After our conversation last class I really got thinking about feminism and gender equality. Feminism is something that was brought up with Butler and was the focus of our discussion. At the beginning of the class I was asked if I was a feminist and I honestly did not know. I know what feminism is on a basic level but I don’t know what it is on a deeper level. I kind of think feminism really got started as a gender equality movement to get women to have the same rights as men but then it formed into something a lot bigger. After really giving it some thought I think that each person can have their own definition of feminism. I am starting to think that the definition of feminism is constantly changing and evolving as new social issues arise. Does believing in gender equality make someone a feminist or do they have to support other social issues surrounding women? Everyone has their own beliefs so do people have to believe in the same thing to be under a certain title?
Gender Equality vs. Feminism
Square
I definitely agree there are different feminisms, as well as I think the word “feminism” sounds “harsh” and usually people steer away from calling themselves a feminist, but prefer a term like “humanist” that is neutral. In reality, feminism defines as the social, political, and economic equality of all genders. However, I’ve recently been educating myself on different feminisms in my activism and feminism, such as understanding and endorsing intersectional feminism (a feminism that acknowledges race, ethnicity, economic level, sexual orientation, education level, and more intersect with gender equality), and coming to understand what white feminism is and how it can have negative effects on intersectionality. I think people fear titles and labels. I also think an understanding of what feminism is, what it means, and what is NOT feminism is as equally crucial as the concept itself.