Feminism In the Western World
Through the years there have been many changes in the Western world. These changes created a lasting impact, moulding our world into what it is today. A large social issue that has developed through time is gender inequality and feminism. According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, feminism can be described as; “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. Feminism started as a search for fundamental rights for women, which has morphed into trying to strive for the most fulfilling life possible for both genders. This idea was and will continue to influence the society of the Western world.
During the 1600’s and 1700’s, best known as the enlightenment period. The enlightenment era valued rational change. This era was the beginning of modern day feminism, and the idea of women gaining basic rights emerged. A women who had a significant impact on the social issue of feminism was Mary Wollstonecraft.
Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759 and died in 1797. Wollstonecraft was an english writer, philosopher and advocate for women’s rights (“Mary Wollstonecraft”). She is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which was one of the first great feminist documents. She believed that women were unable to reach their full potential due to lack of education and the gender expectations placed on women.
The way to fix this problem, according to Wollstonecraft, was to end the limits in education, ideals of women in society, and the importance of beauty. During this time period the inequality of the genders affected every aspect of life. Wollstonecraft saw this, and acknowledged that it was holding women back. She had a high regard for education, and felt to best allow women to be educated, there needed to be gender equality within the schools. Women needed to start to be seen as something more than a wife, while also being educated. This would allow the gender walls to be broken down. In Wollstonecraft’s era, society expected women to be obedient to their husbands and care for their children. She thought that society needed to let go of these expectations and allow women to reach their full potential in life. Women would be able to be better mothers and wives if society allowed them to grow more as people. She also recognized the restraint of beauty on a female. She saw it as unjust to focus only on beauty and to neglect other aspects of a women (such as her mind and soul).
Wollstonecraft was one of the first feminists, and she had a lasting impact on the social issue. She wanted to stop the ideals of society, to allow women to strive to be the best they could be. She was ahead of her time with her ideals and values. For years before, and years ahead of her, the focus was on gaining the same rights as men. This was part of her focus as well, although she had the idea of expanding beyond this and getting the best for women.
In the early 1800’s feminism was still expanding. The 1800 's were full of varying opinions and values. There were many influential figures during this time period. A huge contributor to the 1800’s feminism is John Stewart Mills, a male feminist.
J.S Mills was born in 1806 and died in 1873. Mills was a philosopher and believed in gender equality. He was one of the first public male feminists. Mills wrote the essay Subjection of Women, which “campaigns strongly for women’s rights, suffrage and equal access to education for women” (Deepa). In Mills’ time, women working was an unthinkable idea. He believed that if women were given the choice between working the same jobs as men or working in the home, that the women would choose the home. His ideas are not what most feminists today would agree with, because Mill’s was just fighting for women’s well being in general. J.S Mills influenced the feminist movement the most by sparking the idea that men can also be feminists. This sets a standard that both genders are able to fight for women. It paved the path for the idea of achieving a happy life was possible for both genders.
The late 1800’s- early 1900’s had a development which shaped the Western world drastically. During this time period is when women gained the right to vote. This new right allowed women to have a say in the government, which ultimately shifted the control that men had.
The struggle to gain the right to vote is referred to as the suffrage movement. The term suffragette was used to describe a woman who was fighting for the movement. At the time ⅔ of men were able to vote. The men who were unable to vote were ones who did not own land or pay rent, servants who lived with their employers, and criminals (“The Women’s Suffrage Movement”). Essentially, the men who were excluded from voting were one’s who were in debt to others and/or criminals, while all women were unable to vote. The right to vote would allow women to have a say in the government, and contribute to choosing who made the decisions for them. In June 1908, the Women’s Sunday March in Hyde Park consisted of 250,000 people shouting “Votes for Women” (“The women’s Suffrage”). This event was a shift in the movement. As the suffragettes began to become more militant, the police started to fight back. The women started chaining themselves outside of the prime ministers office, though it escalated to smashing windows and rioting. Many suffragettes were arrested for causing disorder. Due to the efforts of the suffragettes, on July 28 1928, a law passed allowing women over the age of 21 to be allowed to vote (The Women’s Suffrage”). The gain of this fundamental right made women one step closer to being equal to men.
The first forms of feminism are often referred to as first wave feminism. This era of feminism focused on basic rights. Things that dominated this wave were things such as; voting rights, women’s dignity, opening opportunities for women and a focus on suffrage ( Rampton).
