My capstone project’s overarching umbrella topic has always remained the same (feminism), but the more specific details of the project have been everchanging. Originally, I wanted to study how the feminist movement has differed in different countries. Then, I wanted to study how the identities and ideologies of activists change the movements that they are involved in (using the feminist movement as an example). After that, I decided I would do a literary ontology of feminism using three different texts of my choosing. Finally, I realized that none of these ideas were quite as compelling as simply looking closely at why so many people refuse to identify as feminists in the first place. It is not lost on me that feminists are sometimes looked down upon or met with anger and confusion, in fact, I’ve experienced it, but I wanted to understand why. I am and have always been very outspoken about equality for all (if I hadn’t already convinced you that I’m a feminist, you should know that I’m going to be a Women and Gender Studies major), which is the central message of the feminist movement. Despite this fact, feminists are still called derogatory names and not taken seriously. While some of this could definitely be a result of our society’s internalized misogyny, I found from my research and personal experience that there are two distinct other reasons it occurs. After doing this research and thinking, it was evident to me that these two reasons are simply misconceptions about the feminist movement that can be rectified. This work has been exciting and writing this paper felt almost cathartic, despite the many different twists and turns along the way.
0 Comments
I was watching television with my sister on the night she told me that she could never call herself a feminist. Having been a staunch feminist for as long as I can remember, my jaw landed on the floor. I could not comprehend why anyone who believes in equality in general would hesitate to identify themselves by the term. The conversation that ensued opened my eyes to a harsh reality: my sister is not alone. There are many, many others who would agree with her, particularly in this day and age. Shocked and somewhat distressed, my mind begged the question: why are feminists disappearing and what has caused them to vanish out of thin air? After an unholy amount of research, thinking, and discussion, it became plainly apparent that there are two main societal misconceptions that serve as reasons for the feminist dissapearing act. Firstly, many believe that because we are living in what has been dubbed the “post-feminism world,” feminism is no longer necessary (Houvouras, 2008). Secondly, a large portion of the population regards today’s feminism as too radical, describing feminists as man-haters and feminazis (Scharff, 2019). Or, describing the feminist movement as Pat Robertson did when he said “the feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.” It is in the best interest of our world and our women that we all wake up and realize that feminism is not a dirty word. Anecdotal evidence has shown that young women specifically do not feel that the feminist movement is relevant to their lives and therefore do not label themselves as feminists. However, on average, white women in the United States make seventy-eight cents to their male coworker’s dollar. This pay gap is even wider when compared to the salaries of women of color. In 2015, the House of Representatives passed a bill in an effort to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides reproductive counseling and services to women. Four American women lose their lives daily due to domestic violence by an intimate partner. The statistics are even worse globally. Ten Brazilian women are killed daily due to domestic violence. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, one thousand women are raped each day. 90% of women who are raped in India know their rapist, but these men are almost never prosecuted. 90% of Afghan women are illiterate (Ackerman, 2019). At the end of 2019, women made up 85% of domestic violence victims and 99% of sex trafficking victims worldwide (USA Today, 2019). These numbers are disturbing, nefarious, and most of all, outrightly unjust. They pertain to all of our lives, and as Audre Lorde declared, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” This is why feminism is irrefutably essential. Just as feminism is necessary now, it was necessary when it was created. The first wave of feminism began in the mid 1800s at the Seneca Falls Convention and ended in the early 1900s. It was imperative at the time, as women had very few civil and political rights. The anti-malestream theory was the beginning of feminist challenges to male political and social dominance. The anti-malestream theory was characterized by several things: women should be doing research and should be the subjects of research, women should be political activists, and women should be free not only from the patriarchy, but also from racism and