Why does no one understand what a 'Feminist' is?

Question

A feminist is someone (man or woman) who believes in the equality of the sexes in some form or fashion.

One feminist may believe that men and women are both equally capable of doing EVERYTHING.

Another feminist may believe that men and women are equal but in different ways. The person may thing that men belong outside the home (work), and women belong in the home.... BUT their roles are EQUALLY important. Still a feminist.

Why is it so hard to understand this?

Why do people only associate feminism with bra-burning (they never really burned their bras), manly-looking, lesbian-acting, male bashing b*tches?

Why do WOMEN who believe in equality bash feminists?

Why aren't high-schools teaching kids any different????

Fizzy: CULTURAL FEMINISM is the branch of feminism that believes in equality, but also believes that men and women are different (men go to work; women stay at home) BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

As for the 'high school' thing, I'm not saying that 'Feminism' should be a class or even an entire chapter of a book. However, I think it at least deserves a definition and a paragraph in a U.S. History book!

There are many different types of feminists. The majority of feminists today are 'liberal'. Perhaps one of the smallest groups of feminists are 'radicals'... and that's who many of you see in the media. 'Cultural Feminism' still exists as well. Some stay-at-home moms on Y/A may be considered cultural feminists. They may believe that it's their duty to stay at home with the kids becuase the kids needs them, and that's their role... equally important as their husbands.

The 'bra-burning' myth came from the 1968 protest of the "Miss America" pageant. Women tossed their bras in a trash can (as someone stated earlier), but the media thought it would be much more interesting if they 'burned' their bras. I can't say that no woman burned her bra in her back yard. But I can say that the media covered NO ONE who truely burned their bra.

If anyone wants to oppose this, they should go to the 5 college professors I had who spoke of this and argue with them about it. :)

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mythsofwomenshistory/a/bra_burning.htm

Answer 1

Wow, there are a couple exceptions, but most of these responses are absurb. I have never in my life heard a feminist speak from a podium and advocate "stamping out men." I feel like so many of these responders have suffered a mass hallucination. It's sad.

It's especially dark to see women turn on each other. I don't think most female anti-feminists appreciate how much better their lives are today than they would have been without the feminists who came before them. They have choices--who to marry (don't need a provider, can choose a partner), whether to work or not after a child is born (no more calling anyone a "bad mother" no matter what they decide), whether or not to even have a child (biology is not destiny). And of course, the vote. Were suffragettes man-haters? Women getting the vote changed things in this country more than anything else in male-female relations...are we nostalgic for the time before that happened?

The idea that women don't need advocates in many fields is deeply, deeply misguided. Not every example of inequality is sinister, but some have been the difference between life and death. Do you realize how few years ago it was that most medical tests were only conducted on men, even for drugs that would be taken by women? (From the cited source, an FDA Web site: "It's important to test medical products in the people they are meant to help. In the past, most new drug testing had been done on white men. Groups such as women, African-Americans, and Hispanics often were not adequately represented.")

If you accept feminists' most vicious opponents' definition of what feminism is, you are just abdicating all rights to think for yourself. It is a baffling choice.

Answer 2

I think a lot understand the theory and that's what it is. Quite simply, there are some things men can do better and some things women can do better. And we must never forget it is the female of the species that has babies. Feminism is just one short step from a unisex society. Equality might be the main goal of feminism but the reality is that equality covers a lot more territory than feminism does. But equality is ridiculous too as it discriminates just as much as any other do gooder concept. Reason, you can have a high IQ and apply for the same job as someone with a low IQ. You can have better skills, more experience etc and guess what, you're rated exactly the same. That then becomes communism.

