The F Word CMN 396 Race Class Gender Work Crocodile article will answer most questions I think Feminism or Feminisme Feminisme originated in FRANCE in 1837 CHARLES FOURIER to discuss the EXTENSION of LIBERTY to WOMEN FEMINIST USA 1906 by Madeleine Pelletier How Feminists Do Theory For Whom Concepts ABSTRACTIONS designed to CATEGORIZE or GROUP SIMILAR individual FEATURES of SOCIAL reality o Idea of something How it works o Have to explain concept of feminism to investors Discourse historically VARIABLE WAYS of SPECIFYING knowledge that LINK together CONCEPTS INTO IDEAS that enable writing speaking thinking and acting o SPOKEN and WRITTEN LANGUAGE o Discussion of a subject in writing speaking thinking and acting o VARIABLE WAYS Theories are developed discourses that offer a GENERAL account of HOW a range of PHENOMENA are SYSTEMATICALLY INTERCONNECTED Theories place INDIVIDUALS TERMS into LARGER CONTEXT to understand WHOLE and PARTS Systemic Subordination CONNECTIONS of FIXED instances rather than results of individual accidental or coincidental o System society made PURPOSELY to make a group more powerful than another one so they can be dependent on them o Ex The refusal to allow women to be educated was part of society s subordination of women to men Grounding Feminist Theories purpose Help us to EXPLAIN the PARADIGM SHIFTS in FEMINIST THOUGHT that have occurred Paradigm Shift is the fundamental CHANGE in the theoretical ASSUMPTIONS underlying an entire WORLDVIEW THOUGHT Modernity refers to the IDEAS and production from WESTERN SOCIAL THEORIST of the 19 th and 20th centuries o Theories tried to understand the effects of industrialization urbanization and political democracy effects Rise of industrialization Dramatic social changes that accompanied modernization o WEAKENED fabric of SOCIAL LIFE o Less cohesiveness MORE INDIVIDUALISM Contrast modern and traditional Post Modernity Postmodernity controversial and has created DEBATE over WHETHER impactful SOCIAL CHANGE transformations in social conditions over the PAST HALF CENTURY are SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH to discuss them in an empirical NEW SOCIAL ERA Deindustrialization many BUSINESSES MOVED their manufacturing ABROAD in search of CHEAPER LABOR o Ex Donald Trump says he s against deindustrialization bcus it takes away jobs from Americans However his clothing companies are abroad Transnational SAME AS INTERNATIONAL Epistemological Approach to Feminist Theory Epistemology the STUDY of WHO CAN BE a KNOWLEDGE PRODUCER and HOW KNOWELDGE is PRODUCED o Study of knowledge o Ex I guess who can be a feminist influencer Empirical EVIDENCE must be capable of being OBSERVED by others o Valid RELIABLE or representative data o Androcentric Focused Centered on men males bias in conventional studies Essentialism when there is assumption that a certain entity all share similar problems concerns and oppressions o View that for any specific entity it has a set of attributes which are necessary to its identity and function o People are not capable of changing their behavior Ex Believing that women men are different biologically womxn can t change it Ideology and Hegemony Ideology o Taken for granted Ignored assumptions about REALITY that SHAPE our BELIEFS about what exists what is possible and what is good Set of SHARED BELIEFS within a group These Beliefs INFLUENCE the way individuals think act and view the world Ex Religions are all ideologies Within each one is a variation of beliefs Different countries have diff Gender roles o Ex Ppl in Mexico believe in womxn being in the kitchen Objects to hegemony o The PROCESS in which a DOMINANT GROUP LEADS ANOTHER GROUP to ACCEPT DOMINATION as the norm Barries put into place Ex Whites put barriers in the system so minorities wont go to college o Hegemony is the process of MAKING FORCING non dominant groups to actively supports the goals and aspirations of the dominant group that may not be in the non dominant group s best interest Ex Men try to make womxn accept male domination Ideological Perspectives on Masculinity Patriarchy the STRUCTURAL DOMINANCE of MEN that is BUILT INTO the INSITUTIONS of SOCIETY o Male dominance built into society Ex Makes it easier for men to get into government have power Womxn have barriers Society that was conditioned to believe males have all the power bcus womxn shouldn t aren t capable of having power Hegemonic masculinity ideal or SET OF prescriptive SOCIAL NORMS ROLES that are symbolically REPRESENTED through most routine ORDINARY SOCIAL LIFE and disciplinary activities o Barrett 2001 argues that hegemonic masculinity is the NOTION that a man is independent risk taking heterosexual and rational o Hegemonic perspectives are not automatic they are influenced by others o It PRESERVES legitimate and naturalize the INTEREST of the powerful WHITES and MEN Equal Rights Amendment ERA Affirms the EQUAL APPLICATION of the U S CONSTITUTION to BOTH females and males The ERA was written in 1923 by Alice Paul suffragist leader and founder of the National Woman s Party She and the NWP considered the ERA to be the next necessary step after the 19th Amendment Woman Suffrage in guaranteeing equal justice under law to all citizens Definitions of Feminist There are many definitions of what a feminist is Feminist is a person who believes in the FULL EQUALITY of women and men This means anyone male or female who supports this idea can be a feminist When men start being 50 of secretaries or 50 of fathers those careers will become much more valued Profeminist Men s Movements Wood 1990 Gender Equality Emerged in the 1960s Confronted the HYPOCRACY between the POLITICAL EFFORTS to END DISCRIMINATION and their OWN DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN Believe that women and men are alike in important respects and should have same privileges opportunities rights and status in society Unlike other parts of the men s movement pro feminists have been reluctant to focus too much on how men are also the victims of patriarchy largely because this has often made men s suffering the focus of debate to the exclusion of women s issues Issues on which pro feminists usually campaign include violence against women sexism inequalities in pay and promotion at work Pornography sex trafficking and Women s rights to birth control Pro feminist men Males who support feminism equality w o implying they are a part of the feminist movement are considered by some to be a stream of the modern men s movement sympathetic towards feminism