class limitations. The first wave emphasized that like class and ethnicity, gender also needed to be recognized as requiring equality. The second wave emerged in the 1960s and Women's Studies appeared in academia. This allowed the feminist movement and feminist issues to be discussed within universities and opened up more spaces for women in education. Additionally, women's opinions started to be sought out in social sciences. Since the 1980s, there has been a third wave of feminism deemed postfeminism (Sabbarwal, 2000). However, many would argue that calling this time the postfeminist era is extremely problematic. By using the word “post,” we imply that the feminist movement is no longer necessary and has achieved its goals (Lister, 2012). As was demonstrated by the disconcerting statistics mentioned earlier, the feminist movement is far from finished. Unfortunately, those who identify as feminists seem to be leaving the movement right when we need them most. The Oxford English Dictionary defines feminism as "advocacy of equality of the sexes and the establishment of the political, social, and economic rights of the female sex" (Feminsm, n.3) Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that the word feminism comes from the French feminisme, which got its name during the political strife in the late nineteenth century in Paris. It has been recorded in public opinion polls that since the early 1970s, support for the ideas presented by the feminist movement is abundant, as men and women alike encourage efforts to equalize the sexes. However, support for the feminist movement itself is lacking and has decreased over time. More support is garnered for the "women's movement" and the "women's liberation movement" than there is for "feminism" and "feminists” (Houvouras, 2008). UN Ambassador and spokeswoman Emma Watson stated that “the more [she] ha[s] spoken about feminism, the more [she] ha[s] realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating.” Feminists are camouflaged as women who put down men, but in reality, the very definition of feminism has nothing to do with misandry. In fact, feminism relies on the participation of men in the dismantling of gender roles. In order for women to be liberated from societal expectations, men must be as well. If we teach little girls that they can be strong and soft, that they can dress up barbies and play with dinosaurs, that colors are not gendered, that they have a place in the workforce and in the household, it is imperative that we teach little boys that crying is not weak, that they can drive toy trucks and take care of baby dolls, that they don’t have to “man-up,” and that sensitivity is a super power. Just like women have been taught to accept the fate of oppression, men have been taught to oppress. This is why when a woman refuses to accept a life of oppression, becomes angry toward the system that was built to cage her in, and tries to change the narrative (this is often the pathway to feminism), people will call her radical, too masculine, and militant. She is breaking the rules, and the world is not used to watching women break rules. The feminist movement, like any other movement, is not without its flaws. For a regrettable amount of time, the women’s movement only benefitted affluent, privileged women. Despite the fact that the third wave of feminism focuses primarily on intersectionality, there is still much work to be done in order to ensure that this movement is representative of everyone (Easton, 2012). It is paramount that we follow the lead of marginalized women and ensure their voices are heard just as prominently as all other women. S. Laurel Weldon, author of Inclusion, Solidarity, and Social Movements: The Global Movement against Gender Violence, explains that we must establish “descriptive representation, the facilitation of separate organization for disadvantaged social groups, and a commitment to building consensus with institutionalized dissent.” Once we can agree as a feminist movement that we are committed to upholding these norms, we will be on the right path towards true inclusivity and intersectionality (Weldon, 2006). In addition to ensuring that all voices are included in and represented by the feminist movement, it is necessary that we educate others on the true definition and objectives of feminism. The main issue with the public’s perception of the feminist movement - the belief that it is irrelevant and too radical - is that it was built upon years of assumptions, stereotypes, and misogyny. The patriarchy was not built in a day, and therefore, an equal, nonhierarchical society will not be built in a day. However, reimagining and redesigning our world for the better is worth it, no matter how long it takes. It is our job to continue to explain the importance of feminism, debunk any myths that may be told, and continue to fight proudly for each other and equality. The feminist movement is and should always remain a movement for all. Annotated Bibliography"feminism, n.3" OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2020. Web. 24 April 2020. It was essential to include the true definition of feminism so that all readers could have a clear understanding of the term. Ackerman, Lauren. "The Global Treatment of Women: Lessons From the Women in the World Summit." The Muse, www.themuse.com/advice/the-global-treatment-of-women-lessons-from-the-women-in-the-world-summit. 