"e I

iden i%y as he erose,ual& I %el an enormous )ressure a ha ime o al er my gender e,)ression o

%i ha o% my %emale %riends( Looking 'a"k on his e,)erien"e& I re"ogni0e some o% he

"hallenges individuals %a"e *hen %eeling he need o give in o o))ression *hen i "omes o

%i ing in o gender norms( I s)e"i%i"ally e,)erien"ed ho* *omen are %or"ed 'y so"ie y o %eel

he need o 'e desired 'y men and as a resul & mus )ossess *ha so"ie y "onsiders o 'e %eminine

-uali ies in order o a ra" he o))osi e se,( $""ording o hooks #2223& *omen.s 4%lesh isG

*or hy o% love and adora ion in i s na ural s a e= no hing hasG o 'e added unless a *omen"hoosesG %ur her adornmen 6 )( #3( $l hough hooks s)eaks s)e"i%i"ally o *omen in his

)assage& I 'elieve i is vi al %or so"ie y o "ease holding gender norms as s andards( $""ording o

my de%ini ion o% %eminism& all iden i ies mus 'e "onsidered *hen ending gender and se,is

o))ression and his in"ludes gender e,)ression and se,uali y(

Race

One o% he )rominen "hara" eris i"s in my de%ini ion o% %eminism is mee ing he needs o%

all iden i ies& in"luding in erse" ionali y as i rela es o gender( Un il reading Aook.s Feminism is

for Everybody: Passionate Politics & I had 'een looking a %eminism and i s rela ionshi) o se,is

and gender o))ression as i rela es o my o*n iden i ies& s)e"i%i"ally my ra"ial and

so"ioe"onomi" iden i ies( For e,am)le& one o% my "on"erns o% se,ism in"ludes my %rus ra ions

o% en ering he *ork)la"e as a *oman and )ossi'ly running in o a glass "eiling "rea ed 'y men(

$s a *hi e *oman& *ho a ended an all/*omen.s )redominan ly *hi e high s"hool& I ook %or

gran ed my a""ess o edu"a ion( I did no "onsider )ossi'le al erna ives %or *omen holding

iden i ies di%%eren %rom my o*n( $ *oman o% "olor a ending an all/*omen.s )redominan ly


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? <

'la"k high s"hool& %or e,am)le& may s ruggle gaining a""ess o edu"a ion 'y 'eing denied

su))or and resour"es o )ursue "ollege 'e"ause so"ie y has "rea ed a )a riar"hal sys em in *hi"h

*omen o% "olor are made o seem in%erior no only o men 'u also o *hi e *omen(

$ grea er )er"en age o% *hi e *omen gradua e *i h 'a"helor.s degrees "om)ared o

*omen o% "olor $llan& #2113( I o%%er u) my o*n e,)erien"e as eviden"e ha ra"ism is s ill

eviden in oday.s %eminis movemen ( +he %a" *hi e *omen "hoose o )ush heir o*n agenda

and allo* )rivilege o 'lind hem o% he o))ression %a"ed 'y *omen o% "olor& illus ra es ha

%eminism as a "olle" ive movemen is "urren ly no *orking o*ards ending all gender and se,is

o))ression( I ho)e 'y re"ogni0ing my o*n )rivilege& I "an *ork o*ards edu"a ing mysel% inerms o% he di%%eren e,)erien"es *omen o% "olor %a"e& as *ell as he o))ression hey *i ness( I

also re"ogni0e I *ill never 'e a'le o s)eak %ully o he e,)erien"es o% *omen o% "olor or *omen

*ho hold o her iden i ies ha di%%er %rom my o*n( @ha I "an do is %ur her align mysel% *i h my

de%ini ion o% %eminism 'y *orking o*ards re"ogni0ing he needs o% di%%eren iden i ies and

*orking o*ards 5us i"e %or hose iden i ies( +uana and +ong 18893 *ro e:

%eminis heory is a i s 'es *hen i re%le" s he lived e,)erien"e o% )ar i"ular *omen=

*hen i 'ridges he ga) 'e *een mind and 'ody& reason and emo ion& hinking and

%eelings= and *hen *omen& mo iva ed 'y %riendshi)& hum'ly iden i%y *ha se)ara es

hem& even as hey dis"over *ha dra*s hem oge her )( >8 3(

In order o end se,is and gender o))ression& %eminism mus en"om)ass he

in erse" ionali y o% di%%eren iden i%ies and a""oun %or all e,)erien"es( Only hen "an %eminism

'egin o 'reak do*n )a riar"hal s ru" ures and *ork o*ards ending se,ism and gender

o))ression(


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? C

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs

In "on inuing *i h he heme o% %eminism aking in o a""oun in erse" ing iden i ies&

religion and s)iri uali y have %or a long ime 'een os ra"i0ed 'y he %eminis movemen (

$""ording o hooks #2223& 4masses o% )eo)le s ill hink %eminism is an i/religion6 )( 12C3( I

"on inue o 'elieve %eminism mus en"om)ass all iden i ies and ha has o in"lude religion( $s

someone *ho iden i%ies as Roman !a holi"& I re"ogni0e he se,is o))ression *i hin my o*n

religion( I am "ons an ly orn 'e *een my religious and %eminis 'elie%s( I s ruggle *i h my

religion 'e"ause I am so )assiona e in i s roo s o% s)reading love and )ea"e& 'u "anno seem o

