Feminism

[Aqualung]

What do you think about feminism? Does feminism have anything valid to say? Do you identify with the feminist movement?

[Storm]

"Feminism" as in the ideal that men and women are equal, or "Feminism" as in the socio-political movement/ ideology?

[Aqualung]

It doesn't matter. I just want to know what other people of when they think of that. (I'm currently reading a book about feminism that makes some claims about what it is and what people think it is and I want to know how those claims hold up in a forum such as this one.)

[Storm]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

It doesn't matter. I just want to know what other people of when they think of that. (I'm currently reading a book about feminism that makes some claims about what it is and what people think it is and I want to know how those claims hold up in a forum such as this one.)

Well, I believe in the equality of the sexes, but I feel that feminism as a movement has gone beyond that simple ideal. It's developed an entire ideology largely based on women's superiority to men, and I can't support that.

Equality means equality. This is why I no longer consider myself a feminist.

[Ðanisty]

Originally Posted by Storm

Well, I believe in the equality of the sexes, but I feel that feminism as a movement has gone beyond that simple ideal. It's developed an entire ideology largely based on women's superiority to men, and I can't support that.

Equality means equality. This is why I no longer consider myself a feminist.

I feel the same way, but don't try talking to feminists about this...lol.

[Halcyon]

I was brought up to treat everybody as equal, so anything that attempts to highlight differences or perceived inequality has always struck me as a little odd.

The only beef i have with some feminists is that they assume that because i'm a male i automatically look down on them, or think of them as less capable and as such they can come across as quite rude and arrogant - overcompensating for a perceived condescension which in my case is simply non-existent.

[Pardus]

Equalism is superior, because Feminism only has the rights of females on it's agenda.

In the old system both sides have rights the other didn't, how can you provide equality by only improving the conditions for one side?

[Aqualung]

The book that I'm reading did state that most people would think (incorrectly) that feminism was about convincing people that women were actually better than men, when really it's about convincing people that women and men deserve equal treatment and don't deserve the oppression of a patriarchal society.

Have any of the people here who have responded by saying that feminism is not something they identify with because they prefer to think that the sexes are "equal" read anything feminist that supports their view of feminism? Or, in other words, does anybody here know for a fact that the book I'm reading is just plain wrong and painting an overly propagantist picture of the feminist movement?

[Booko]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

What do you think about feminism? Does feminism have anything valid to say? Do you identify with the feminist movement?

Beats me. I lost track of the sociopolitical part of that years ago. They seemed to go in a different direction in the 80s, near as I could tell.

What are they up to now?

As for feminism, one of my religion's principles is the equality of men and women. That doesn't mean we're the same (duh) but we need to seek a balance in society. Abdu'l-Baha describes humanity as a bird with men as one wing and women as the other. The bird will not take flight until the wings are equally strong.

The feminist "movement" seems to have gone off track and sought something other than balance, which is why I stopped paying attention to it.

When asked if I'm a feminist, I usually reply that I'm a humanist.

[Ðanisty]

Originally Posted by Aqualung

Have any of the people here who have responded by saying that feminism is not something they identify with because they prefer to think that the sexes are "equal" read anything feminist that supports their view of feminism? Or, in other words, does anybody here know for a fact that the book I'm reading is just plain wrong and painting an overly propagantist picture of the feminist movement?

What feminists claim the movement is about is not what I've seen from the movement at all in the last decade or so.