Feminism Essay, Research Paper

Physiological differences provide the material base of status between the two sexes, but it is the determined processes of social practices that transform these sexes into genders. Male and female beings, once given enough time to socially develop, become a product of what society teaches and enforces them to be. From the clothes that they wear, to the assertion of their personality, to the very pronoun that they are referred to as, men and women become socially prevalent definitions of physical image and appearance, behaviours, personalities, and habits. Where as sex is simply an unchangeable biological factor. This is where feminism separates the idea of sex from gender.

Feminist concepts of gender inequality allow us to refer more or less directly to a theoretical framework for understanding how they have come to form a basis that helps structure the whole of society according to the concept of patriarchy (………….). The gender differences, which lead to gender inequality in the division of labour, and presented as natural by patriarchy and unequal gender order has been normalised and legitimated by science, medicine and popular culture. Feminists hold that this normalisation conceals the social and political formation of an unequal male order, arguing that gender difference is socially produced in order to sustain male dominance ( ). Frable (1997) points out that there is no basis for a biological account of gender difference since gender identity can only refer to the psychological sense of being male or female. Gender is now understood as a social category and so liberal feminism was correct to deny that nature requires rigidly separate and unequal social roles based on gender (Ruehl, 1983).

Throughout time feminism and gender equality have evolved, allowing for the rights and position of women to improve considerably throughout the last century; however, gender equality has recently been improving and sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated. In the traditional train of thought, feminism doesn’t mean “Girl Power,” Feminism is the female right to move ‘freely’ throughout mankind and be in control of their thinking and actions. Free will, as some may want to execute. (__ ) While the social perceptions of “women’s roles” continue to reach back to the traditional family role with the male as the bread winner and the female as the homemaker. These perceptions are the one’s that challenge the women in our society to be as equal as men on all levels. Women who seem to follow these traditional roles that are expected, may never notice that sexism is playing a role as a oppressive force that is controlling their life. Feminism has been defined as the advocacy of social equality for men and women, in disagreement to patriarchy and sexism. It is, historically, a very recent movement. It started in the 1840’s for women who opposed slavery, it gained in women’s suffrage and know has developed into the modern feminist movement.

Feminism movements, with emphasis upon educational and vocational achievements for women, seem to encourage departure from traditional sex roles which were chiefly organized around marriage and children, and toward more extensive careers for women, especially those who are well educated . “Even though not all young women label themselves feminists, the idea that women can and should have aspirations other than wife and mother has been widely accepted” (Unger & Crawford, pg. 364). While it is true the woman’’s movement has made significant progress in its attempt to equalize opportunities, the situation continues to be unjust. “It has been said that marriage diminishes man, which is often true; but almost always it annihilates woman” (Casler, p. 30). Women, struggling to rise above the “housewife” role, have a strong desire to be valued for some of the same qualities men are valued for: ambition, intelligence, and independence.

In many women’s perspectives, there are a variety of different types of feminisms these include socialist feminism(Marxist), liberal feminism and also radical feminism. Social feminism evolved from the ideas of Karl Marx. This is because Marx paid absolutely no attention to gender equality in his arguments. From his point of view, capitalism increases a male dominated community by concentrating the wealth and power into the hands of a small number of men. They feel that the structure of the family was created by capitalism and it must be changed, they also feel that what they call their “domestic slavery” should be replaced with a combined means of carrying out housework and child care work. They feel that the only way that this goal can be reached is to use a socialist revolution, which would create a state-centered economy, that would meet the needs of whole society. This transformation requires the liberation pursue of women and men together. Another feminisms is called, Liberal Feminism which is based on the traditional feeling of a liberal that makes individuals free to develop their own talents and pursue their own interests. They accept basic organizations of society, but they seek to expand the rights and opportunities of women. They also agree to reproductive freedom for all women in respect to the family as a social institution, but they also seek to change maternity leave, and child-care for women who want to work. With their strong belief in the rights of the individual, liberal feminists do not think that all women should need to move towards any one political goal. Both women and men through individual achievement, should be capable of improving their lives if the society simply ends legal and cultural barriers that are found in gender. The third is Radical Feminism that allows reforms to find liberal feminists that are inadequate, they feel that a social revolution would not end the circulation of male dominance, but instead gender inequality can only be reached by eliminating the notion of gender itself. The foundation of gender, is rooted into biological fact that only women can bear children. Radical feminists, look at the new reproductive technology in order to separate women’s bodies from childbearing. If this idea of motherhood was on extinction, then the entire family system could be left behind, liberating women, men, and children from the “harshness”of family, gender, and sex itself In later times another issue came into to focus which mainly dealt with women’s rights this was abortion. About one million abortions were being performed every single year, but only about ten thousand were held in proper facilitated areas. Most of these women who had abortions were unable to afford the proper facility to have them in, so they resorted to the back room abortion which where they would end up in the hospital for infection or haemorrhaging. The many women who were having these back room abortions were poor and as a result of having these abortions unsanitarily many women died. Throughout time the illegalization of abortion clearly worked for the rich for they were able to either have the baby or have the abortion under safe conditions, but as it worked against the poor this led to complications. (_) The slow growth that is being achieved by women is so endangered when a conservative administrations is gained with the majority in government. To put this problem into perspective: woman’s right’s had to engage in abortion in this country, but this did not come until 1973. Less than two decades after the fact, the president of the United States pushed to take that right away. It seems obvious that society is deflected on putting women into their place. Women’s movement would, remind us that they have a right to be not willing to commit or even to have sex, and also to pursue their individual interests. However, the social pressure women must face if they do not agree to the traditional role is unfair. This goes beyond social conformity and crosses into government intervention. In the 1980’s the pendulum swing was shown against the women’s movement. This resulted in acts of violence against women who felt abortion should become common and the government would simply not allow this and was unsympathetic to many women who faced these challenges.

