Feminism Girls, girls, girls

Are you a feminist? Women and men should be held to the same social standards Women should be socially, politically and economically independent to make their own choices and to express their opinions There are no jobs “just” for women or “just” for men There are no clearly defined gender roles

What IS feminism? Feminism is the belief that women are equal to men and should be (but are not currently) being treated as equals Variations on this include: ◦Women and men should not be treated exactly the same, but as with individuals, everyone should be respected for their differences ◦Women need to be liberated from patriarchal oppression and male-oriented societies

Patriarchy – “rule by the father” Idea that men are the rulers of society and are the decision-makers when it comes to social organization, moral authority and the political system Female subordination to the male is necessary within this system Most western conceptions of society show some form of patriarchy ◦Original human settlements (hunter-gatherer) were egalitarian, not patriarchal

Aspects of Feminism Investigating the biases against women and how they are embodied within the psyche of a society Investigating political topics that are specific to women’s role in society like birth control, rape, pornography, etc Questioning the roles of the sexes in society (gender roles) Questioning how men and women approach ethical dilemmas and social situations – are they the same as men?

Feminist Philosophy Growing out of WW2 era and beyond Previous philosophers, scientists and psychologists had seen women and their interpretation of events as “lesser” since they were often emotionally-based (but who said rationally-based responses are the best? Well, men – during the Enlightenment – wait, isn’t that circular reasoning?) ◦Ex: Kohlberg’s moral standards put the typical feminine response to a moral event at a lower step of moral development

Socialization versus Nature How much of what we consider “masculine” or “feminine” is ingrained in us from our social environment and how much is actually inherent to our biological responses ◦“I don’t LIKE Barbies! Dolls are for GIRLS!” – any 5 year old boy  Why?  Storm Stocker – Canadian child whose parents did not reveal his or her sex to anyone but each other

Simone de Beauvoir ( ) Existentialist Sartre’s partner Woman is not BORN woman, but becomes one through societal conditioning Men had made women the “other” creating an aura of mystery (what do women want? sort of nonsense) thus rendering them able to be dismissive of women’s problems and concerns

Beauvoir continued The conception of “woman” has been aberrant, abnormal, wholly outside the “norm” of men She criticized previous feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft for her assertion that women need to be given the opportunity to BE men Saw her own philosophy as promoting women to be individuals and to be respected for their choices whether they were to stay home with children or work 9 -5

Betty Friedan ( ) The "Problem That Has No Name" was described by Friedan in the beginning of the book, The Feminine Mystique: "The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women. It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning [that is, a longing] that women suffered in the middle of the 20th century in the United States. Each suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries … she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question — 'Is this all?"