When asked to describe myself, I often lead with the word 'feminist.' Feminism is important to me on a personal level (my life improved tremendously after I had my 'feminist awakening'), and I also feel strongly that it's an important social priority. All that said, I know that we feminists can deal with a lot of flack from those who don't share our enthusiasm for gender equality. It can be draining to constantly have people shooting us down and questioning the validity of our desire for equality.
It isn't easy. Sometimes when someone wants to challenge our ideals, it can be hard to respond because we're so offended by their arguments. And often, our beliefs are so much a part of us that we can forget how to break them down and explain them to others. Even if we don't always want to engage in debate, it's still important to know. I want to make it clear right off the bat that I'm coming to this discussion from my own positions of privilege.
I'm cis, white, went to college, and now somewhere in the middle-class. I'm not a perfect feminist, but I try really hard to learn from others and to become a better ally to my sisters whose oppression goes beyond just being women. I'm very aware that I still have to work hard to become a better feminist, but I hope that the approaches I discuss below feel inclusive. Here are some of the most common (and maddening!) arguments against feminism we will confront, and how to shut them down. 'Women Already Have Equal Rights'.
[PDF]Free Issues And Arguments download Book Issues And Arguments.pdf. Jennifer Mather Saul, Feminism: Issues and Arguments. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:58:00 GMT. Get this from a library! Feminism: issues & arguments. [Jennifer Mather Saul] -- 'Filling a gap in the textbook market, Feminism: Issues & Arguments provides an accessible and stimulating introduction to feminist philosophy that assumes no background in the subject.
Yana Paskova/Getty Images News/Getty Images This is one of the arguments I hear the most often. Hp Pavilion Dv500 Drivers Windows 7. A discussion gets going about the status of women, and someone will chime in to declare that rights between men and women are already equal. The first thing I notice when I'm confronted with this argument is that the feminism-opposer almost always operates on the male/female gender binary, and that's already a problem.
Discounting trans, gender nonconforming, and gender fluid folks is no way to have any conversation about gender equality, and we need to keep this in mind when we're having any discussion about feminism. It's certainly not true that women and other non-cis male genders have equal protections under the law. For their gender, and women still do not have clearly stated.
Epson Tx101 Printer Software. When someone throws this one at you, remind them first that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has not yet been passed. This amendment would make it unconstitutional to discriminate on the basis of sex at work.
Men already have this right; women do not. Further point out that there is a difference between our rights and how we are treated in society. Constitutionally, people of all races have the same rights in the United States, but black people still consistently deal with race-based discrimination. Let's suppose women did have equal protection under the law (which we don't, yet) — that doesn't automatically ensure that women are treated as social equals. 'You're Too Angry And Aggressive'. DANI POZO/AFP/Getty Images Yes, I am angry.
I'm angry that I get harassed on the street about half the time I leave my home. I'm angry that my male counterparts are compensated more for the same work I do. I'm angry that politicians are constantly trying to repeal our.
I'm angry that in their lifetime. These topics are painful and difficult, and sometimes you really just don't want to deal with them anymore. It can be exceptionally frustrating. So yes, feminists, like all people, will get angry sometimes. There's nothing wrong with being angry, and so long as our arguments are solid, our feelings don't make us wrong. When people tell me I am too aggressive in my approach to feminism, I tell them that as part of a movement, I don't have time to hold anyone's hands.
Hundreds of women die a year due to. Mothers in the United States don't have a after they give birth.
Ninety-eight percent of, or even in jail. Of course we are angry. Canzoniere Scout Con Accordi Per Chitarra Pdf Printer. And yes, we will be aggressive. People's lives are at stake; urgency is the only appropriate response. 'I'm A Man, So I Can't Be A Feminist'. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images Anyone can be a feminist. It's a common misconception that to be a feminist, one must be a cis woman, but this is far from the case.
Feminism is a worldview and way of life that anyone can adopt. Personally, I define feminism as the belief that all genders ought to be treated as equals in every sense, and a desire to replace the harmful aspects of patriarchy with systems that empower, celebrate, and respect women, trans individuals, gender fluid and gender nonconforming people. Being a man in no way precludes a person from holding these beliefs and ideals to be true. Yes, men have a different path to walk than women when it come to feminism. A man's role in feminism is to 1) recognize and fully accept that they carry gender privilege, 2) listen to women and others who are oppressed by patriarchal systems and values, 3) use their privilege to benefit those who do not share that privilege, and 4) call out misogyny when they see it. You're a man and your guy friend tells a sexist joke?