The Feminist Flaw?
It seems to me that feminism took a wrong turn somewhere. In the quest for freedom from a prescribed gender role, feminism neglected to cultivate love and respect for the role of motherhood. Women certainly owe the feminists of the last 40 years for the opportunity to have careers in occupations previously only held by men, but I think it is time to reevaluate the feminist message. From my perspective, feminists have really just encouraged women to try to become men and deride any actions or feelings that have been considered "feminine". They've told us that we will be more free with a career, more fulfilled outside of the home and without the burden of children. They've sold to us this dream that we can have it all if we want it: an equal partnership in marriage, well-cared-for children and a kick ass career all at once. They've laid out a goal for us: be accepted in the man's realm of career with equal treatment and equal pay. They've told us that to accomplish this we must be tough and ball-bustin'...ya know, like an alpha male.
The unfortunate consequence is that with the feminist focus on the life and times of men and how women can attain that, they've neglected to do the job that really needed to be done. Where is the respect for the one area of life that is common to all women and that all men are barred from? The respect for motherhood. Men cannot bear children. Even when men are trying out the womanly job of child care, they just don't quite cut it like a woman can. I have yet to meet a man with "mom ear", that innate ability of mothers to distinguish between cries to meet the needs of children and the ability to know when a kid is up to something just based on the noises the child is making. Is it possible that women are truly endowed with not only the ability to bear children but a superior ability to properly care for them? I believe this is the case and I believe the feminist movement has done a great disservice to our society by basically telling their fellow women that this job of child rearing is some how of no value or at least less value than making money out with the dudes.
I think the sooner our society admits that men and women are inherently different AND begins to accept, cherish and utilize these differences for the common good, the sooner our society can flourish into something far greater than the feminist dream.
How's that for my feminist manifesto?
The unfortunate consequence is that with the feminist focus on the life and times of men and how women can attain that, they've neglected to do the job that really needed to be done. Where is the respect for the one area of life that is common to all women and that all men are barred from? The respect for motherhood. Men cannot bear children. Even when men are trying out the womanly job of child care, they just don't quite cut it like a woman can. I have yet to meet a man with "mom ear", that innate ability of mothers to distinguish between cries to meet the needs of children and the ability to know when a kid is up to something just based on the noises the child is making. Is it possible that women are truly endowed with not only the ability to bear children but a superior ability to properly care for them? I believe this is the case and I believe the feminist movement has done a great disservice to our society by basically telling their fellow women that this job of child rearing is some how of no value or at least less value than making money out with the dudes.
I think the sooner our society admits that men and women are inherently different AND begins to accept, cherish and utilize these differences for the common good, the sooner our society can flourish into something far greater than the feminist dream.
How's that for my feminist manifesto?