October 16, 2002
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Women's Lives - Looking for the Middle
My phone line went down this morning in the midst of my writing this blog. The hazards of living out in the middle of nowhere! I've been thinking for the past 24 hours about my impresion of just what feminism is and what feminists stand for.
Yesterday, Daff gently disagreed with my statement that feminism carries the connotation of activism. My dictionary defines feminism as "1) the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, 2) organized activity on behalf of women's rights." It is primarily this second part, the organized activity on behalf of women that I've been talking about, so I'll concede that it's the secondary definition of the word, but I'll clarify that this is the aspect of feminism with which I have the most difficulty identifying so it has been my focus.
Season said that "Taking only the words of extremists in the movement, rather than the mainstream feminists, is akin to using only the words of Jerry Falwell and Louis Farrakhan to describe religious viewpoints." Deb and I have been reading each other's sites for a year now, and I've found her viewpoint to be firmly rooted in common sense. SO I took this critique to heart. I went looking last night for the mainstream feminists who represent a more moderate view.
In several articles on feminism, I ran across a broad history of the movement that contrasted "old" feminism with "new" feminism. "The new feminism emphasizes the importance of the "women's point of view", the old feminism believes in the primary importance of the human being. . . the old feminism was neither defeatist of gender divisive." These articles gave example of "old" style feminists (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer) and new feminists (Catherine McKinnon, Andrea Dworkin, Virginia Held, bell hooks, Marilyn French, Susan Faludi, Naomi Wolf, Judith Butler, Carol Christ, Merlin Stone, Starhawk, and Zsuzsanna Budapest).
I started with the Questia online library, I did an advanced search for books and articles printed in the last 5 years on the topic Feminism. I found article after article and book after book by the women listed in that second group above, the "new" feminists. And each of their works fall in the categories that we have called "radical." They have a specific category they call "radical" feminism which is different from sex/gender feminism, ecofeminism, marxist feminism, existential feminism, multicultural feminism, and postmodern feminism. Essentially, in my search for a moderate voice, I struck out at Questia.
So I went to Amazon.com. Maybe the books we are reading are more moderate than the books on the academic shelf. (Besides, Amazom frequently allows you to read the first ten pages or so and you can get the flavor of the book.) I started with Daff's suggestion, Christina Hoff Sommers' book "Who Stole Feminism?" I’d like to see the conclusions that she draws at the end, because she begins that book criticizing the methods, theory, and practice of feminism by the people listed above as "new Feminists." She calls them "second wave" feminists and distinguishes them from younger women of the third wave (now in their 20's and 30's). Under this book I found a link to another book that I've actually read - The New Victorians, by Rene Denfeld. Ms. Denfeld like Ms. Hoff primarily critiques the "new" or "Second Wave" feminists of the late 80's and early 90's.
I went over to BarnesandNoble.com, since that's my primary source of reading material, to see what they had on their top ten list in the Feminism category:
The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan
Woman's Inhumanity to Woman, by Phyllis Chessler
Gender Trouble, by Judith Butler
Teaching to Transgress, Education as the Practice of Freedom, by bell hooks
The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young Men, by Christina Hoff Sommers
Feminism is for Everbody, by bell hooks
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, by Audre Lorde
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence by Inga Muscio
Dance of the Dissident Daughter, by Sue Monk Kidd
Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex, by Judith P Butler
In this list you see first of all Betty Friedan's book which was first published almost 40 years ago. It's still an excellent book, but I think it would be a stretch of anyone's imagination to claim that she is the cutting edge of Feminism today. With the exception of Christina Hoff Sommers, every other author on this list self-defines her work as belonging to the wave of feminists we call "radical." And Ms. Sommers work is defined by these women in that she is critiquing their approach not developing a new vision for feminism today.
If there is a moderate feminism out there, all I can say is that it's well hidden. I was looking for a feminism promotes economic, social and political justice without pitting women against men and/or children. Is there a feminism for someone like me? And if it's out there, how do I find it?
