what exactly a feminist?

Question

what is the code they live by and how do they view men in society?

Answer 1

it's someone who defines themself as a feminist. there is no rule to it, they aren't all the same.

Answer 2

Any person who believes that society should be a free community of men and women who work together for justice for all human beings around the world is a feminist. Male or female. And if you are one you are as concerned about the rights of men as you are about those of your own gender.

Answer 3

People will give you many definitions of a feminist. But to me, being a feminist means that you recognize that power is wielded mainly by men, in society and business (women have less power and have to overcome greater obstacles to claim it and they are paid less for the same amount of work); and that society needs to act to correct this.

By this definition, I am a feminist. Please note I didn't specify what we're supposed to do about this, that's a very divisive issue.

Answer 4

I think a feminist is someone that thinks that we should not depend on men to do everything for us. That women are capable of taking care of themselves. Some feminist think that men are pigs, but than again most women that are not feminist already think so.

Answer 5

Q: How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: That's not funny.

Answer 6

Someone who believes in equal rights for women at home, in the workplace, in the nation, in the world.

Answer 7

If you're not a feminist, you should kill yourself. Where do you think you came from?

Answer 8

Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the experiences of women. Most feminists are especially concerned with social, political and economic inequality between men and women; some have argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as "man" and "woman," are socially constructed. Feminists differ over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to which gender and (identities) should be questioned and critiqued. In simple terms, feminism is the belief in social, political and economic equality of the sexes and the movement organised around this belief.

Feminist political activists commonly campaign on issues such as reproductive rights (including the right to safe, legal abortion, access to contraception, quality prenatal care), violence within a domestic partnership, maternity leave, equal pay, sexual harassment, street harassment, discrimination and rape. Many feminists today argue that feminism is a grass-roots movement that seeks to cross boundaries based on social class, race, culture and religion. They also argue that an effective feminist movement should be culturally specific and address issues relevant to the women of the society in question (eg, female genital cutting in Africa or the glass ceiling issue in developed economies), and debate the extent to which certain issues such as rape, incest and mothering are universal. Themes explored in feminism include patriarchy, stereotyping, objectification, sexual objectification and oppression.

Some feminist theories question basic assumptions about gender, gender difference and sexuality, including the category of "woman" itself as a holistic concept, other theories question the male/female dichotomy completely (offering instead a multiplicity of genders). Still other feminist theories take for granted the concept of "woman" and provide specific analyses and critiques of gender inequality, and most feminist social movements promote women's rights, interests and issues. Several subtypes of feminist ideology have developed over the years. Early feminists and primary feminist movements are often called the first-wave feminists, and feminists after about 1960 the second-wave feminists. More recently, some younger feminists have identified themselves as third-wave feminists while the second-wave feminists are still active.

In her book A Fearful Freedom: Women's Flight from Equality, Wendy Kaminer identifies another conflict between forms of feminism: the conflict between what she calls "egalitarian" and "protectionist" feminism. She sees egalitarian feminism as promoting equality between women and men through the granting of equal rights. Protectionist feminists prefer to focus on legal protections for women, such as employment laws and divorce laws that protect women, sometimes advocating restricting men's rights, such as free speech (specifically, the right to produce and consume pornography). Though the book predates third-wave feminism, Kaminer identifies both protectionist and egalitarian currents within first-wave feminism and second-wave feminism.

Some radical feminists, such as Mary Daly, Charlotte Bunch and Marilyn Frye, have advocated separatism—a complete separation of male and female in society and culture—while others question not only the relationship between men and women, but the very meaning of "man" and "woman" as well (see Queer theory). Some argue that gender roles, gender identity and sexuality are themselves social constructs (see also heteronormativity). For these feminists, feminism is a primary means to human liberation (i.e., the liberation of men as well as women.)

Many-- but certainly not all-- feminists are women. There are exclusively male organisations sympathetic to the feminist view who believe the dominant model of manhood or masculinity is oppressive to women and limiting for men.[1]

There is debate about feminism concerning which types should exclusively be labeled or considered. There are also overlapping beliefs such as in oppression by patriarchy and/or capitalism, and the belief they are synonymous.

Most feminists believe discrimination against women still exists worldwide. But there is disagreement within the movement regarding the severity of current problems, what the problems are, and how to confront them.

Extremes on the one hand include some radical feminists such as Gloria Allred and Mary Daly who argue that human society would be better off with dramatically fewer men. There are also dissidents, such as Christina Hoff Sommers or Camille Paglia, who identify themselves as feminist but who accuse the movement of anti-male prejudice.

Many feminists question the use of the term feminist to groups or people who fail to recognize a fundamental equality between the sexes. Some feminists, like Katha Pollitt (see her book Reasonable Creatures) or Nadine Strossen (President of the ACLU and author of Defending Pornography [a treatise on freedom of speech]), consider feminism to be simply that "women are people." Views that separate the sexes rather than unite them are considered by these people to be sexist rather than feminist.

There are also debates between difference feminists such as Carol Gilligan on the one hand, who believe that there are important differences between the sexes (which may or may not be inherent, but which cannot be ignored), and those who believe that there are no essential differences between the sexes, and that the roles observed in society are due to conditioning.

In Marilyn French's seminal works analyzing patriarchy and its effects on the world at large, she defines patriarchy as a system that values power over life, control over pleasure and dominance over happiness. According to French, "it is not enough either to devise a morality that will allow the human race simply to survive. Survival is an evil when it entails existing in a state of wretchedness. Intrinsic to survival and continuation is felicity/pleasure. Pleasure has been much maligned, diminished by philosophers and conquerors as a value for the timid, the small-minded and the self-indulgent. "Virtue" too often involves the renunciation of pleasure in the name of some higher purpose, a purpose that involves power (for men) or sacrifice (for women). Pleasure is described as shallow and frivolous in a world of high-minded, serious purpose. But pleasure does not exclude serious pursuits or intentions, indeed, it is found in them, and it is the only real reason for staying alive." [2]. This philosophy is what Marilyn French offers as a replacement to the current structure where power has the highest value.

Carol Tavris, author of Anger: the Misunderstood Emotion and The Mismeasure of Woman: Why Women Are Not the Better Sex, the Inferior Sex, or the Opposite Sex, maintains that as long as men's experiences are considered to be the default human experiences, women will always face discrimination in North America or elsewhere. She holds that too much emphasis is placed on innate differences between men and woman, and that it has been used to justify the restriction of women's rights.