Feminism [I]
Does, feminism and feminine, have the same base word? And is that base word, female? If that is true, how do you distinguish between biological aspects and personality characteristics? Since the suffixes of the words suggest that they are taking on the property of the base word.
Wouldn't a feminist be someone who supports or practices femininity? Which cannot be entirely attributed to biological sex, or I suppose being womanly, because anyone can practice feminism.
Why is this important? Because female means something different from feminine. It seems as if particular qualities, which have emerged since the creation of the societies from which we are derived, have been inherently attached to all women. Whereas, in today's world, feminine males, and masculine females are not all that uncommon.
You could almost say that being feminine is a lifestyle -- and it does not have anything to do with sexual orientation. In fact, when you look at it, doesn't masculinity, and femininity apply only on an individual basis, and not to two groups of people? You just need to ask yourself -- do you know any strong, assertive, independent women, or sensitive, empathetic men?
How did a word like feminism even become to mean a support for women's rights? Do feminists not support feminism? If that is true, wouldn't being a feminist not cater specifically to women?
If you think that this post is getting hooked up too much on the word, perhaps you are right. Just how it is too much to bear listening to stories about people who hesitate to call themselves feminists. Is it truly a sign that the movement is not strong? Or maybe it is because the word poorly illustrates what they are trying to achieve.
Instead of pausing to call yourself a feminist, why don't you just say you support women's rights? The reason it is difficult to say is because you can be a masculine support for women's rights. In fact, aren't most female supporters for the women's right movement masculine? It is no wonder the are pausing to answer simple questions such as, "are you a feminist?".
Some realists will say they are humanitarian, which probably makes a lot more sense. Of course, if we are talking about a women's movement, we should understand that some issues are exclusively for women. Think of buzzword topics like abortion, or birth control. Some of it does require bipartisanship, but the aspects pertaining to the female body should rest in the hands of females.
When I saw the "hash-tag" "how to spot a feminist" ... I began to wonder what sort of message was being mass produced this time. These pushes are often given a great deal of attention, but I think that we don't need to worry too much. Rumblings of an iron-fist patriarchy are a little blown out of proportion -- aren't women's role in politics on the rise compared to previous decades? That may be a statistic worth looking into.
Eventually, the way America is bound to trend, women will garner more attention in higher social spheres. They will obtain higher positions in the government and in corporations. Just think, when the children of the 90's and 00's grow into their 40's and 50's, they will be in control of the country. I think that generation will have more favorable results in terms of equality.
Just a thought.