*ra) my mind around ho* his same religion is o))ressive o% so many o her iden i ies( $ssomeone *ho iden i%ies as a *oman and a %eminis & I o'viously s ruggle *i h he o))ression

*omen %a"e *i hin he "hur"h( I is di%%i"ul o see s ri" ly male leaders o% he ins i u ion& he

*ay *omen are de)i" ed in he religion.s his ory& and he domineering s andards he "hur"h )u s

around he sa"ramen o% marriage( Ao*ever& i% he %eminis movemen e,"ludes !a holi"ism and

o her religious and s)iri ual organi0a ions in *hi"h se,ism e,is s& %eminism.s goal is no longer o

end all se,is o))ression( Ins ead& %eminis s *ould hen 'e "hoosing o 'e sele" ive in *hi"h

%orms o% o))ression are deemed ne"essary in addressing( $s a !a holi" %eminis & I re"ogni0e

ho* %eminism )rovides me *i h a lens in *hi"h I "an vie* and ul ima ely -ues ion my religion(

Aooks #2223 s a ed 4 here "an 'e no %eminis rans%orma ion o% our "ul ure *i hou

rans%orma ion in our religious 'elie%s6 )( 12 3( I 'elieve his rans%orma ion hooks men ions

a'ou religion mus hold rue %or all sys ems o% o))ression( +he %eminis movemen mus

address and in%il ra e large sys ems o% o))ression in order o *i)e ou se,ism and gender

o))ression& o her*ise %eminism *ill only "on inue o s"ra "h he sur%a"e o% he o))ression ha

ruly e,is s in he *orld(


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!y Liberal Feminism

@i h he many di%%eren %orms o% %eminism in e,is en"e i "an 'e di%%i"ul o narro* do*n

one.s o*n de%ini ion o% %eminism( @hen i "omes o my de%ini ion& I 'elieve he e,)lana ion

a'ou my o*n iden i ies and he role hey )lay in my o*n %eminis de%ini ion a" s as reasoning o

*hy I lean o*ards li'eral %eminism and a*ay %rom o her %orms(

Radical Feminism

$s I s a ed in regards o religious and s)iri ual iden i ies& I 'elieve i is vi al %or

in erse" ionali y o e,is in %eminism( $s a resul & I am dis an"ed %rom he ideas o% radi"al

%eminism( $""ording o $llan #2113:Radi"al %eminis s argue ha re%orm/orien ed a))roa"hes like hose evolving %rom li'eral

%eminism *ill never 'e su%%i"ien o elimina e he o))ression o% *omen ha is& in heir

vie* roo ed in )a riar"hal sys ems( 7e"ause edu"a ional ins i u ions as *ell as legal and

ins i u ional sys ems in *hi"h )oli"ies o)era e are su))or ed 'y )a riar"hal sys ems&

radi"al %eminis s argue ha hese vehi"les "anno )ossi'ly undo he o))ression o% *omen

)( ##3(

I% his *ere rue& radi"al %eminis s are saying e,is ing ins i u ions su"h as religion "ould

no e,is ( I argue ha his "anno 'e 'e"ause i% ins i u ions like religion *ere "om)le ely

disman led& radi"al %eminis s *ould 'e des roying he ins i u ions ha make u) individuals.

salien iden i ies( Hus 'e"ause a sys em or )ra" i"e has %la*s does no mean i holds no value in

o her as)e" s( Radi"al %eminis vie*s a))ear o 'e shor / erm solu ions& *i h long/ erm

"onse-uen"es( I %ear ha i% radi"al %eminism is )ursued& individuals *ill need o 'egin de"iding

'e *een iden i ies hey deem as more im)or an o )ursue( +his *ill have a 'igger im)a" on

"rea ing more sys ems o% )rivilege and o))ression *ere individuals leave 'ehind or dis an"e


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!on inuing o re%le" on li'eralis %eminism has allo*ed me o gain a grea er sense o%

e%%i"a"y around *ha I 'elieve o 'e rue in regards o my o*n vie*s o% %eminism( Moving

%or*ard& I re"ogni0e he di%%eren"es *i hin he %eminis movemen and he im)or an"e o%

"on inuing o 'uild "ommuni y around ending se,ism and gender o))ression( @i h ha 'eing

said& here is also value in )u ing e%%or s %or*ard in seeking o unders and di%%eren iden i ies& as

*ell as o)inions( In order %or %eminism o )revail& so"ie y mus ul ima ely "ome oge her in

di%%eren"es o des roy )a riar"hal sys ems in order o end se,ism and gender o))ression(


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IS FEMINISM FOR YOU? 1#

Re%eren"es

$llan& E( H( #2113(Women's status in higher education: Equity matters (Ashe igher Education

!e"ort# $%(& ( San Fran"is"o: Hossey/7ass(

Banks, O. (1986). Becoming a feminist the social origins of "first wave" feminism . Athens,

Georgiaf: University of Georgia Press.

Aooks& 7( #2223( Feminism is for everybody: Passionate "olitics ( !am'ridge& M$: Sou h End

ress(

Koedt, A., Levine, E., & Rapone, A. (1973). Radical feminism . Quadrangle-New York Times

Book Co.

+uana& N(& J +ong& R( Eds(3( 18893( Feminism and "hiloso"hy: Essential readings in theory#

reinter"retation# and a""lication 7oulder& !O: @es vie* ress(

Is Feminism For You?

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