Answer 3

While I agree that feminism comes in many different forms, yet is often associated with militant men-haters, I think you don't have some of your facts straight. For example, yes, some women actually DID burn their bras back in the 60s, as a symbol of defying male oppression. No, not ALL women who believe themselves to be feminists do this, but some of them did back then. Also, although I think that being a stay-at-home mom is an admirable position and the women who do it should feel very proud of themselves, I also have to disagree that "feminists" can believe that a woman's place is in the home...that is, in fact, the exact opposite of feminist thought. As for the high schools, I can't speak for them, but I know that many colleges and universities have excellent feminist studies classes in which they discuss feminism and all of the truths and myths associated with that school of thought. Thank you for your educated, in-depth question.

Answer 4

People are confused because feminism says one thing and does another.
It claims to be for "equality" then en masse pushes for anti-male and/or pro-female discrimination in many areas.

Compare the definition of socialism or Communism with the reality for examples.

High school is NOT the place for political "re-education". That is nothing more than propaganda, Nazi style.

And as an observer, I can assure you that women did indeed burn their bras. It was a political statement (as if there were any other kind of feministic undertaking) and it was silly, which is why feminism is now trying to (again) rewrite history.

The short answer is that people hear what feminism proclaims but they can see what feminism is in action and they are not the same.

Answer 5

Interesting question. There are of course radical feminists who believe only a lesbian can be a true feminist.

I think the misconfusion comes from upsetting long held power differentials in society. This perhaps results from a fear of change and confusion about roles.

Men are afraid of loosing thier long held social power over women. Also many generations have been brought up with roles and social cues that perpetuated the power differential.

With the acceptance of equality in roles or in "everything" we change those long held social cues and mores that would guide us into what is our automatic social response.

I suppose its as if red lights were now blue...there would be a lot of confusion, especially in a transition phase where not all the old red lights were removed.

So new mores, new clues, new etiqutes have to be evolved and that means changing the social structure - from the Phallocentric (see Mary Daily's work on this) churches and fundamentalist religions, to workplaces, to childcare, to schools...

A truly gender-opportunity equal sociey has to evolve and with so many vested interests not wanting to lose power or so much fear of change - it will take time.

And lets be fair, with the sexual economy as it is these days(supply, demand, men,women) and the objectification and commodification of sexuality...sometimes sexuality is used as a tool for influence - by both genders - and this is another form of power differential often conveniently ignored.

Not all womem or men play fair. One bad apple spoils the lot sometimes and everyone remembers that "pain in the **** femminist who kept re-defining EVERYTHING"...and made normal discourse impossible..

Not the norm but in genteel interaction...ackward and off putting.

So - long winded way of saying fear and confusion about our roles and shiting power and responsibilities make "Feminism" quite a hot buttion.

As you pointed out the definitions are simple but the social reality....reactionary.

Answer 6

I think one of the reasons people have a problem understanding is because many of the most outspoken feminists in the public eye are loud, brash, man-haters like you describe (ie: Rosie O'Donnell). I certainly don't believe that most women are against equality of the sexes by any stretch of the imagination. They just are not comfortable with the whole crazy butch man-bashers who are usually the ones shouting "feminism".

Answer 7

If it is truly equality of the sexes, wouldn't it simply be called androgynism?

To me, feminism has to do with equality of the sexes, BUT also connotes the inequalities of the past and future social change.

As to change today and what schools are teaching, their plates are already full. Changing things in society is slow.

Answer 8

No they didn't burn their bras any more than there was snow on the boots of Napoleon's troops. It's a well-known urban legend.

The first women's conference of the Second Wave, found the waste-baskets full of bras afterwards because the delegates decided to free themselves of the stiffened, tight bodices that were made at that time. And a good idea too. Some bloke thought it was more dramatic to suggest burning them I suppose?

Answer 9

People are confused because the term is misused. And often, women who claim to be 'feminists' are merely man hating ballbusters who blame all their hardships on men.

As for highschools teaching kids this sort of thing...I think the schools are getting further and further away from effective curriculum as it is....no need to add feminism to the list!

Answer 10

Wow im a guy and i totally knew all that. I know a feminist can be a man or a women and all that other stuff you worte. So i guess to answer your question... People do understand what a feminist is, its just the way media protrays them and how people conform to the way others think.