In 1940 and post war era, there were many influential feminists and feminist improvements. This time period was recovering from the hardships of past depressions and world wars. Two women who influenced the social issue were Betty Friedan and Simone De Beauvoir. The women had varying backgrounds, morals and opinions, but were working towards the same.
Betty Friedan was born in 1921 and died in 2006 (“ Betty Friedan”). Friedan was a women’s rights activist and journalist, who was the co-founder of The National Organization for Women. In 1963, Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique. Her book broke ground in feminism, and she thought that women were able to find fulfillment outside of the traditional female roles. The inspiration from her book came from being a tired housewife. From that feeling, she explored whether other women felt the same way. In her book she explored the ideas of redefining femininity, femininity in society and self empowerment (Amongst other themes). Her basic belief was that women needed to break free from traditional expectations and find their own way in life. Her beliefs did not reject traditional roles of motherhood and womanhood, instead she said to incorporate past beliefs into your own values. The idea of women empowering themselves was a newer concept in feminism. 
Simone De Beauvoir was born in 1908 and died in 1986. She was a french writer and activist. Simone de Beauvoir had a similar idea to Friedan, both women believed that there were societal restraints placed on women. De Beauvoir is most commonly known for her book The Second Sex. In her book she discusses the idea what women as classified as ‘the second sex’, while men are the first sex. She believes that women are seen to be less than men, which is holding women back from success. De Beauvoir inspired the second wave feminism movement.
1960-1990 could be classified as second wave feminism (Rampton). This feminism broke away from fundamental rights and branched out to encompass more liberal ideas. The idea of sexuality and reproductive rights were what dominated this wave. Advances in feminism, which occurred during second wave are things such as; birth control, divorce and abortion ( Haberman, pg. 446). The focus was on ideas which would improve the way women were able to live.
When birth control was first introduced it allowed women to take control of their bodies. They were now able to have sexual encounters, while eliminating the risk of getting pregnant. Women are able to dictate when they are ready for children. This allowed women stay in the work force for much longer. Another impact that birth control had was on the average age of marriage. After birth control became available the average age of marriage began to rise. Pre-marital sex was now an option, due to the lowered risk of pregnancy. People were no longer waiting till marriage to have sex, therefore putting it off until a little later in life.
A controversial issue that was presented during second wave feminism was abortion. Feminists fought for safe and legalized abortion, claiming it is their reproductive right as women (Napikoski). The idea was, if it was legal it would be done in a safe manner, compared to their current situation. This fight wasn’t just about abortion, but being able to have control over their reproductive rights as women.
Today feminism has shifted over time. It started out as a search for basic rights and has now turned into a way to find the most fulfilling way possible for women. The major focus is no longer on fighting to work, a right to vote, or being able to choose for themselves. It has become a search for the most fulfilling and positive life possible. As seen throughout history the feminist movement was strong and will continue to be. In today’s society, there are many influential feminists.
A popular actress has recently spoken out about her ideas and values of feminism. Emma Watson has opened up a new discussion about what feminism really is. Her idea is the fight is never over, but we need to stop worrying about what it’s called. Feminism has gained a negative stigma attached to the word. Many people have this preconceived idea that all modern day feminists are ‘man haters’ and want to be the superior sex, which is not the case. Watson, amongst many other modern day feminists, are trying to redefine feminism and end the negative views. They are working towards the best for women. A major focus being influencing the next generation of women and men. The modern day idea is both men and women can be feminists and work together towards gender equality. What the future holds for feminism is further social development for women as well as men. Feminism has come a long way, but still has a long way to go.
Works Cited
“Betty Friedan.” Biography. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 22 May 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/betty-friedan-9302633>.
Deepa, Sai. “John Stuart Mill and the Feminist Theory.” Knoj. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. <https://european-history.knoji.com/john-stuart-mill-and-the-feminist-theory/>.
“Feminism.” Merriam-Webster. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Merriam-Webster. Web. 9 June 2015. <http://www.merriam-webster.com>.
Haberman, Arthur. The Modern Age: Ideas in Western Civilization. Toronto: Gage Educational, 1987. Print.
- - -. The West & the World. Toronto: Gage Learning, 2002. Print.
