Archive for September, 2005

The Problem With Feminism

The use of the term “feminist” inhibits the goals of the movement for equality. In her article “Why I’m a Feminist,” Lauren Anderson describes some of the many negative stereotypes associated with “feminism” and “feminists” like “hairy-legged, bitchy, [and] lesbian” (Anderson 32). According to this stereotype, feminists are destructive, hateful, selfish and angry. These stereotypes are created and reinforced in and by our culture, and are very difficult to change. The semantics of a word are determined by its usage. Regardless if a dictionary or encyclopaedia defines feminism as the “belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes” (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language qtd. at www.dictionary.com), popular use interprets feminism as a radical movement, full of militant extremists.

Some self-defined feminists choose to struggle against this popular definition, in a quest to open the eyes and ears of society to the important work of the women’s movements. They claim that the purpose of feminism is to open doors and break socially constructed barriers erected to maintain the patriarchal power structure and keep women out of the public sphere. They say nothing about hating men, only about an imbalance in the power structure of society. This challenge seems insurmountable. It is time to re-evaluate what the feminist movement stands for and find a less stigmatized vocabulary capable of describing the goals and purposes of the movement while at the same time maintaining an open and receptive audience in present-day society. Read more »

Victim

My house was robbed the weekend after finals. I’m just about put back together – luckily I had insurance. It’s been a great challenge trying to function without a computer for the past few weeks, borrowing and traveling to get the essentials met. Unfortunately the blog was one of the first things to go. My bank put a hold on the insurance cheque – said it coudl be fraudulent – and so between the sloth of the insurance company and the bank’s self-protection it took a month to get the funds to actually replace the things that can be replaced. My grandmother’s and aunt’s jewellery are irreplaceable. Read more »