Labaton And Martin What Wave Analysis

Feminism is a common topic in the media nowadays, especially because of how many breakthroughs women are making. In 2016, a woman is nominated for President of the United States by a major political party and many science fields are becoming dominated by women. But it appears that many people are not aware of what exactly feminism is. With such a powerful movement, it is no wonder that feminism includes controversies over the exact definition. According to Shaw and Lee, feminism includes two core principles: inclusive and affirming of women and femininity; and equality and justice (p. 13). By being inclusive and affirming, feminism celebrates the achievements of women and strives to continuously provide a positive stance towards women and feminine

It is important, however, to acknowledge the history of the feminist movement in order to understand opposing opinions. From listening to people’s anonymous opinions during the first week of class, it appears that many young women experience a disconnect with modern feminism. In “What Wave?,” Labaton and Martin express the idea that this disconnect is not due to differing ideologies, but instead misconceptions about feminism (p. xxv). Labaton and Martin cite the misconception that feminists burn bras and are crazy cat ladies, and a quick Google search of “feminist” yields new articles daily that further these negative views of feminists. Because the media perpetuates the idea that feminism is associated with radical ideologies where women are “dykes who hate men” (Weissman, p. 34), it is easy to understand why some people may view feminism is a negative

xxii). This idea is further expressed in bell hooks’s article “Feminist Politics.” She mentions that the majority of people who witness feminism see women that are “usually white and materially privileged” (p. 37). From watching the film Iron Jawed Angels in class, we were made aware even further that feminism began as a movement for upper class white women, especially when women of color were told they were not allowed to march in the suffragists’ parade. Bell hooks furthers her argument by stating that even though black women were active in the women’s rights movement, “they were not the individuals who became the “stars” of the movement” (p. 37). Considering the early feminist movement was not inclusive of women of color or queer women, it is understandable why some women may not identify as a feminist and may, in fact, see it as a growing manifestation of an exclusive movement dedicated to only the advancement of racially and economically privileged