Feminism

[Sibyllea]

I was hoping you all could help me out... I have this really neat idea for a comic/scholarship type thing. In less than three pages I have to define and explain feminism. It could get me a thousand bucks. So Ladies... and guys too I guess, "What does Feminism mean to you?" Obviously I don't need three pages just a quote or two I was hoping to illustrate and color with my handy dandy computer...
Thanks bunches!!!

[winwintoo]

I tried to reply to this thread, but when my reply got to be 4 pages long, I decided not to post it.

What is feminism?? I don't think anyone really knows. I've always been a social misfit and feminism was just one more of those movements that I was excluded from.

Early in my working life, I had some success in bringing about changes to the working conditions of my fellow (mostly female) co-workers. My efforts, no matter how successful served to further isolate me from the main stream, presumably because one never knew when I might mount a soapbox and try to bring about changes to the status quo.

I did my best work before the word "feminist" was coined; when the term was becoming popular, I was not invited to join the movement and my efforts have long since been forgotten and the changes I was part of introducing have since been attributed to the feminist movement.

During the height of the feminist movement, I was a single parent living in a housing complex with other single parents 99% of whom were female. At that time, there was a "feminist" publication which was delivered free of charge to certain areas of the city - but was not delivered to the complex where I lived. I called the publisher to complain and I was told that residents of our complex were not in the demographic that the magazine wished to influence. I can only assume we were not feminine enough???

When you figure out what feminism is, let me know

Margaret

[ExclamPt]

My definition of "feminism:"

The realization of the natural superiority of women.



BTW, I'm a male with both a son and a daughter (and a wife). I could be speaking from personal experience.

[rondon]

A term trumped up when the higher ups decided the economy needed more women in the work force.... preferably competing rather than working with their male counterparts.

Guess the kids are next

[Leah]

For me feminism is the idea that everyone deserves equal breaks, opportunities, etc., regardless of gender (I think this is the critical concept although "feminism" doesn't seem like a great term for it any more). Combined with this is the idea that "traditionally female" work, activities or attributes ought to be just as highly valued as "traditionally male" work, activites, or attributes (I can see "feminism" as a term fitting this aspect better). If the whole of society is structured to reward one type of behaviour then other viewpoints are going to find it difficult to get a look in.

Also there are the basic questions of equal rights in societies which have no genuine concept of women's rights in terms of equal access to political representation, ownership of property, education or personal autonomy.

I do tend to shy away from the term feminism because it can often come across as anti-men, whereas I think today, at least in Western societies, arguing for men's rights (to be seen as an important part of the parenting relationship, etc.) is an important part of the battle.

[Duv]

Perhaps feminism is just women's way of saying. " OK guys. You've screwed up long enough. Now we want a crack at straightening things out."

Cheers
Duv

[chris h]

'He who rides the Tiger can never get off'

[Stevo]

Feminism........Braless women trying to play hymns without an organ.

[rondon]

confusion say: feminist who fly upside down... have crack up

[Duv]

'He who rides the Tiger can never get off'

Unfortunately, there are no tigers left to ride.

Cheers
Duv

[Paris]

Plenty of tigers left to ride Dev.

One only has to stare at the mirror for awhile, you'd be surprised what lurks in the shadows. Sometimes you'll find something that terrifies even the tigers.

** Paris **