There still has remained a fight for the independence of women and the right as a equal person. In society the important factor is for every person to feel independent and self sufficient with their life. In relation to feminism, the separatism is a belief by the feminist taken into an exaggeration of speech. The movement is now a continuation of the sexual liberation in the twentieth century. This movement has claimed that the physical state of a women, with the ability to bear children and a lack of physical strength, has allowed for women’s dependence to form the opposite sex. As in the relationship between men and women in a fight for the sexual equality this has a similar relationship to that of what occurred between the African Americans and the women’s movement during this of the suffrage movement. Racism from the white women unfortunately destroyed very concrete ties between the African Americans. These ties would have been able to unify the white women’s movement and the African American movement to have led a stronger voice in leading of suffrage.

Many people look through Feminism and social equality, there are two perspectives that allow us to understand the interaction between the society and the problems we face, these are the Functualist perspective and the Conflict, the functionalist looks at gender as a way to organize social life. They put out a theory, in which gender integrates society both in terms of what people do, and what people believe. Some of the basic problems with functionalism are that they do not share the same vision of society. For example, functionalists don’t look at the fact that some women have always had to work outside the home because of necessity, they look at the typical upper middle class family in which a woman most likely will not work outside the home. They also fail to include in their thoughts on sexual equality, what they may describe as just “gender complementarity” is little more than male domination. ( -) Another is the Conflict theorist they look at gender in a way that gender involves not only differences in behaviour, but in power. A conflict theorist will claim that conventional ideas about gender promote not clarity, but tension, and division. In this, men seek to protect their interests while women attack the status quo. Conflict theorists analysis of gender bases itself on how society places the two sexes in unequal positions of wealth and power. It is, therefore, extremely critical of conventional ideas about gender. They claim that society would be better off with a minimization , or, perhaps, even an elimination of gender roles in the social structure entirely. Some claim, however, that there is a problem with how conflict theorists look at the traditional family, supposedly morally good, as a social evil. Also, many find trouble with how conflict theorists over look the fact that men and women can live quite happily together in the family structure.( )

Often shameless violence or unfair acts against a group of people will cause that group to pull together and empower themselves against their oppressors. The women’s movement has eliminated many of these sexist acts in the last century. Now the real difficulty is the acts of sexism and the degrading social roles of women in today’s conservative culture. Conflict

The female child has as many goals as the male child, but statistically they are unable to realize these goals because of the obstacles that society sets in front of them.(-) Society and media attempt to create these illusions that the women have every right that the men enjoy. However, women will never be equal until the day female scientists, intellectuals, professionals, military leaders, and politicians are just as accepted and encouraged to participate in all of society’s areas as men are.(-)

There are also men that are sympathetic with the feminist movement and should be heard. Just because their voices come from a different perspective, it doesn’t make them any less valuable. Feminists believe that by accepting support from men, they are again subjecting themselves to male domination; which is like saying you cannot help endangered species because you are not one yourself. Now tell me why a man can’t be concerned with women’s suppression. How can feminist separatists reject the support of others if they ever expect a change? There are many different aspects of feminism in which many different types of people can participate. There is no reason why a man can’t contribute and be a part of the feminist movement, but rejecting their help is only causing more conflict in the problem. Ending of functionalism

“The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race” (Susan B. Anthony) . Concluding paragraph

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This was my term paper for 1st year soiolgogy at Mcmaster university, It is not complete yet and I don’t know what my mark was, Hope I helped a little, Mike