What are the differences between older generation feminists and the newer generation, if any?

Question

Baba: I said "older" and why did you think I was referring to you??? We're about the same age, ain't we? :) LOL

Answer 1

I'll own up to be one of the older generation feminists in this discussion and my answer will probably get some thumbs down. But here's my observation on just one feminist topic:

There are times when I hear younger women talk about sexual harassment in the work place and I vacillate between being sad for them or being annoyed by them because many don't seem to have a clue what sexual harassment really is.

A smile, a look or an "I like your outfit" is not harassment, in my book. Sexual harassment when I was in my twenties was literally being felt up or getting fired for not wanting to sleep with the boss or being told you had to wear sexy clothes to keep your clerical or retail job. A smile or a compliment was either good manners or mild flirting, neither of which should cause a guy to get written up for harassment in my opinion.

There seems to be no clear line, now, between flirting and sexual harassment and that must make it really hard for singles to read the opposite sex when they work together. I'm sure that covert harassment still goes on at the work place, but probably 75% of what I hear being labeled as such has me scratching my head.

Answer 2

Baba, Char, Planet (etc) and I are near the same age. I agree with Baba's and Planet's answers. The sexual harassment thing has me scratching my head as well. a compliment about your attire is not harrassment. Rubbing your hands over the fabric of that attire is!

Answer 3

Aside from the ideology that is only beneficial on paper, feminist theory primarily consists of anti-male slander. I'm not sure why higher education has feminist theory classes(I understand Women history classes, Woman's literature, and so on).

But consider these people that actually make a difference in life, instead of writing male hatred. Look at this 17 year old woman, who raised money to get a school built in Cambodia because the girls there were "sold into prostitution by their parents": http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22397372 (to help educate future generations)

And here we are, some proclaiming to be feminists and such, arguing over gender politics... about how it takes women here extra seconds to get cups of coffee... about whether or not women think with different parts of their brain... nature vs. nurture... and other theorhetorical subjects.

To answer the question: Feminism has evolved politically, and not ideologically. It's primarily politics anyways. Once one issue is solved, either another is found or simply created in mind. From the 2nd wave until now, the entire counter-culture with pro-marxism has changed to capitalism(with some socialist causes still showing up). Of course, this is across the board and not just in feminism.

Answer 4

A newer strand of feminists have aligned themselves with consumption-based, free-market capitalism, managing to explain away all the previous inherent oppression in capitalism.
Like a lot of movements, after the real, heavy groundwork has been lain by an earlier generation, the successors, having less real issues to contend with, start to go off the rails.

Answer 5

The older generation probably has more insight into feminism's past and why so few women are accepting it today. The younger generation, meanwhile, has more of an insight into current problems.

Answer 6

The newer feminists move faster and are harder to lock onto :-D

Answer 7

A female who wants privilege without responsibility.

Answer 8

A lot of older generation feminists experienced discrimination more openly such as not being able to establish credit in their own names or having their career options severely restricted because they were women. They also were often told that they wouldn't be able to get a husband if they acted too smart. In those days, such attitudes were common and people were very open about it. Now as for the newer generation, discrimination hasn't actually gone away. It has pretty much gone underground, just like it has for minority groups. It's still there but people are not as open about showing it as they used to be.

Answer 9

I use to be a staunch feminst but now I am so baboozled by the views its leaves me cold. Some feminist groups frown upon women with children and are even more judgemental if they three or more. Other feminst groups think that women with children don't work when many women hold down good paying jobs or run businesses. Other feminsts discriminate against working women who have children and will deliberately move them from one area of their work to another breaking all rules because they feel working women with children are a lower class of worker!!!

There are feminsts who hate "lip stick feminist" women who basically wear make up and look good because they hold the view that these women are degrading them selves to catch a man. There are feminists who advocate keeping young boys back in their schooling ot because they cant do the work but because they are BOYS! There are feminists who hate men and families and hetrosexual women and young boys and children etc. There are lesbian feminists who sho no mercy to a young woman with a baby in a shopping mall because to them a woman with a child symbolises female suppression. In fact there are such a lot of sub groups within the so called feminist movement I have given up and now I will call my self a equalist, because that is all I have wanted "EQUALITY". to be caught up in all the political crap and the fights between the sub groups is quite sickening. Even today women don't get a fair go in the work force, with workplace injuries ( it would appear that if a pregnant women is injured at work and due to go on maternity some bosses are cancelling their workcover and placing them on maternity leave!! and they think that this is ok!!) No I am not a feminist anymore I just want to see women treated respectfully and equally!!!

The fact is there is no solidarity between women. The worse offenders for keeping working women down are other women! There is no shared gender commonality. Too many women involved in femiist subcultures are all fighting with other women. Some feminists believe in puttin down women who choose to stay at home and look after their children or to run home based businesses and stay at home. Others see women having children is an indightment on the freedom of women.Its all quite pathetic really. The fact is feminism came about due to the appalling social, political and financial circumstances of women caused by male ownership. Feminism sought to give all women regardless of social status or race equal opportunity to resources! It was not a political agendah to attack men even the sexist ones or discriminate against male children and cause their education to suffer or stop women from having children! Feminism was about giving choices now what has occurred is that women have created these subcultures that alienate the ordinary woman which feminism was directed at. Modern Feminism has made social outcasts of ordinary folk wanting to live ordinary lives - ordinary women wanting the right to have children and say at home or work or buy property or work with their life partner to obtain joint sucess and raise children. Modern feminism appears to snear at working mother with children, delight in putting down men on the basis of their gender and make it harder for ordinary families. The feminist pricinples have caused aletist groups of women who feel its their god given right to destroy the basics that families have existed on.

There are a lot of examples out there of gross injustices to women and children - that are caused by poverty and injustice in the work place, in schools and tertiary institutions, in the family circles, in other countries but these supposed feminist groups are so busy with in fighting they have lost focus and so the injustices to women and children continue to go unchallenged.

Answer 10

Hey - who you calling OLD? I'll smack you.

Edit: They don't get any older than me . . . and live. But if we're the same age, I'll buy that. ;)