2019. Four American women lose their lives daily due to domestic violence by an intimate partner. The statistics are even worse globally. Ten Brazilian women are killed daily due to domestic violence. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, one thousand women are raped each day. 90% of women who are raped in India know their rapist, but these men are almost never prosecuted. 90% of Afghan women are illiterate. These statistics demonstrate the necessity of feminism. Easton, Martha. "FEMINISM." Studies in Iconography, vol. 33, 2012, pp. 99–112. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23924276. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The Oxford English Dictionary defines feminism as "advocacy of the rights of women based on the theory of equality of the sexes." The word feminism comes from the French feminisme, which got its name during the political strife in the late nineteenth century in Paris. Additionally, the feminist movement has occurred in waves. The first wave fought for women's suffrage, while the second lobbied for greater equality in education, at home, and at work. The third wave is where intersectionality comes into play, as there was more focus on race, class, religion, and other differences that previously excluded some from the women's movement. This is important, as I will need to acknowledge and understand that intersectionality was brought into feminism at a relatively late time. Freeman, Jo. "Political Organization in the Feminist Movement." Acta Sociologica, vol. 18, no. 2/3, 1975, pp. 222–244. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4194062. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The women's liberation movement came from two areas of society, which then produced two distinctly different styles of feminism. Only in the last few years have these styles begun to merge. The older branch of the movement was formed into State Commissions on the Status of Women, its most prominent organization being the National Organization for women. The organizations that reside in the State Commissions on the Status of Women are traditional in that they started as top down organizations and they emphasize legislative and institutional changes. However, the younger branch of the movement was conceived during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and had little interest in working with interest groups. This branch could be considered a "network of autonomous groups." This information is necessary for my project as it is imperative that I understand the conception of the women's movement in order to properly assess the feminist identity. Houvouras, Shannon, and J. Scott Carter. "The F Word: College Students' Definitions of a Feminist." Sociological Forum, vol. 23, no. 2, 2008, pp. 234–256. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20110263. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. While most people adopt feminist ideologies, many are reluctant to identify as feminists. Some say that feminist ideals have become more ingrained in everyday life, therefore eradicating the need for feminism. Others would argue that a lack of feminist identification is due to negative perspectives of and hostility towards the feminist movement. It has been seen in public opinion polls that since the early 1970s, support for the ideas presented by the feminist movement is abundant, as men and women alike encourage efforts to equalize the sexes. However, support for the feminist movement itself is lacking and has decreased over time. More support is garnered for the "women's movement" and the "women's liberation movement" than there is for "feminism" and "feminists." This information serves to answer many of my questions regarding why there is a divide between those who identify as feminists and those who simply support equality for women but do not take on the moniker. Lister, Ruth. "POLITICS OF IDENTITY - VIII: Being Feminist." Government and Opposition, vol. 40, no. 3, 2005, pp. 442–463. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44483123. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The implication of calling this the postfeminist era is that by using the word post, we imply that the feminist movement is no longer necessary and has achieved its goals. Therefore, it is problematic to call this time period postfeminist. Patricia Hewitt distinguishes between big F feminism and small f feminism. The former, she says, was mostly involved in the second wave of feminism when many changes were occurring. The latter is more applicable to our day and age now. This is important because it criticizes the use of the term postfeminist. Sabbarwal, Sherry. "The Changing Face of Feminism: Dilemmas of the Feminist Academic." Sociological Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 2, 2000, pp. 267–277. