What does "feminism" mean to you?

I dunno, good question.

I think it used to mean one thing but perhaps these days means another?

If I were to give a definition of just my own creation...I guess it'd be the idea that women are capable of and deserving of total, equality to men....in any scenario or circumstance.

If I go by my own definition...I am not a feminist.

eta: love the icon you picked for this thread too...LOL.

 no comment.

cyclefiend2000

 no comment.

well, that's kind of a comment in itself, isn't it

I don't like the word, honestly.

Speaking as an old broad who was part of the hippie/bra burning/peace movement, my vision of feminism is simply equal rights, which we have yet to achieve. I believe it is 84 cents to the male dollar that women make for the same job.

And yet, in part, I wonder if I am not a little old fashioned.  I DO believe that woman are the glue that holds families together, and this is from my own experience, that we CAN have it all, just not all at the same time.

I look at our world as it is now, and I wonder how much good we actually did.  Children who are growing up basically without parents because both mom and dad have careers and are committed to climbing the corporate ladder while the kids are left to figure out life on their own.

I guess in my case, despite having a career, my family still came first.  I had NO me time, which todays women are conditioned to demand, we had very little couple time...time that didn't involve the kids.  Because of the guilt of not being a traditional mother, in those days, I did it all, but did it all at the expense of my own time, my own personal growth, my own peace and quiet.  And, I survived it all very nicely.  Now that my kids are grown I have all the time I want for reading a book, talking a solitary walk, or just escaping for a day with my hubby, spending special quality time with him.

So, I wonder, again, how much good did we do?  Yes, women have more choices now than they did when I was in high school, and girls were expected to be nurses, secretaries or teachers, but only until we got married.  Girls were encouraged not to act too smart or we'd  scare the boys away, we couldn't take, say auto shop, in school, that was for the boys, but we HAD to take home ec and learn how to make an apron and a stupid clown doll with little discs of fabric.....and yeah, I learned all those things, but I also learned how to change my own flat, tune an engine, change the oil......I was writing sports for the local newspaper at 15, and I had to fight to get the "good" sports.  When I was 18, I was not allowed in the Detroit Tigers press box despite being taken by my sports editor for opening day.  Five years later, women reporters were in the LOCKER ROOMS. I was alays a rebel, and likely a disappointment to my mom, who was very traditional, but no one was prouder than my conservative father when I got my byline in the local paper, when I won awards for journalism and for sales.....but then, he had 3 very traditional daughters, and I WAS supposed to be his last shot at a son......always the rebel.

I think I'm rambling and not getting my thoughts out at all.  Perhaps feminism is, to me, as an old broad, the right to be equal in all venues, but the responsibility to make CHOICES taking into consideration all the things, includng children, that we want in our lives.

And Gina, you made the choice to be a Mom and that, my dear, takes real courage.

 "Feminist ideology taught that the duties of the housewife and mother were (in Friedan’s words) “endless, monotonous, unrewarding” and “peculiarly suited to the capacities of feeble-minded girls.”"

article... http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/2006/feb06/psrfeb06.html

Friedan = Betty Friedan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan

  this is what I was hoping for!! Perspective from people of ALL AGES and all lifestyles!!!

Glenda, your post reminds me of my mom, although I am quite sure you are younger than she is. 

What has changed?  So little and yet so much.  Is feminism responsible for my lifestyle choices?  The fact that I am able to work on cars while wearing acrylic nails without a trace of irony?  Maybe.  Or maybe I'm just crazy.  That could be- I'm an upstream swimmer for sure.

I am sort of constantly in seach of what it means to be a feminist, mostly because people so often label me as one.  I balk at the label, mostly because I feel it comes with a sort of attitude that men are actually INFERIOR, ironically.  At its worst, feminism blames men for everything that's ever happened for women, and I find that neither appropriate nor accurate.  At its best, I think feminism empowers women to think outside the box... specifically meaning that it allows us to choose what's most appropriate for us as individuals rather than allow choices to be made for us by pop culture and public opinion.

That means that GINA has made a choice that may not have been popular with some people, and I think that's the point.  I think true feminism allows us to recognize that we are worthy of our choices, whether it be Glenda's path, which is like my mom's, or Gina's, which is more like my aunt's, or my path, which is like neither.

Feminism and woman's issues are really huge, deep subjects.  We can talk about Joan of Arc or Rosie the Riveter (my personal fave) or Gloria Steinem or Erica Jong or a hundred other famous figures, but I would rather talk about the actions of the everyday woman.  Yes, those women and their stories impacted every day women, but HOW?  How do we, as women, make our choices?  How do we feel about our choices?  Does being a woman impact our choices?  Should it?  What standards do we have for ourselves, and where do they come from?

