Men in the Feminist Movement
I'm still learning how to articulate my perspectives in gender studies issues, but some of the blogs I've got tagged cover the complexity fairly well. This is one such post on male feminists and the complexity of both they and women face in being conscious of gendered power dynamics and socialization, and what we can all do to overcome these things.
hugoschwyzer.net/2010/08/22/step-up-and-step-back-more-on-the-role-of-men-in-feminist-spaces/
I absolutely think that men/trans men/anyone I missed who identifies as masculine can and should be a part of feminism. Feminism isn't just about women/people identifying as female, it is about creating and propagating a interactive model based on partnership rather than exploitation or disenfranchisement. I also think that it can be complicated because of the larger social context. Because men in this society are exposed to socialization that tells them they can and should dominate women, because women in this society are exposed to socialization that tells them they can and should be dominated by men. Because internalizing ideas counter to this mainstream concept model is difficult. But gender segregation is NOT the answer. That makes it far to easy to demonize the other gender, regardless of which side of the biological fence a person is currently on.
And I think this post interrogates the complexity faced by and with allied integration of any social movement.
hugoschwyzer.net/2010/08/22/step-up-and-step-back-more-on-the-role-of-men-in-feminist-spaces/
I absolutely think that men/trans men/anyone I missed who identifies as masculine can and should be a part of feminism. Feminism isn't just about women/people identifying as female, it is about creating and propagating a interactive model based on partnership rather than exploitation or disenfranchisement. I also think that it can be complicated because of the larger social context. Because men in this society are exposed to socialization that tells them they can and should dominate women, because women in this society are exposed to socialization that tells them they can and should be dominated by men. Because internalizing ideas counter to this mainstream concept model is difficult. But gender segregation is NOT the answer. That makes it far to easy to demonize the other gender, regardless of which side of the biological fence a person is currently on.
And I think this post interrogates the complexity faced by and with allied integration of any social movement.