In class we spent a good deal of time talking about Marilyn Frye's Oppression. While I do believe Frye's work has some validity, I think a lot of it is overshadowed by somewhat incendiary language. This seems to be characteristic of a lot of feminist doctrine, and I am curious to see what the rest of the class thinks about this.
Only in the latter part of my time at Rhodes did I begin to self-identify as a feminist, and, even now, I do so somewhat hesitantly. I know that many of the feminists who came before me did great things that affect my life today. I can vote. I can be more than a secretary. I can decide to have children, or not to have them. I can receive an equal education to my male counterparts. But what repelled me from feminism for so long? Well, the bra-burning. And the man-hating. And the aggression.
I am certain that I am not the only woman who feels this way about the feminist notions of the past. I do recognize that some of this comes from our sex-gender system that devalues and alienates women who behave in such a way as many feminists of the past did. But, if, as Lorde says in "The Master's Tools," the strength of feminism comes from the diverse participation of women, and from the interdependency of women, then why does so much of the feminist canon alienate?
A fraction of the offensive nature of the feminist can be justified because truth is inherently offensive (if it were not, there would be no reason for illusions or untruths). But the incendiary, accusatory language? How can we justify this as necessary? It seems that it only deters others from aligning with the causes of feminism, and, if the goal of feminism is social revolution, is this deterrence not counterproductive?
Caitlyn, great post! I can identify with several of the feelings you described. I too have been nothing but against the idea of women taking the strength of the feminist movement and making it inherently offensive. Instead of moving forward with the feminist movement, often I wonder if women are taking steps back. The aggression in the feminist movement has been uncanny and although there has been progression made, I have to wonder at what expensive that progression has been made.
ReplyDeleteCaitlyn, I’m really glad you wrote about this. I think it’s an important matter that often gets looked over. I particularly like your comment about truth being inherently offensive and consequently the nature of feminism being offensive. It seems like an issue rooted in the beginning of the feminism movement. It is very difficult to accept change especially when it threatens to turn a system upside down and expose. A lot of the fears about the stereotypical components of the movement still are in our minds whether we agree with them or not. The desired balance of strength and passiveness is very difficult and it’s hard to pick language that can be categorized as both. I think your feelings are ones that many people can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more, Caitlyn! I felt like the "door opening" discussion was a perfect example for that: even though I feel like I might be strongly leaning towards feminism, I found it hard to relate to the thought that my powers are completely being shut down just because I male decides to open the door for me. It is hard not to be aggressive when it comes to defending one's rights but I really do believe that it is a huge 'turn off' to be bitter about in justice. It is necessary to stand up to injustice, but in the right civilized way. So instead of yelling and burning bras, getting the highest education and being more reliable than any man in the work place or wherever to prove that we are competent. That does not mean that we shouldn't work on changing the social outlook on women and their rights because that is the reason we are here right now, we should just balance our aggressiveness with the right amount of 'politeness'.
ReplyDeleteBut even those notions are manipulated by our society. Feminism does not mean 'man hating'. That is a negative stereotype people use to shame women and girls against being feminists. Not to mention, bra burning was a hippie movement, not a feminist one.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really important aspect of the current feminism movement: people have a done a good job making 'feminist' a dirty word to other people. The thing is, it's mostly just misunderstandings in society rather than based in what it means to be a feminist. It would really help the cause to help change the view of feminism as a whole.
I think it is important not to dismiss aggression right away. I do understand the turn off that one might feel from perceiving the aggression that seems synonymous with feminist action, but I think what we must do with it is try to analyze and criticize, rather than dismiss out of fear or discomfort. In ways I think the aggression that occurred with earlier feminists movements is completely necessary. I think it is a tactic for demanding attention. I also believe there is a thin line that many of the participators crossed. But I think we must ask ourselves why these movement happened, why these women felt it necessary to act out in such a manner?
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I realize you are in fact being critical. Looking back at your entry I can tell you are asking yourself these questions. My only suggestion would be to be proud of your claim to feminism, for your pride will help to deconstruct the misconceptions about feminism of the past.
I feel like these are the reasons feminists are caught between a rock and a hard place. There is no doubt that sexism still exists, but at this stage, how do you conquer it? It seems like if feminists are too passive, then their message isn't heard, but if they are too aggressive, they are off-putting and dismissed as "angry feminists". I find myself having a hard time coming to a strong definitive stance. There are some feminist issues that I simply am not passionate about. For example, I'm not offended when someone opens the door for me, but I also never expect it. Other feminist issues, however, I have strong feelings about. For one, I would be deeply offended if my boyfriend asked my father for permission to marry me. Are people like me who are undecided harmful to the feminist movement?
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