in what way did 2nd wave radical feminists embrace the politics of difference rather than politics of equality

Question

assessment of radical feminism's challenge to gender relations

Answer 1

The notion of equality is very often misunderstood as a kind of "sameness". The older feminism was explaining this equality by insisting to put women in the same roles as men had. Basically, this is not the problem, women proved through the history that they are equally capable for doing all jobs that traditionally were attributed to men: they become very successful pilots, soldiers, journalists, doctors... However, insofar as this politics of equality brought a remarkable progress in emancipation, it seems that it neglected something that today's radical feminists call "a specifically female experience". Women accepted masculine roles and values, but somehow, the feminine roles and values still remained underestimated and disqualified (child care, non-aggressive conflict resolutions, social care, maternity... ). All those aspects of human life were still perceived as different, less important or as activities of second grade, different from capital turnover, capitalist economy, investing in war industry, free market economy etc. What radical feminist are trying to change is the position of those feminine aspects of human life: to make them equally recognized, equally important and equally valued. The "old fashioned" feminism maybe deprived women from their feminine aspect of life, forcing them to choose between family and career, or made it hard for single mothers, in a word to forget their own difference if they want to join the public life. Today's feminism is trying to represent those differences as equally important parts of our lives and not as some subsidiary activities that don't need their representatives in main political agendas. It means that the politics of difference insists not on equality between sexes in the sense of "sameness", but on equal rights for different sexes or sexual orientations; they insist in investing more money in kindergartens, child-care departments in companies, more sensitivity in public speech and language, more visibility of female aspects in art, literature, science, more concrete laws that will clearly and explicitly define things like sexual harassment, sexual abusing, discrimination... Radical feminism recognizes woman as unique, free individual who has her equal rights as woman. It means that she not only realizes herself in "masculine" roles and accepts masculine values, but also demands to realize herself in the roles she wants and to establish feminine values as different but equally important.

Answer 2

Wow, aurora, you managed to put in words EXACTLY what i have been trying to explain to people for years but never managed to put quite so profoundly or elequently.

Feminism isn't about trying to be like men, it's about trying to be like a woman and being recognised for our acheivments as such.

I don't want to have to adopt masculine traits to climb the social or career ladder. I want to do it on my own merit the way I do it using my feminine traits.

Only then can we say we are equal.

EDIT: Fishman, I think as a feminist I am qualified to say you are talking out of your behind. We know there are physical differences and do not pretend otherwise, but hey, the strongest woman is not weaker than the weakest man. Stop nit picking about physical differences, it's about women being more than capable to do ANY job that ANY man can do. I'm sure a 8 stone man doesn't want to be a hod carrier any more than a 8 stone woman, but if a 6ft 16stone womans physique fits then why the bloomin hell not?. Physical differences affect men too, why wouldn't it affect women in the same way?

And in anyway, it's about woman being seen as equal to men on a social level as well. That's NOT the same as BEING men.

Why the hell do some people have a problem with this.

And in no way does any feminist that I know want to give up her right to be feminine. I like being feminine, the thought of a unisex disgusts me too. You really don't know what you are talking about!

Answer 3

Wow Aurora...you lied through your teeth and contradicted yourself all in one long paragraph. There are plenty of jobs that women are not as good at doing (or can't do) because of physical differences, many that men are better at because of psychological differences, and there are many jobs that women are just less inclined to do because they generally don't like getting themselves dirty. So when you say that women can "do it all", you're not being honest with others, or yourself.

Radical Feminism (a term coined by young feminists in an attempt to separate themselves, ineffictively, from the second wave of feminism) is about embracing both masculine and feminine values. Since values determine goals and, ultimately, actions, it would seem to me that this is becoming more like a man, behavior-wise...perhaps something neutral or unisex. I personally find that concept disgusting. I want women to be women and men to be men. Of course, no woman would want to embrace male values in life unless she was first made to feel as if female values were somehow inadequate. Thank you, feminists, for making women feel as if being a woman was somehow not enough.

Edit: Open your eyes, opalina. Women do not make as good cops, firemen, soldiers, etc as men do IN GENERAL because those jobs call for physical strength. Could a woman do those jobs? Maybe. BUT GENERALLY NOT AS WELL! So, no, they cannot, IN GENERAL, do ANY job as well as a man can. That aside, there are many jobs that women are generally better at than men for psychological reasons, just as there are many jobs that men are better at for psychological reasons. Science has already documented the numerous differences in the way the male and female brain works, so this only make sense. What doesn't make sense is for somebody to deny something so clearly evident...UNLESS THEY HAVE AN AGENDA TO PUSH.

Answer 4

They lowered standards for achievement as did their predecessors.