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I talked to Fugitive long enough to learn that she had a crisis at work today, so her entry into the discussion of feminism will be delayed for today. Don't give up on her though.
Comments (23)
I've been reading but this is not something I choose to comment on, at for now.
o/ 
God Bless - Dale
Ask feminists?
This is where I get yelled at majorly, for bringing in a quasi-religious ideal. I'll apologise in advance.
The problem with many "isms", so to speak, is that they have a tendency to be perceived as "seperatist", or in other words, encouraging the seperation and/or segregation of certain groups. Feminism is often perceived this way, too - in part because of the very anti-male slant apparent in many feminist publications. Inga Muscio's "Cunt" is a great example of this. I love Inga's intent - I really do - in that we women should be strong and reclaim our own sense of both sensuality and individuality - but she misses the point completely when she advocates the anti-male stuff. In particular, she advises woman to abandon male gynecologists, in favour of only female doctors. To me, that is an example of what feminism originally fought against - prejudiced actions based upon gender. Yes, my doc is male - and he's a damn good ob/gyn. I would feel disloyal to both my sex - for having made a completely informed choice as to my healthcare - and my humanity, if I were to diss him based upon his gender. Having said that, I do realise that this wasn't actually your question at all!
I'm wondering when we can't all savour and encourage the idea of "humanism". The closest thing I've found is reading Buddhist teachings. I know, I know, I shouldn't bring religion into this - but the teachings I *have* read, can be incorporated into everyone's life, regardless of religious path. Kindness, tolerance, compassion towards *every* human, no matter what their sex, colour, creed or shoe size.
It's worth a try, right? As for a feminist middle ground - I'm not sure there *is* one. It seems to blow too far in either direction, for me to be comfortable.
Great, great blogging. Awesome stuff.
Your thoughts are, as always, well-reasoned, well-researched and well-stated. Again, for me, it comes to the semantic. If the current spate of books classified under "feminist" are largely "radical," well -- must one read them, or accept their premise? Here perhaps I am espousing Fugitive's point that the (presumed) rich, white-collar authors, sipping their expresso and opining rabidly about a world they scarcely touch, are, indeed, out-of-touch. I don't consider myself a radical feminist, but I most certainly don't consider myself a non-feminist. I have long ago come to agree with my father that "men and women are just different," but I don't think that fact permits either separate-but-equal, or blatant inequality. I see a need for activism in various sectors (I mentioned attention to the women of the developing nations in an earlier comment), but no need for "Gender Activism!!" writ large and tattooed on my forehead. Ain't no moderate feminist literature? Heck, let's write it, then!
You dive in don't you? LOL I love reading your work. Your writing is awesome, your view well stated. Issues I don't really think about much and if I do it's in general terms. I'm clueless to the answer for you.
Nothing to add, but kudos.
Mrs. Bastage - you will never be yelled at for introducing the quasi-religous view here. Welcome, weocome.
Mrs. Terri, if you can't find what you're looking for make it. You write well enough to begin a new wave of feminism that is moderate and fair.
Well, I was rather shocked here to find that I would be considered a "radical" because I chosen NEVER to got to a male doctor again unless there is no other choice. I had to go to one last year because there were no women available in his field and it was a horrible experience that brought back equally horrible memories. Perhaps the age of the physician should be accounted for - the males of a certain age tend to have the same old "dinosaur" attitudes toward my sex. I haven't tried asking the receptionist the doctor's age and taking my chances if he is 30-something. Each female doctor I've discussed my "attitude" with understands perfectly what I am referring to and they are 30-something so it makes one wonder even about the younger male doctors.
Now, I don't believe I'm "radical" any more than I am left or right wing politically. I agree with some viewpoints from each camp. I'll go looking to see if I can find any moderate or conservative libbers. For now, I am content that, if the "radicals" define themselves as such, there is a reason and their counterparts are out there somewhere.
