Where would the female youth of today get their role models from?

Question

Without the feminists trailblazers of yesterday, and the successful professional women of today who would little girls and adolescent females be able to emulate in the course for self-fulfillment? Who would they look up to if we had no feminists?

Thanx everyone. You all made great points. I actually learned more than I expected too. I was remiss in thinking that the role-models for a female have to be gender specific. Super Ruper, Lilliyan,and one or two other people pointed that out.

Tangerine- I liked your answer as well.
You're right. All girls don't have the luxury of being able to look to a family member as a role-model. That was why I asked the question. Thanx .

Answer 1

Yikes. People have some scary ideas of what it is to be a feminist. Being a feminist is not about forcing women outside of the house, just as it is not about forcing women to stay in the house. Feminism is certainly not about having a full-time job and then coming home to be a full-time housewife, providing maid service for the rest of the family and a lazy man who wants to sit in his chair and be served whiskey.

Feminism is about understanding that women are strong, capable, intelligent, loving and powerful human beings who can select their own choices and paths without restrictions placed on them by the male gender.

Feminism is not about being “just as good as,” or “equal to” or any other method of comparing yourself to men. It is about being who you are in comparison to only yourself.

You don’t have to be a flag waver or a bra burner or a protester to be a feminist. Every 50’s housewife who believed in her daughter and taught her that she could break gender-biased rules of society was a feminist, even if she never used the word.

Every man who never tried to proclaim power in a relationship based on gender is a feminist, and every man who raised his daughters to be good at math or to go to college or to say “no” even when a man feels he deserves sex is a feminist.

So in that way, it is impossible not to have feminists to look up to. I may never have spearheaded a rally, but my niece can look up to me because I believe in being intelligent, and in expressing who I am and my opinions. I also believe in not backing down to someone who feels he is better then me or should have power over me due to gender.

I am a feminist, and we will always be here for all the little girls to look up to.
:)

Edit- Oh yes, and thank goodness for all the flag wavers, bra burner and equal-rights protesters of our past.
:D

Answer 2

Hmmm, good Q! Well, I'm only 19 and throughout my entire childhood I've always been surrounded by self-sufficient women. The type of women who work 40hr + weeks and come home after a hard days work and cook dinner for their family, clean the house up, and attend to the children. But the thing is, I really detest the idea of a woman doing all that work with little help from the so called 'man of the house.' I've always appreciated the women of the 50s. You know the traditional housewife who's job was taking care of her family. I think it is ridiculous to expect women to be employed and take care of the family, while the man comes home and sits in front of the television with a nice cold beer. However, I have to hope not ALL men behave in this fashion and that there are some out there that also look after the family with more than a paycheck. But, again, I was raised around women that did EVERYTHING for their families. It seems that feminism continues to grow and that things like the old fashioned housewife and girly activities are frowned upon. I would LOVE to be a housewife. But unfortunatly our economy isn't what it used to be; it would be damn near impossible to care for a family in today's world on a single, average yearly income.

On another note, as a young women surrounded by feminists, I can honestly say that feminism really aggravates me at times. I am completely for women's rights and being treated as equals, but most the time it seems that by parading these ideas women continue to segregate themselves from the gender argument. I understand the need to continue to propagate such things, but when is enough, enough? This is expecially true for the working class; since I have joined the working class I've noticed most women are treated differently in the workplace. Its ridiculous that women want to be acknowledged as a woman producing the same amount of work effort, instead of a person completing the job duties. Why does the job have to be about gender? Shouldn't the subject be performance? About getting the job done?

Answer 3

I agree with so many others sayng their own strong mothers (and grandmothers) and teachers. The only women that I looked up to that were not one of the two mentioned, were Eleanor Roosevelt and Marylin Monroe (very much so like today's teenybopper airheads, but different for her time). Everyone else I adored were men, my stepfather (which I now call my Dad), Albert Einstein, some more teachers, authors, etc. All those I emulated weren't about gender, just living your dreams, and frankly that's all that matters. So men or women, girls have more to look up to when they are guided in the right direction by their parents!!!

Answer 4

In trying to answer your question, I thought back to when I was a young girl...and who my role models were. And frankly, I don't really think I had any. You can learn much from other people without them being your role model. And quite frankly, with the encouragement of individualism and freedom of expression, I would think that patterning yourself after another would be contradictory.

And finally - if one did have a role model, I don't believe that they have to be of the same gender. I would like to think that someone you look up to would hold qualities which should be applicable to both genders. I don't think that little girls NEED to look up to women more than or, instead of, men.

Answer 5

Of all time you ought to assert Def Jam Recordings under Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin's administration interior the mid-previous due 80's and early ninety's. Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, third Bass, EPMD, Redman, severe high quality and gentle, approach guy, Onyx. different favourites Jive/Zomba Recordings - Schoolly D, stable B, Too $hort, Jazzy Jeff & sparkling Prince, ATCQ, Whodini, KRS-a million (solo) Wild Pitch - Founders of Gang Starr, significant source, Lord Finesse, O.C., Percee P, relax Rob G.

Answer 6

I don't know of a single girl who actually looks up to people like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Paris HIlton. I think many people make the mistake of assuming these young women are that influential. They aren't. Just because they are famous doesn't mean they have much of an influence. Girls are much more influenced by people in their lives such as their mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, and the like. They are not nearly as influenced by famous people they don't know personally such as Britney, Lindsay, or Paris. I've lived long enough to see many careers come and go. I remember who was popular when I was a teenager. I barely even think of these people today so obviously, they did not have much of an influence on my life. This was even though they were famous and constantly being promoted in teen magazines.

Answer 7

Gee...maybe any person (regardless of gender) who were successful, or smart, or talented or . Why on earth would the gender of the role model matter, if what is being emulated isn't related to gender??

Answer 8

You are looking to popular culture, where there is indeed a dearth of positive role models. Not everyone else does. Depending on what interests her, a young girl can find role models in law, education, journalism, science, sports, literature, medicine, even entertainment if you look carefully, and more. She can look to her parents and especially her teachers. Just because you or I haven't heard of someone doesn't mean they can't be a role model or that they aren't worth emulating.

Answer 9

That's an excellent question. One would like to think that most girls have good, strong mothers to emulate, but unfortunately, this isn't always so. There are many strong, successful women for girls to look up to, but unfortunately, they often try to emulate the wrong women (e.g. Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, et al.).

Answer 10

Yuk and god help the boys of tommorrow but I have seen some little girls emulating Paris Hilton and to my suprise their mothers were all for it.

And if we didnt have feminism I would think that they would look a lot closer to home for their idols or people to emulate.