DIFFERENCE FEMINISM

BACKGROUND Feminism has been deeply affected by the growth of identity politics. Identity politics are political arguments that focus upon the self interest and perspectives of social groups, and ways in which people's politics may be shaped by aspects of their identity through race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation or traditional dominance. Not all members of any given group are necessarily involved in identity politics. Within feminism, identity politics has taken two forms. One is generally referred to as difference or essentialist feminism, and the other as victim feminism.

DEFINITIONS Difference feminism is a strand of feminist thought that believes that there are inherent and significant differences between the genders. Difference feminism emphasizes the unique identity of women as a group; stressing and usually celebrating essential female characteristics which it believes make women different from – and opposite to - men. Victim feminism also assumes that women have a unique identity, but the focus of that identity is women's victimization on the basis of sex, typically at the hands of men.

Victim feminism also assumes that women have a unique identity, but the focus of that identity is women's victimization on the basis of sex, typically at the hands of men. Wendy Kaminer defines victim feminism by suggesting that women differ from men in a myriad of ways, it identifies "feminism with femininity." Difference feminism appeals to some feminists, Kaminer, because it re-values previously devalued characteristics such as emotionality and social connectedness which women are thought to embody. In declaring female traits superior to those such as aggression and rationality which characterize men, difference feminism seems to reject sexism by turning it on its head. It thus provides a clear group identity for women. Kaminer argues that it allows feminists to be angry at men and challenge their hegemony without worrying that they are giving up their femininity. Because they are socialized to fear the loss of femininity.

Difference feminism's reassertion of the value of femininity helps to assuage these fears and thus seems to make feminism more acceptable. Finally, even some non-feminists are drawn to difference feminism because it legitimates a belief in immutable and natural sex differences, a central tenet of conservative claims for support of the status quo. This conservative bias is a pivotal element of difference feminism. Difference feminism makes the task for example of including men in the struggle against sexism almost impossible, and even trying to change men's behaviour or attitudes is made to seem futile because of the assumption that the sexes share so little.

Some difference feminists assert that women and men are so different from one another that they can hardly communicate across sex at all. The phrase "Men don't get it" too often implies and it is argued by difference feminists, only women have the capacity to really understand what other women are talking about. One of the problems with identity politics is that its assumptions can lead to an almost infinite number of smaller and smaller female identity groups. Identity politics puts a premium on valuing and exaggerating differences existing among women as well as those that are cross-sex. This makes large and potentially powerful feminist organizations difficult to sustain.