Kuiper, Kathleen. “Olympe de Gouges.” Britannica. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Olympe-de-Gouges>.
“Mary Wollstonecraft.” Biography.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 June 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/mary-wollstonecraft-9535967#personal-life-and-legacy>.
Napikoski, Linda. “Abortion on Demand: A Second Wave Feminist Demand.” About Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/abortionprochoice/a/abortion-on-demand.htm>.
Palmer, Clarissa. “Olympe De Gouges.” Olympe De Gouges. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 June 2015. <http://www.olympedegouges.eu/index.php>.
Rampton, Martha. “The Three Waves of Feminism.” Pacific University Oregon. N.p., 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 June 2015. <http://www.pacificu.edu/about-us/news-events/three-waves-feminism>.
Swackhamer, Brittany. “Feminism 101: The Second Wave.” examiner.com. N.p., 28 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 June 2015. <http://www.examiner.com/article/feminism-101-the-second-wave>.
“The Women’s Suffrage Movement.” Tchevalier. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. <http://www.tchevalier.com/fallingangels/bckgrnd/suffrage/>.
I agree that there is still a need for improved human rights, especially women’s rights. There was always a struggle for human rights but women were not even counted as humans but as possessions.Throughout the enlightenment era and other revolutions for human rights, people focused on the economic hierarchy and dismissed the gender problems. You mentioned:
ReplyDeleteToday feminism has shifted over time. It started out as a search for basic rights and has now turned into a way to find the most fulfilling way possible for women. The major focus is no longer on fighting to work, a right to vote, or being able to choose for themselves. It has become a search for the most fulfilling and positive life possible.
I still stand to my belief that there is still the need for more improved human rights specifically women’s rights. Women in modern day western world are still mistreated, for every $1.00 a man makes- a women would get roughly around 70 cents for performing the same task- this is sexism and social injustice. There’s a lot of evidence in social injustice towards women in modern society that still needs to be improved- one of them is a women having to decide whether she wants a family or her career more. The government secures that when a women goes for a maternity leave she is paid 55% of what she would originally be making in her career and the law does state that when a women comes back from a maternity leave- she is still guaranteed the previous job that she has left before her maternity leave. However, it’s proven in many cases that even if a woman is guaranteed her previous career - she is terminated within months or even weeks of return. Here are some cases that which were retrieved from employmentlawtoday.com that proves that social injustice is very much existent in modern society. The court upheld numerous termination cases- Palmer v. Godfrey Associates Ltd, Knelsen v Premium Pellet Ltd. etc..most cases are connected to the violation of the human rights code and employment standards in Canada. All in all, women should not even be fighting in court for their career back because it should not have been taken away from them in the first place. I believe that the major focus in modern society should be the inequality treatment towards women vs men in the workplace and even in social settings (society). Although I agree with your statement, “ feminism has come a long way, but still has a long way to go” , I would have to strongly disagree with you on your dismissal on the struggle of women in fighting for work in modern day society.
Over all, I completely agree with the points made within your post. Your blog is extremely thorough and provides a well structured time line of feminism. I found it interesting to have a distinct idea of when things happened and to be able to apply that to the time period as I already know it. Something I learned through your post was the idea of first and second wave feminism. You mentioned that, “The first forms of feminism are often referred to as first wave feminism. This era of feminism focused on basic rights”. Throughout my research I never encountered this information, it makes so much sense and it really helps identify the way feminism has changed to suit the needs of each time period. I love how you included the points about birth control and abortion. I never knew when those ideas were first introduced and when I read your post it was astonishing to see how recent that actually is. I find it hard to imagine the western world without birth control, it’s become such a cultural norm in our society. I believe it’s a positive thing, it gives women more control over their sexual life, like you mentioned. In third world countries women have no access to this and I think it’s a big part of why there are so many issues with poverty and overpopulation. The lack of access and education to and about birth control is hard to even imagine from a first world perspective, it’s so fundamental to us. I am also glad that you included points about abortion, it’s an extremely controversial subject that definitely still needs to be addressed today. There are always going to be people that have their own opinions, and that is ok. However, I think it’s up to a woman what she does with her body and her life. These points stuck out to me as these remain issues today. Something I am wondering after reading your post goes back to the idea of ‘waves of feminism’. The first wave was about fundamental rights. Liberal ideas were what the second wave covered. Do you think that after the second wave has been accomplished there will be some kind of third wave? What would it encompass? Also I’m wondering if the waves occur in countries that feminism has scarcely been able to impact as of yet, will the start of it be called third wave if the western world participates in it. For example, on social media feminism has promoted petitions and given me a lot of information on the treatment of women in third world countries. If the feminists of the Western World help to begin feminism in other countries, is that considered third wave feminism? Third wave feminism could very well be the shifting of focus from the equality in the west to the inequality in other places. It could be the joining of everyone everywhere to promote equality. I agree with each of the points you brought up in your blog, it was very well structured and informed. I liked the content of your blog although I wish it included more discussion about issues outside of the Western World. However, I do understand that this course is primarily focused on the West so it does make sense that your blog would focus on that. Great work on your blog, I loved reading it and have ended feeling more informed on the subject of feminism.
