Getting women (&men) to call themselves feminist

[Smartmarzipan]

How to Get More Women (and Men) to Call Themselves Feminists
Focus on injustice, poverty, and women in parts of the world beyond the United States.
http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archiv ... ts/277179/

When asked "Are you a feminist?" most Americans say no. A recent Huffington Post/YouGov poll is typical: Only 23 percent of women and 16 percent of men identified as "feminist." Accomplished women as diverse as Taylor Swift, Sandra Day O'Connor, Marissa Mayer, and Beyoncé object to the designation.

The emancipation of women is one of the glories of Western civilization and one of the great chapters in the history of freedom. Why is the term that describes that heritage in such disrepute?

Some will say the movement is receding because it has achieved its essential goals. So why not let it fade from the scene? That is an understandable but mistaken conclusion. Though the major battles for equality and opportunity in the United States have been fought and largely won, the work of feminism remains unfinished. Across the globe, fledgling women's groups struggle to survive in the face of genuine and often violent oppression.

Who needs feminism? We do. The world does. But an effective women's movement needs to be rescued from its current outcast state. Anyone who cares about improving the status of women around the world should be working to create a women's movement that resonates with women. A reality-based, male-respecting, judicious feminism could greatly help women both in the United States and throughout the world. I call it "freedom feminism."

Freedom feminism stands for the moral, social, and legal equality of the sexes--and the freedom of women to employ their equal status to pursue happiness in their own distinctive ways. Freedom feminism is not at war with femininity or masculinity and it does not view men and women as opposing tribes. Theories of universal patriarchal oppression are not in its founding tablets. Nor are partisan litmus tests: It welcomes women and men from across the political spectrum. Put simply, freedom feminism affirms for women what it affirms for everyone: dignity, fairness, and personal liberty.

History suggests women fare the best when the two movements--progressive and conservative--work together. What do we have today? In the eyes of many, the current women's movement has devolved into a narrow, left-of-center special interest group. The majority of women have been left behind.

Freedom feminism combines aspects of both the egalitarian and maternal traditions. It shares with egalitarianism an aversion to prescribed gender roles: Women should be free to defect from the stereotypes of femininity if they so choose. At the same time, it respects the choices of free and self-determining women when they choose to embrace conventional feminine roles. Freedom feminism stands for equality of opportunity but does not insist on equality of results.

Women are various. Despite several decades of warnings and denunciations of traditional gender roles, domestic life remains a vital priority for millions of women. And no amount of cajoling has discouraged women from pursuing pink-collar jobs in the helping and caring professions. Although British comedic writer Caitlin Moran calls herself a "strident feminist," many passages in her funny book How to be a Woman capture the spirit of freedom feminism. What is feminism? she asks. "Simply the belief that women should be as free as men, however nuts, dim, deluded, badly dressed, fat, receding, lazy, and smug they might be."

How would the women's movement change if freedom feminism were its guiding philosophy?

First, gender gaps in wages, political leadership, and the professions would not automatically be taken as proof of discrimination. Freedom feminists allow that there could be innocent explanations for disparities. Instead, its focus would be on genuine injustice.

My advice to today's young women: Reform feminism. Give moderate and conservative women a voice. Most of all, make common cause with women across the globe who are struggling for their basic freedoms. Supporting truly oppressed women would give today's Western feminism something it has lacked for many years: a contemporary purpose worthy of its illustrious past.

This has always been my idea of feminism, and so it pains me to hear "femi-nazi" and other words like that throw around when I say I'm a feminist. It bothers me when people say we need a new name because feminist is such a dirty word. It's not. We all just need to work together.

[Plu]

I'm just kinda confused that the group that aims to make the genders equal would name themselves after one of the two. I get the original idea, but it sounds really silly today.

[Smartmarzipan]

I'm just kinda confused that the group that aims to make the genders equal would name themselves after one of the two. I get the original idea, but it sounds really silly today.

From my own viewpoint, I call myself feminist because around the world, women still have it worse than men. I'm not saying men don't get their fair share of injustice, but women are still behind them. We must be aware of this disparity if we are to do anything about it.

[surly74]

you tell me your idea of equal and i'll tell you what i think of feminism.

[Smartmarzipan]

you tell me your idea of equal and i'll tell you what i think of feminism.

My idea of equal is not being discriminated against solely because I'm female. The very essence of feminism.

Did anyone actually read the article?

[surly74]

i'm running out now but i will. problem is "feminism" is a nebulous term which is why I can see most Americans saying no to.

[La Dolce Vita]

I call myself a feminist, but there are waves/movements within feminism that disgusts me. Equally I call myself a socialist, but there are waves/movements within socialism that disgusts me. Labels can be tricky, particularly when covering huge philosophies that branch out in every direction, and you will always be able to find very disturbed individuals twisting something to fit their own goals.

Feminism should really appeal to men just as much as to women - and this is something a lot of feminist movements miss. We want to destroy the patriarchy - but that does not mean disempowering men - it means not forcing them to be strong, emotionless workaholics who's social respect is centered around how strong and powerful they are. Feminism, if successful, truly does as much for men as for women, as it opens more opportunities for them, like being a caring father spending time with your children. It's not about forcing women, or men, to do anything - unless you're oppressing someone that is, and if so boohoo - It's about giving everyone, regardless of gender, approximately the same shot in life to make what they want of themselves and live the life they want to live.

