The Feminism Movement Essay - 1308 Words

For many years the word, â€Å"Feminism† has developed many different meanings and various people interpret this word in different ways. I interviewed five people who are close to me and I wrote down their responses to the questions, â€Å"What do you think Feminism is?† and â€Å"Do you consider yourself to be a feminist?† There were many different responses to these questions. I first interviewed my friend, Jordan. He mentioned that he believes feminism is about, â€Å"Power crazy, mannish women who think they are better then men.† He thinks he is a moderate feminist because he believes women should have rights; however he is not an activist of women’s rights (Jacqueline, 2000). When I asked my mother what she thought feminism was she replied, â€Å"Feminism is†¦show more content†¦I completely disagree with what Jordan and Mike said about women being power crazy and angry with men. I also do not agree with Stephanie’s reason for not being a feminist. She believes she is not a feminist because she likes being a â€Å"stereotypical woman.† I disagree with this because feminism is about overcoming the stereotypical views of women and their roles in society (McLaughlin, 2003). For years many misconceptions and stereotypes of the word â€Å"feminism† have developed. One main stereotype of feminism is that feminists are, â€Å"white women, â€Å"mannish† women, women who do not wear makeup or don’t shave their legs or underarms, and women who are said to be lesbians or man-haters† (Bryson, 2003). Jordan and Mike both mentioned this stereotype in their interviews. Many people do not realize that feminism is not about â€Å"manly† women who are obsessed with hating the male gender. In Women’s Lives feminism is defined as the, â€Å"liberation of women and girls from discriminations based on gender. The goal of feminist theory and practice is women’s self-determination† (Finnegan, 2001). This definition is straightforwardly saying that women should not be discriminated because of their gender and women should be treated equally. That definition did not mention that women are angry with men because they are not equal to them. It is only saying that women should have the right to feel equal in this society. There are no negative comments focused towards men whatsoever in thisShow MoreRelatedFeminism And The Feminist Movement Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe feminist movement came to fruition during the early 20th century. Over all, the push for women s suffrage and rights was strong, but further enhanced by leaders like Alice Paul and Jane Addams. The idea of equal rights for all was further scrutinized and contested after civil rights were granted to former slaves. Women began to push for similar equality as illustrated through the feminist movement. 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At the core this idea is simple but when applied to modern day societies it becomes increasingly complex and even, at times, convoluted. For the most part, this particular wave of feminism is primarily concerned with first world countries and their accom panying issues as patriarchal societies. This aspect alone elicits criticism of the movement and groundsRead MoreFeminism : An Important Movement878 Words   |  4 PagesFeminism is such an important movement that needs to be taken more seriously than it currently is, but the issue isn’t just the people outside of the movement - it s the people inside it as well. In fact, many of feminism’s issues form and spread from the inside, like parasites. I have witnessed plenty of instances where there are men being blatantly ignorant or grossly misogynistic, but I’d have to say I’ve witnessed and heard about more instances of â€Å"feminism gone wrong† than anything else. ThisRead MoreFeminism And The Feminist Movement1451 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Feminism? According to the English Dictionary, Feminism is a doctrine advocating social, political, and economic equality for all sexes. For the last 100 years men and women had fought tirelessly for equali ty of the sexes. The Women’s Liberation Movement, also known as the Feminist Movement made aggressive changes in the history of women oppression in society. This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called a women, so God created man in his own image. â€Å"Genesis 1:26-27