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23620118. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The first wave of feminism begins in the mid 1800s and ends in the early 1900s. The anti-male-stream theory was the beginning of feminist challenges to male political and social dominance. The anti-male-stream theory had several characteristics: women should be doing research and should be the subjects of research, women should be political activists, and women should be free not only from the patriarchy, but also from racism and class limitations. The first wave emphasized that like class and ethnicity, gender also needed to be recognized as requiring equality. The second wave emerged in the 1960s and Women's Studies appeared in academia. This allowed the feminist movement and feminist issues to be discussed within universities and opened up more spaces for women in education. Additionally, women's opinions started to be sought out in social sciences. Since the 1980s, there has been talk of a third wave of feminism deemed postfeminism. This information is important to my project because I need background knowledge of the waves of feminism in order to examine how specific feminist scholars were acting to support the respective waves they lived in. Scharff, Christina, Dr. "Why so many young women don't call themselves feminists." BBC News, 6 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47006912. Accessed 14 May 2020. A large portion of the population regards today's feminism as too radical, describing feminists as man-haters and feminazis. This information supports my claim that people refuse to identify as feminists because they think feminism is extremely radical. USA Today. 19 July 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2019/07/29/12-trafficking-statistics-enormity-global-sex-trade/1755192001/. Accessed 14 May 2020. At the end of 2019, women made up 85% of domestic violence victims and 99% of sex trafficking victims worldwide. These statistics are necessary to show why feminism is still very needed today. Weldon, S. Laurel. “Inclusion, Solidarity, and Social Movements: The Global Movement against Gender Violence.” Perspectives on Politics, vol. 4, no. 1, 2006, pp. 55–74. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3688626. Accessed 14 May 2020. S. Laurel Weldon, author of Inclusion, Solidarity, and Social Movements: The Global Movement against Gender Violence, explains that we must establish “descriptive representation, the facilitation of separate organization for disadvantaged social groups, and a commitment to building consensus with institutionalized dissent.” Once we can agree as a feminist movement that we are committed to upholding these norms, we will be on the right path towards true inclusivity and intersectionality. This is important information, as it informs us on how we can improve our organizing to be more intersectional. So far, I’ve dipped my toes a little bit into the water of Frankenstein. I know that reading this text will narrow my scope of focus for my capstone project, which definitely needs to happen. In class today, we read a passage of Paradise Lost about Eve’s sense of self. I was truly fascinated by it and am trying to figure out how to connect it to my capstone so I can use it. It is a great example of and metaphor for women creating their identities around and with other people, specifically men. I’m considering making some kind of physical representation/simulation of that scene from Paradise Lost for my artifact. I am also considering focusing more heavily on the formulation of the female identity through different texts over time instead of thinking about how the developed female identity affected the feminist movement throughout time. This concept is more engaging to me and feels much less like a project because I enjoy thinking about it so much. That being said, I would be looking at the female identity through a Greenblatt lense, meaning I would be considering the outside forces impacting the female identity, the changing aliens and authorities women have encountered in the process of formulating their identities, and relating all of that back to the idea that in the past, women have been deprived of our agency and our autonomy, unlike the average person who doesn’t have autonomy but does have agency. The taking of women’s agency could have been a way for men or others who fight the fact that they do not have true autonomy to gain control over something tangible. This theory is one that I will test while I leaf through Frankenstein. As I continue this individual quest, I need to think about who I want to consult about it from the outside world (external/internal expert), but I do feel better about my project in general than I did at the beginning of the week.
