Comments | trempnvt: Feminism vs. Gender Egalitarianism

trempnvt

Feminism vs. Gender Egalitarianism

Nov 08, 2006 21:02

So I haven't posted in a while, but I kept meaning to. First I was going to post about feminism and gender egalitarianism and whether or not they're mutually inclusive, but I sort of lazed out on that one. Then I was going to post about white toilet paper, but I figured there are only, like, two people on my friends list who can relate to that ( Read more... )

university, observations

Comments 18

prozacpark November 8 2006, 21:19:23 UTC

I agree with you. I think feminists can be non-egalitarian. I think it's rare today, but have you read some of the classic feminist novels (by men and women) from earlier times? Some of these feminists are very aware of the gender issues and explore them wonderfully in their works...and then the books have an amazing amount of racism and classism that makes me want to pull out my hair. This is especially true in the modernist novels since most modernists were elitist assholes anyway ( ... )

trempnvt November 9 2006, 09:22:03 UTC

I haven't read too many specifically feminist novels...The Awakening is the only thing that comes to mind off the top of my head. But does a novel specifically have to explore gender issues to be considered feminist, or would you say that any novel with a strong female lead is a feminist novel?

Do you have any good reading recommendations for me?

prozacpark November 9 2006, 09:51:41 UTC

I think that it has to explore gender issues to an extent, and for me, in a feminist novel, a character has to be aware of the issues at least. Jane Eyre, I know, is considered a feminist novel by some critics because it has a strong female character. But, she's very Cinderella-ish in that she gets rewarded for being good and conventional. So, in my opinion, not so much. And while I love Austen's Elizabeth Bennet, I don't exactly consider her to be a feminist heroine. And, in literature, there are often strong heroines who think all other women are stupid. Which? Not very feminist. But you can critique any novel from a feminist perspective so maybe it's not really important what makes a novel feminist since it's all open to interpretation. My "Women in Literature" professor, for instance, absolutely hates "The Awakening" and doesn't think it's a particularly feminist novel ( ... )

aimserraiecla November 9 2006, 01:24:43 UTC

There are plenty of feminist who believe that women are not equal to men; they're better. So, there goes your egalitarianism right out the window.

adidi November 9 2006, 03:08:06 UTC

by the classical* definition of feminism (women are people, too!) and eqalitarianism (people are equal!), they have to be mutually inclusive.

by the way people practice them, it's pretty case specific. like communism.**

*and by classical, i mean "mine."
**i'm a little obsessed with communists. and lesbians. i get accused of beig both routinely.

ninabrujaha November 9 2006, 07:11:18 UTC

People keep asking me if I'm gay because I'm going to the parade.
Logic, I guess, but still.

amyo November 9 2006, 11:05:11 UTC

you're going to the parade?!?!? what?!

i texted and called you this AM. let's chat

adidi November 9 2006, 19:52:46 UTC

people keep asking me im gay because, well, i seem like it.

shucks.

Thread 6

adidi November 9 2006, 03:08:17 UTC

ps, i love school too. heehee!

tdc311 November 9 2006, 03:58:45 UTC

i was actually just talking about feminism actually. what are the odds?
I think it is very very possible to be feminist without being egalitarianism. I would definitely put myself somewhat in that category. Right now, I'm thinking about Jewish gender issues actually so I will put my statement in terms of that. I believe that women should play an increased role in Jewish religious life, but I wouldn't say that men and women should be exactly the same in religious life. I put myself somewhere in between there, although I'm not yet exactly sure where I stand exactly and etc.
Hmmm..

trempnvt November 9 2006, 13:10:06 UTC

Right; I had similar thoughts. Women in Jewish life are supposed to be strong and have a lot of responsibilities and are good role models. But there are still specified gender roles. Can you believe in gender roles (at least, to an extent) and still call yourself a feminist? Does feminism mean that you think that men and women should be splitting their duties 50/50, or can someone who respects women but thinks that they should have more of a role in the caregiving department than men (while men are off fulfilling their time-bound mitzvot aseh) still be considered a feminist?