The new face of feminism or the new phase of feminism?
Contrary to popular belief, feminism is, in fact, not dead.
Although I did not cross a picket line on my way to class today or have to protest to get into my five business classes I’m taking in the fall, I do not feel that it is time for me to “chuck in the corporate world and embrace Barney’s world instead.” Nor have I “found fulfillment where my grandmothers did- in the home, raising children, offering love and support to my husband,” as stated Wednesday by Nathan Tabor.
I believe there are other women like me on this campus, who are earning degrees not for the fun of spending money and finding a potential husband, but as a means to get a job and succeed in a world where there is still a struggle to prove we are as smart, capable and as worthy as men.
Although feminism may not consist of fighting for the right to vote or hold a job, it still exists in today’s society. Proclaiming that it doesn’t and that there is no need for it is an insult to the many women who spent their lives fighting so that I and other women could have the opportunities that we have today.
According to Wednesday’s article, “Young women have seen the fallout from feminism and, as a result, they want no part of it- They have been raised in the broken homes spawned by the nation’s divorce culture, and they don’t want their own children to suffer the fate that they did.” To put it bluntly, I disagree.
First of all, according to the stated passage and other key phrases in the article, women and feminism are responsible for the high percentage of divorces in the United States today. Also, “no amount of therapy could adequately address” the distance children have felt from their working mothers. I would like to apologize on behalf of all women for going against what used to be the social norm and striving to reach our goals that we share with our male counterparts. How dare we pursue our dreams of becoming leaders in businesses, churches, corporations, law firms or any other organization besides the PTA.
As opposed to the article, I would also like to state that I do not blame the fact that I am a single woman who may have had an abortion 20 years ago. According to the article, “Younger women tend not to see abortion as a right —but rather as a profound wrong.” I find it necessary to point out that not all younger women share this view, nor do all younger women share the many views that the male writer of Wednesday’s article claims.
In relation to the “founding mothers” of feminism, the article states that “they [young women] see such women as out-of-touch, angry and unfulfilled. They admire women who can keep a household together under trying circumstances. They may have iPods and Blackberries, but they still believe in the value of hearth and home.” While I agree that keeping house and home is a full-time job that can be very gratifying, I have never in my life thought that the women who lead the feminist movement as “out-of touch, angry and unfulfilled.” On the contrary I find them respectable women who finally stood up for what they believed in.
Feminism does not mean totally disregarding having a family and only pursuing a job. Today’s feminists strive to succeed in whatever it is they do, because they finally believe that they can.
Whether or not I pursue a career as a stay at home mom, a minister in a church, an entrepreneur or a CEO of a corporation, I will feel fulfilled knowing that I am embracing my femininity and accomplishing my goals because I can.
While these are my own opinions, and I do not speak for all of womankind, I would suggest that no man take a stance and speak for women. Thanks to the women who fought for our right to represent ourselves, I believe we can decide whether we have changed our minds about feminism and the therapy we will need because our mothers worked.
First of all, I would like to state that I am not speaking on behalf of all women. I would never dream of doing so. However I am speaking on behalf of myself and other women who are not lumped into the pool of “young women” mentioned in Wednesday’s article that addressed the passing “feminist furor.” Although we do not have to cross picket lines on the way to class, or hear protestors outside of poll booths on the way to vote, I do not believe that feminism is dead.
Wednesday’s article stated, “In citied across the U.S., women are chucking the corporate world and embracing Barney’s world instead. They have found fulfillment where their grandmothers did- in the home, raising their children, offering love and support to their husbands.” I see many issues with this statement, starting with the idea that women are “chucking the corporate world.”
Feminism is defined as “belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, and the movement organized around this belief.”
Katie Beth Adkins is a sophomore corporate communications and public affairs and marketing double major. She may be reached at [email protected].