For me, this is more about asking open-ended question that force us to think about ourselves as individuals, rather and women as a group.  Just my $.02.  Since I am a work in progress, I expect that my opinions will evolve, possibly even as a result of this thread... which is sort of what I'm hoping for.

*edit  to correct spelling*

Bradley...care to say something about your beliefs instead of simply posting articles...or is the submission of the article just a statement of your own beliefs? No difference to me either way, I just wonder why so cryptic on your part.

cyclefiend2000

 "Feminist ideology taught that the duties of the housewife and mother were (in Friedan’s words) “endless, monotonous, unrewarding” and “peculiarly suited to the capacities of feeble-minded girls.”"

article... http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/2006/feb06/psrfeb06.html

 

Friedan = Betty Friedan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan

I don't agree with this at all.  That wasn't the point of the movement at all.  That is a small-minded interpretation.

If you're going to pull from that article, pull something like this:

"Articulating vintage feminism in the 1974 Harvard Educational Review, Hillary Clinton wrote disparagingly about wives who are in “a dependency relationship” which, she said, is akin to “slavery and the Indian reservation system.” 

70's feminism was extremely reactionary and perhaps did more harm than good to the "cause" of women's lib, if one insists on calling it that.  However, the hard push made it acceptable to buck the trend, and now I think we're more balanced because of it.

"Since the father typically has higher income than the mother..."  <--- quote like this show the fear-based attitudes of people who can't handle sharing control of the world.  YES, typically the man makes more.  For EQUAL work.  WHY?  Is that not a form of control???

"Feminists oppose anything that is all-male or all-female unless it’s gay marriage."  Again, declarative statements with no basis whatsoever.  Don't lump ME in that group, because I'm all about gender specific activities.

"Right here at home, the feminists have created hundreds of thousands of college-educated women for whom no college-educated husbands are available.."  WHAT???? Why is THIS the most important thing, entering into the contract of marriage?  Why would THIS be considered a crisis????????

"...there is no justice when the government accepts feminist dogma that the woman is always right while the man is always wrong."  Agreed that in some courts, like family court, the pendulum has swung this way.  But let us NOT FORGET that there was a time when the OPPOSITE was true, and that the taking of a husband's last name was designed to show TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP- that's right literal OWNERSHIP- from a father to a husband. 

I'm going to stop now. 

I confess to being a bit scared of the word...or rather what it seems to do to some people LOL. My cousin for ex has always been rather a floaty type...into clothes, makeup, fashion, loved her pretty boys even if they treated her like doo doo, looks matter...you know?

She went to school...college and decided upon Hispanic Womyn's Studies...and they spell it like that, no idea why (?).

She now on the odd occasion we speak, has this "ick" factor in her tone and manner, when she discusses kids or men, or marrying and such. It's very off putting...no idea what happened. I don't know...she seems very happy...but I am not sure why her happiness had to come at the expense of the ability to NOT look down her nose at other women's life choices? We in the family have always been there and supportive of her choices to be in school, and then continue on to get her masters and such...

I don't know...but we don't talk much anymore and the next comment she makes about men or kids...might result in my having a cometojesus with her.

I think it's great that more choices are available and with regards esp to reproductive issues...I will fight to make sure those changes are positive and that they stick. I just am not fully on board with a lot of the other stuff like you say....that seems to some people, to be what being a "feminist" is.

 i thought the author took some rather pointed quotes made by one of the foremost feminists to make her points rather well.

Bradley...care to say something about your beliefs instead of simply posting articles...or is the submission of the article just a statement of your own beliefs?

i dont for a second think that any of you are really interested in my real thoughts on feminism. just like there didnt seem to think ron had anything worthwhile to say in the VP thread based on his gender and race.

what people think is just that, Bradely...their thoughts. They sure don't have to agree with Ron...nor he with them. Not sure why that's even being brought up here....but okay.

 i dont for a second think that any of you are really interested in my real thoughts on feminism

not true.

 alright then...

 feminism is a 4-letter word best not spoken in polite company.

Actually, BRADLEY, I am VERY interested in your opinion, precisisely because you are a man.  That doesn't mean that I'm not going to debate the points posted.  And debating the points posted should NOT be interpreted as a refusal to acknowledge your opinion.

I realize that the term "feminism" is a loaded and sometimes threatening word.  That's why I posted the thread with the on the subject line.  Let's not get all crazy here.  I think we can disagree respectfully.

cyclefiend2000

 alright then...

 feminism is a 4-letter word best not spoken in polite company.

I'm not sure if this is meant to be sarcastic or not.  I'm just curious why it's not okay with you to have the discussion?