ReplyDeleteHannah, your blog post truthfully illustrates the ideology behind feminism. Feminism, like you stated in your blog, “started as a search for fundamental rights for women, which has morphed into trying to strive for the most fulfilling life possible for both genders“ (Gamblin 2015). I think that your post explains the growth of feminism in the western world. Now I do not necessarily agree with Wollstonecraft's ideas about what females needed during the 1700s. The ideas of Betty Friedan illustrated that, “Her basic belief was that women needed to break free from traditional expectations and find their own way in life. Her beliefs did not reject traditional roles of motherhood and womanhood, instead she said to incorporate past beliefs into your own values. The idea of women empowering themselves was a newer concept in feminism “(Gamblin 2015). Friedan illustrated ideas that I completely agree with. I believe that women should feel empowered, but they also should not have to give up the housewife image if that is the life they wish to lead. Friedan's believed that women should be able to live and do whatever they want, whatever would make them happy. “Feminism has gained a negative stigma attached to the word. Many people have this preconceived idea that all modern day feminists are ‘man haters’ and want to be the superior sex, which is not the case. Watson, amongst many other modern day feminists, are trying to feminism and end the negative views “ (Gamblin 2015). I agree with the steps that women are taking to break free of the negative stigma, although I also feel women should be free to not label themselves as a feminist. Women should have the freedom to do as they please, and there should be no fear of labeling yourself as a feminist or not. I believe that all people, no matter what gender, sex (because gender and sex are not necessarily the same), age, race, ethnicity, etc, should have the freedom to do as they please, to be “man-haters”, if that’s how they want to live life, then so be it. I think that people should be fighting for equality as whole, because if we want everyone to be seen as equals we need to start treating everyone as equals. We need to join forces with everyone, not just other females, we need need everyone to be on the same boat with what women are trying to achieve. Yes, there will always be individuals who are pig-headed and don’t believe women have rights, or people of different races do not have rights, or people who are not heterosexual deserve rights, but in all honesty, those people in reality have no hold over all of the women and men who are fighting together for equal rights. I think that Emma Watson is an incredibly strong woman who is standing up for women and trying to break the stigma, she is someone that I think all women and men alike should look up to, because in my opinion her stance on feminism is spot on. All in all, Hannah, what you wrote deeply illustrates the true ideas of feminism, not the skewed public view, thank you for showing the true history behind the creation of feminism.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that Mary Wollstonecraft "thought that society needed to let go of these expectations and allow women to reach their full potential in life." Because her main goal was for education to be granted to women so that they would serve as better wives, mothers and sisters. Which is still limiting women to those roles.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is still work to be done with regards to gender equality. As you mentioned:
"The major focus is no longer on fighting to work, a right to vote, or being able to choose for themselves. It has become a search for the most fulfilling and positive life possible." I agree that now laws have been made that ensure the equality of women. However as you stated, the fight is not over. As history shows, laws don't always change the hearts of people. When looking at American history, even though numerous laws and Civil Rights acts have been passed, racism still exists. Example include the deaths in Ferguson and Baltimore where black people died just because they were black. Also laws in Canada state that gay marriage is legal, however much discrimination still happens to homosexuals to this day. Just like other social issues such as homophobia and racism, for gender inequality now begins the slow change in culture and mindset that humans had since the beginning of their existence. All the right laws are in place, now its just up to people to accept and live by them.