INTRODUCTION
My chosen topic of study is the evolution of the feminist identity, as identifying as a feminist has meant different things over time. I want to look closely at the three traditionally recognized waves of feminism and the emerging fourth wave and try to understand how these waves came about and how women’s identities were changing at their respective times. To do this, I will choose texts rendered by feminists during the time period of each wave of feminism. The text I will look at to examine the first wave of feminism and the ideas of feminist women during that time will be Frankenstein, as it written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, one of the earliest scholarly voices involved in the feminist movement. The second text (which represents the second wave of feminism) will be Kathleen Ni Houlihan, a play which Maud Gonnne, an Irish suffragette, is featured in. I know little about the feminist movement in Ireland and how it differs or is similar to that of the United States, so this will give me some insight into that. I will be determining which text I want to examine to represent the third wave of feminism while I am on excursion in England and Ireland. This subject is important and relevant today, as more people now than ever decide not to identify as feminists due to what I think is largely related to misconceptions about the feminist movement. I would argue that feminism is still very much necessary, and in order to maintain equality and keep feminism alive, it is imperative that we understand where these misconceptions originate from and how we can eradicate them. We also need to better grasp the paradox that is people not identifying as feminists but believing in feminist ideals. SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS Gabriella Jones: Gabriella is very active in the current feminist movement in the United States and I think her perspective would be valuable. Sophie Ceniza: Sophie is very knowledgeable in both the feminism realm of my topic and the identity formation realm. These are conversations that I’ve had with her before. Dr. Liz Chase: Dr. Chase spoke to our excursion class briefly about some Irish history to give us insight into the country that we are visiting. She is extremely knowledgeable on all things Ireland and introduced me to the play Kathleen ni Houlihan. I think she would be a great person to discuss Irish feminism with so that I could get an idea of how the Irish feminist movement came about and what influenced it. TIMELINE In order to advance into the stage of actually being in England and Ireland and looking at how identity impacts feminism there, I will first need to have already done research on feminist identity. This understanding will then allow me to more clearly recognize key events in the histories of England and Ireland that may have been defining for the feminist movement and the feminist identities of the women there. This means that I have from around February 6th to February 14th to complete this research. I won’t be frustrated if I’m not completely fluent in the research by February 14th, I just want to go into the deeper part of this work with a proficient understanding of its foundation. Then, from the 14th to the 28th, I will be immersed in England and Ireland, which will allow me to conduct my research and exploration there. When I return home, we go into spring break, which will grant me time to process all of the information that I gathered while I was out of the country. After spring break, I will begin to more formally assemble my research and condense all of my notes into one place. This will shift me into thinking about how everything fits together. THE SCHOLARLY CONVERSATION Simone De Beauvoir Roxanne Gay Mary Wollstonecraft Maud Gonne Audre Lorde All of these women have had a hand in furthering the feminist movement and introducing new and radical ideas that shaped the movement of their time. INITIAL THOUGHTS
Easton, Martha. "FEMINISM." Studies in Iconography, vol. 33, 2012, pp. 99–112. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23924276. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The Oxford English Dictionary defines feminism as "advocacy of the rights of women based on the theory of equality of the sexes." The word feminism comes from the French feminisme, which got its name during the political strife in the late nineteenth century in Paris. Additionally, the feminist movement has occurred in waves. The first wave fought for women's suffrage, while the second lobbied for greater equality in education, at home, and at work. The third wave is where intersectionality comes into play, is there was more focus on race, class, religion, and other differences that previously excluded some from the women's movement. This is important, as I will need to acknowledge and understand that intersectionality was brought into feminism at a relatively late time. Freeman, Jo. "Political Organization in the Feminist Movement." Acta Sociologica, vol. 18, no. 2/3, 1975, pp. 222–244. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4194062. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The women's liberation movement came from two areas of society, which then produced two distinctly different styles of feminism. Only in the last few years have these styles begun to merge. The older branch of the movement was formed into State Commissions on the Status of Women, its most prominent organization being the National Organization for women. The organizations that reside in the State Commissions on the Status of Women are traditional in that they started as top down organizations and they emphasize legislative and institutional changes. However, the younger branch of the movement was conceived during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and had little interest in working with interest groups. This branch could be considered a "network of autonomous groups." This information is necessary for my project as it is imperative that I understand the conception of the women's movement in order to properly assess the feminist identity. Houvouras, Shannon, and J. Scott Carter. "The F Word: College Students' Definitions of a Feminist." Sociological Forum, vol. 23, no. 2, 2008, pp. 234–256. