Masculinism in stead of Feminism?

Question

I'm completely aware that the term "Masculinism" already has a definition, (or various definitions). However, suppose "Masculinism" means "the ensuring of equity amongst men and women" Suppose it was synonymous for "Feminism". How many women would feel comfortable being associated with this term? Please, explain your reasoning.

Thank you.

If "Feminism" can be synonymous for "equal right", why can't "Masculinism" ?

Also, the term "Feminism" has many definitions, (in the minds of various people). Why can't the term "Masculinism" be just as dynamic?

"Equal" and "Femi" are not synonymous either.

Lindy B, without realizing, your comments were sexist. Why assume women have good intentions and men have, primarily, bad intentions?

Answer 1

suppose? wouldn't you make a word that means equal - with a root that mean EQUAL like equalinism?? (why would you start you make a word that its roots meant something else, ie equal starting with mascul?) its not about how a woman feels, its about how the english language derives...

Answer 2

Masculinism doesn't describe the same thing. It is a pendulum swinging from one side to the other. The pendulum was far to the right with men having the advantages. It has swung more to the center but is still on the man's side. If it swings too far left then a movement toward equality could be termed masculinism.

Here is a sports analogy:
A few years back the Minnesota Vikings implemented what they called the 'Randy Ratio'. The idea was to get Randy Moss the ball on a certain percentage of the plays. This was to increase his catches. Now even if this ratio was 50%, it still describes the group/person that needs increased equality. Had this ratio been to reduce his catches they might have termed it the 'running ratio' or similar.

Answer 3

It would operate on the assumption that women have a higher status than men, why ensure equality of men amongst women if this were not so? I don't believe that women enjoy a higher status than men, women have been oppressed throughout history and its getting better, but there are still problems.As such, I would not agree with "masculinism" in this sense. This being said, I believe that women can be sexist just as easily as men. I think sexism is bad no matter where it comes from. I believe in the equality of the sexes, that we are both important and valuable and that one is no better than the other. I just don't believe that women enjoy a higher status than men in society.

Answer 4

I am a woman and not a feminist...I am very anti-feminism.

You don't have to be the same to be equal. Men and women are wired differently...but that doesn't mean that one is to be treated as a second-class citizen!

Instead of trying to be like each other (which is impossible since males and females are NOT interchangeable), perhaps men and women should CELEBRATE their differences! That's one reason why gay marriage doesn't work. Men and women are halves of a whole.

I fail to see, especially in this day and age, where we women are being oppressed. Men get the short end of the stick when it comes to child custody. Women can get away with domestic violence (think VAWA). If anyone's being oppressed, it's men!

Answer 5

I've never heard of the term masculism. To imply that using that term with the definition you proposed would have the same meaning is insulting. There is no history of men as a general population needing to have equal rights extended to them. There have been populations of men who needed more rights, but not the entire population of men. In America, equality was gradually extended to various populations of men first. Women are still working for equality. The term feminsim came about because women had no rights in society. The name refers to the group still struggling for equality. To try to reverse this and use the term masculism would be implying that you do not see women as needing equality. It would be both an insult to women, and an assertion that your rights need to be made equal in some way. While your point isn't lost on me, it is naive and not based on a complete understanding of the history of the word. You can't use the term masculism in the same way because men in general have the bulk of the rights and benefits in society. While I would prefer that we didn't have to single out any group of people for civil rights, the fact is, this is already done. People who never had equal rights in the past developed their own terms as part of the struggle to have these rights extended to them. There is no way I would feel comfortable using the term masculism ever, but especially as long as women don't have equal pay for equal work, as long as we are expected to stay home and raise children but not get paid for it, as long as single mothers are looked down upon as lessor parents, as long as anti-feminists continue to try to roll back our progress, change the meaning of the term feminist, etc etc etc. Masculism would be a great word for a science fiction novel about a society in which women were dominant, had all the power, denied men their rights, and so on.
If you are feeling uncomfortable with the term feminism, you are probably associating it with a particular type of feminist or branch of feminism that you don't agree with. Or, perhaps you are completely anti-feminist. I hope not. Most anti-feminists claim they are in favor of equal rights and the old fashioned meaning of feminism, yet not feminism itself. They falsely associate lesbiansim and abortion rights, etc. with all feminists. The problem is, when you get down to it, they don't care that the definition of feminism implies equal rights for women because they are not really in favor of that.
Hope that answered your question.

Answer 6

I am the most Anti-Feminist women in the world. I don't want to be considered equal, I want to take care of my boyfriend, and serve him and do whatever he wants me to. I never want to be associated with feminists, because they are the ones who killed chivalry. My boyfriend is still extremely chivalrous, for that reason.

Answer 7

I am a hardcore feminist because I am a woman and I like representing for my fellow females.