I'm w/Dale
Boy, am I relieved, I just went to do some quick reading. To be a "radical," you must also be a "man-hater" - definitely leaves me out of that category. I just don't like being treated by a male doctor like I'm the wife they had a disagreement with last night nor the daughter they had to give patriarchal guidance to. That one last year got a phone call from my husband... hmm, what does that say? LOL
I'll come back and make an intelligent comment on this later (after the lecture I'm attending and West Wing are over). Your words led me to search for one of the old time New York radical feminists, the mother of my high school friend Kathleen, Judy Sullivan. Instead I stumbled on art work of which I had been ignorant, the work of Judy Chicago. I'm curious to know what you think of her comments and views as a feminist artist. Here's a link to the site I explored: http://www.judychicago.com/scripts/shopplus.cgi?DN=judychicago.com&CARTID=10558561209&ACTION=add&FILE=index.html
Is there a feminism for someone like you? That is the question we must each ask ourselves. Feminist or not, I seek women heros and role models from all walks of life who have the values and attributes I want to own. I admire modern pioneering women who blaze the trails. Women who plant the crops they will never harvest--the crops that will benefit the next group. I admire women who stand up for what they believe. And yes, I admire YOU!
just letting you know that i am reading and learning.
I picked up Cunt a few months ago, and I must say, it was a little extreme. I get a distinct anti-male feeling from the so-called "new" feminists, the kind of sentiment that goes far beyond equality to "we're better than those stinking men". It's essentially sexism, in the reverse direction.
A fabulous blog. I, myself, consider myself a feminist, but definitely a MAINSTREAM one. Not that I'm not active, but I am most definitely not a radical. However, some of those book titles really grabbed me. I'm going to have to go to Amazon and check them out and maybe add a couple to my Wish List!
Teri, I'm reading both of you but I'm afraid that I'll have to take on the role of 'lurker' for the time being...it's not because I'm not interested though. I respect you too much to give you one of those 'off the cuff' comments like, "great blog" or some other nonsense!
Spot
I've been out of academia for several years now but I do recall there were more than a few "Feminist" type books for the middle of the road moderates... one that you and your sister might want to read is "Reading the Romance" It isn't a radical feminist view-- it's one that calls for INCLUSION. There are more books of this sort-- I may have to contact a few of the professors I had to get titles for ya.
(I consider myself an INCLUSIONARY feminist myself)
...a list of feminists is not complete without Gloria Steinem.How she is being overlooked in this discussion, I don't know, her's is a voice of reason. She has been inducted into Women's Hall of Fame:
"Gloria Steinem has said, "If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot?" This thread runs through her life as an activist and change agent, dedicated to fashioning a world that does fit the needs of its people.
Steinem's lifelong career as a writer and journalist began after college. A co-founder of New York magazine in 1968, Steinem was always active in a wide array of political and social causes. She became a major feminist leader in the late 1960s and in 1971 co-founded MS Magazine, where she serves as contributing editor today. In 1971 she was a co-convener of the National Women's Political Caucus and in l972 helped found the MS Foundation for Women, which raises funds to assist underprivileged girls and women. She is a founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and her books, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983) and Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem (l992) are best-sellers. Steinem's lifelong activism has inspired women of all ages to fight for their rights, to take risks, and to defend the rights of others. Her writings form a lasting legacy of ideas and personal revelation that continues to inspire and inform."
MuSe
...a search on Google under feminism or feminists will take you to a long list of Feminist Organizations, each with their own philosophy. The list is so divergent there is a group for everyone.
ism's in general tend to indicate something radical....you have to be radical to get heard...and i think that this is just what you are finding when looking for the existance of a moderate feminist...there are probably thousands of them out there, but the fact is they ARE moderate...so they are not out there shoving feminism down anyone's throat....they are merely living their lives and doing what they can in order to live by their beliefs.
Very thought provoking, I'm not quite sure where you're going with all of this... I'll keep reading.
I do enjoy the back and forth-ness (is that a real term? LOL) and the points brought up here
Women's rights & feminism has been hurt by women themselves. The Pankhurst Women of England went about getting women's rights in an extreme way. When that happens then feminism is frowned upon by those who really don't know a lot about it.
Just like anything else is has it's good side & it's extreme side.
Faith
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