I don't just call myself a feminist because women objectively have it worse around the world, then I would just have been an egalitarian (which I also am). I call myself a feminist because an overall feminization of society truly is key to our survival. When women and men aren't forced into stereotypes they will meet somewhere at the middle. Without patriarchy forcing anything down men's throat's the more scary and dangerous aspects of masculinity will decrease, and become socially unacceptable! This is already well evidenced. Sweden and Norway were recently selected the two most feminine countries in the world, and we are also two of the most peaceful. Doesn't take much to see the connection there.

[Valigarmander]

I'm all for womens' rights, but I'm not a feminist. I don't want to be associated with those strident man-haters.

I don't believe in God, but I'm not an atheist. I don't want to be associated with those strident God-haters.

[Smartmarzipan]

I try not to judge based on a label alone. As atheists, we of all people should understand that a person is not a simple label. If someone asks, I say I'm atheist.....and then I'll gladly go on to explain a bit more about myself. Labels are quick and easy, but we need to understand that they are not a substitute for conveying ideas. Frankly, I'm more concerned with changing the negative view of the feminist movement than I am with coming up with a nice new name. Does anyone remember the "Brights" thing that some atheists tried to make happen? I'm not interested in all that. I want to help people see that feminists are not feminazis, and this author speaks as someone after my own heart.

[Solitary]

This is the very reason I prefer the label freethinker instead of atheist, because atheist has a very negative reaction from so many people. The reason feminist is used is because it is concerned with rights for women that men already have. This is also the reason a lot of atheist, freethinkers, agnostics, and feminist go by the name humanist because it is all encompassing. Words only have the meaning our prejudices give them for the most part. They hide the real concepts that are important. This is the reason why there are atheists, queers, gooks, towel heads, etc. to take away the fact that they are human and things to be hated and destroyed. Labels are symbols that people react to emotionally and irrationally. Solitary

[Smartmarzipan]

There are only so many times one can change their label until it becomes a moot endeavor. First atheist, then freethinker, then humanist.....

I find it's better to convey ideas behind the label. Those not willing to listen are not worth the time.

Years ago, I let my actions speak for me and when I was asked what I believed, I said I was an atheist. One moron called me "stupid" to my face, another person said, "Really? Can I ask what you believe in?" I told her I just didn't believe in god. And then she said, "Well, see now? There are nice atheists, too!" And that was all it took. A simple exchange of words and I changed someone's viewpoint on atheism.

And I find the same thing when I use the word "feminist". I'm done trying to find happier, more PC words. I feel like it's just blowing smoke up people's asses. Instead, I try to educate people on what feminism really is, and that most people really are feminists at heart, despite the negative connotations the word has accumulated over the years.

[hillbillyatheist]

I'm a feminist given the way Smartz uses the term and my college professor who made me a liberal.

But I prefer the term egalitarian. depending on who says it, I can call myself a feminist.

But I prefer egalitarian because I'm for equality and that said it more clearly. also it doesn't have the association with man haters, and even though feminism has a great history and many people today who ascribe to that label, who are anything but man haters, there still is people who are man haters. i know. I've met them. fairly or unfairly its stuck and as a result many people who otherwise fit the label run from it.  

also with regard to atheist, I still prefer Rationalist because we stand for reason, not for a particular belief about certain imaginary beings.


depending on who I'm with I won't say I'm an atheist. I'll say "I'm not religious" or "I'm not a believer"  to keep them from thinking I'm like Madalyn Murray O'Hair.


though I feel more comfortable with the label atheist, than feminist because I think atheism does describe quite nicely how I feel about gods, whereas feminist doesn't because its women focused, and I am people focused. Egalitarian just sounds better to me. though I'll say again I know based on how many feminists use the term and see it, I fit the bill.

[Shiranu]

Feminism is only a dirty word if you listen to people like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

If you think Feminist is a dirty word, you should also be ashamed of the words atheist, liberal, progressive.

[La Dolce Vita]

Hillbilly:

I do think atheist is a pretty poor label. I love what the word's current connotations are, i.e. pro-science, pro-reason, anti-dogma, anti-BS, but that has no basis in the term itself. In regard to what I actually believe: Humanst, rationalist and anti-dogmatist (is that even a word? It should be!) describes my positions/beliefs much better.

As for feminism, I do agree that had feminism only been about equality, egaliterianism would have been a great replacement, and the arguments about how "a movement about equality that only focus on one gender is BS" would have a bit more meat on their bone - but like I pointed out above, feminism is about so much more, to name two other key points: It's opposition to patriarchy and the focus on feminizing society. I'll grant you that at least the first is a natural conclusion from egaliterianism as well though.

[Solitary]

When someone asks me that if I'm an atheist do I believe in anything, I tell them I believe in reality as being real, not imaginary magical beings as being real, and I also don't believe in all the mythical gods. Do you? I believe in one less god than you do if you don't.  :roll:  Solitary