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20110263. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. While most people adopt feminist ideologies, many are reluctant to identify as feminists. Some say that feminist ideals have become more ingrained in everyday life, therefore eradicating the need for feminism. Others would argue that a lack of feminist identification is due to negative perspectives of and hostility towards the feminist movement. It has been seen in public opinion polls that since the early 1970s, support for the ideas presented by the feminist movement is abundant, as men and women alike encourage efforts to equalize the sexes. However, support for the feminist movement itself is lacking and has decreased over time. More support is garnered for the "women's movement" and the "women's liberation movement" than there is for "feminism" and "feminists." This information serves to answer many of my questions regarding why there is a divide between those who identify as feminists and those who simply support equality for women but do not take on the moniker. Lister, Ruth. "POLITICS OF IDENTITY - VIII: Being Feminist." Government and Opposition, vol. 40, no. 3, 2005, pp. 442–463. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44483123. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. In the 1990s in America, some feminists noticed backlash from politicians as well as the media, who blamed problems in society on the changes that had occurred thanks to feminism. It is important to note that British feminism did not experience any kind of similar backlash. The implication of calling this the postfeminist era is that by using the word post, we imply that the feminist movement is no longer necessary and has achieved its goals. Therefore, it is problematic to call this time period postfeminist. Patricia Hewitt distinguishes between big F feminism and small f feminism. The former, she says, was mostly involved in the second wave of feminism when many changes were occurring. The latter is more applicable to our day and age now. This is important to my project because it shows a difference between the American and British women's movements and because it criticizes the use of the term postfeminist. Sabbarwal, Sherry. "The Changing Face of Feminism: Dilemmas of the Feminist Academic." Sociological Bulletin, vol. 49, no. 2, 2000, pp. 267–277. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23620118. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The first wave of feminism begins in the mid 1800s and ends in the early 1900s. The anti-male-stream theory was the beginning of feminist challenges to male political and social dominance. The anti-male-stream theory had several characteristics: women should be doing research and should be the subjects of research, women should be political activists, and women should be free not only from the patriarchy, but also from racism and class limitations. The first wave emphasized that like class and ethnicity, gender also needed to be recognized as requiring equality. The second wave emerged in the 1960s and Women's Studies appeared in academia. This allowed the feminist movement and feminist issues to be discussed within universities and opened up more spaces for women in education. Additionally, women's opinions started to be sought out in social sciences. Since the 1980s, there has been talk of a third wave of feminism deemed postfeminism. This information is important to my project because I need background knowledge of the waves of feminism in order to examine how specific feminist scholars were acting to support the respective waves they lived in. I have read about feminist theory throughout history, feminist ontology, and the feminist perspective, which are all fascinating domains of feminism that I’ve never learned much about. I still need some clarification around the concept of feminist ontology, but overall I felt so engaged by these ideas and the material felt so naturally interesting to me. For fun, I’ve also reread some excerpts of Roxanne Gay’s Bad Feminism, which I adore. Internally, I’d like to speak with Ms. Benedict about what impact the texts that I analyze had on feminists, I’d ask Ms. Broderick for her perspective on the feminist texts I choose to analyze and what has catalyzed each feminist generation to pioneer a new wave of feminism, and I would ask Dr. Holt if she could historically contextualize the feminist texts and feminist figures I choose to study. I’d also like to talk to Sophie Ceniza and Gabriella Jones about their own relationship with feminism. Specifically, I’d ask Sophie when she first realized that feminism was important to her, what that looked like in her life then, and what role feminism plays in her life now. I’d also ask Sophie if there were any firsthand experiences she had when she was younger that shaped the way she thought about the necessity of feminism. I’d like to ask Gabriella what led her to become a part of the women’s movement and what it is like to participate in protests and events that promote equality. These external conversations would mostly be for me to understand how the feminist figures that I’m studying could have been thinking or feeling and how certain experiences can drive people to believe in different things. I need to have a discussion with Dr. Holt about her latest comment on my project narrative draft and narrow my project down to one of the options she listed, as I like them all. After I talk with Dr. Holt, I need to brainstorm and write down specific questions I have that will further my thinking in the mode of feminist research that I choose.
|
|