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Different approaches to feminism and intersectionality
Intersectional feminism essay
Intersectional feminism essay
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The Feminism movement dates back to as early as 1848. Women have been advocating for their basic human rights for more than 150 years. So, does this mean that Feminism is no longer necessary? Many believe feminism was only for the women who were denied their civil rights in the mid 1900’s, and that today, this movement is almost useless. Some also believe that feminism is not necessary in developed countries. Feminism is a social movement for the advocacy of women’s’ social, political, and economic rights. This movement is necessary because of the common thought that feminism is even considered “debatable”, that the government thinks they can decide what we do with our bodies, that we are deemed incapable of holding professional …show more content…
The rank of systematic oppression shows that not all women are in one evenly oppressed group, but white women obviously rank higher than women of color simply because, hello, they’re white. For every dollar a man makes, a white woman makes about $0.77. An African American woman makes about $0.64. A Hispanic woman makes about $0.54. Just like with men and women all together, there is a system of races, and each race ranks a place. Among women, there is also a race rank, which determines our success, our treatment and our place in society. Intersectional feminism has many benefits to women—and men everywhere. P.O.C. women’s sexuality is even more strictly confidential than white women’s, and this must be fixed, for the sake of our own advancement as a society (Morgan 43). Black Feminism helps individuals part from black female stereotypes, and is extremely helpful in the medical field to help students understand racial health disparities. Black Feminism can broaden health research from being predominately white (Love 14). Black feminism, however, is not only beneficial to black women, but to all women of color. It promotes the advancement of women of all
Lastly, the feminism movement should be embraced. Women have come a long way from not being allowed to vote or not being able to have the same jobs as men. Women have been treated second class to men and even though a lot has changed, there are still some areas where there are shortcomings. This movement is here to help, not only women but humanity (Cavanaugh, 2014).
However, the hardships and misfortunes of other groups of women due to race, religion, sexual orientation, etc are not often mentioned because feminism has a widespread message and definition worldwide. In the United States, black women or any women with darker skin complexions were treated inhumanely and did not, also still today did not benefit from white privilege. As explained, referring back to the era of slavery up until the American Revolution black enslaved women were mistreated due to the color of their skin and they were without a voice because of their lack of power in a society where man had more power over women and blacks were overpowered by those with lighter skin. Overall, it is important to note and realize that all women were subjected to unequal treatment due to many variables, but some women more than others because of certain variables as
African American women are considered the most disadvantaged group vulnerable to discrimination and harassment. Researchers have concluded that their racial and gender classification may explain their vulnerable position within society, despite the strides these women have made in education, employment, and progressing their families and communities (Chavous et al. 2004; Childs 2005; Hunter 1998; Settles 2006; Wilkins 2012). Most people agree that race and gender categories are explained as the biological differences between individuals in our society; however sociologists understand that race and gender categories are social constructions that are maintained on micro and macro levels. Historically, those in power who control the means of production within a society have imposed race, class, and gender meanings onto the minority population in order to maintain their dominant position and justify the unequal treatment of minority individuals by the divisions of race, class, and gender categories (Collins 2004; Nguyen & Anthony 2014; Settles 2006;).
“In the context of violence against women, this elision of difference in identity politics is problematic, fundamentally because the violence that many women experience is often shaped by other dimensions of their identities, such as race and class” (Crenshaw, 160). When determining levels of oppression, you can’t just look at gender. Incorporating race and class is necessary in order to fully understand the privileges and oppressions a woman faces in a patriarchal society. “Because women of color experience racism in ways not always the same as those experienced by men of color and sexism in ways not always parallel to experiences of white women, antiracism and feminism are limited, even on their own terms” (Crenshaw, 162). African American women experience oppression differently than White women due to social constructions about race and their political position within
What is intersectional feminism? Intersectional feminism is a fight for social justice that includes more factors than gender. This is important because there is no one-size-fits-all type of feminism. There are a variety of things that contribute to oppression. For example, white cisgender middle class person faces different discriminations than that of a transgender disabled black person.
Multiracial feminism addressed the fact that racism was the core of oppression for most women of color. Along with racism it also addressed class, gender, and sexuality. All of the interlocking oppressions worked together against women of color which made necessary for their own brand of feminism. The mainstream feminism associated with Second Wave did not take into consideration any of these other forms of oppression for women. This lead to Black, Latina, Native American, and Asian groups of women to start feminist organizations that individually addressed their unique struggles as women in America. For example, in early 1970s Black women formed the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) which focused solely on the issues of black women such as stereotypes of black women in the media, discrimination in the workplace, and Black women’s self- esteem (Thompson 53). Groups such as NBFO helped to serve antiracist agenda while providing inclusivity for the women of the Black community. Racism was so prevalent in the United States that it could not be seen as a stand-alone problem to sexism or
A black woman won’t face sexism and then racism independently of each other, but a racialized sexism that can only be understood by addressing them together. Modern day feminists have taken this idea and applied it to all aspects of life that can cause a person to face adversity or privilege, including but not limited to gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, religion, and nationality. Looking at someone’s individual situation as something with different facets of privilege and oppression has helped feminists to approach the movement in the way to help all women. My own experiences have come from the intersections between my white and socioeconomic privileges and the oppressions that I face as a woman. These oppressions and privileges stem from the patriarchal ideologies of the social superstructure and show how intersectionality is faced at the personal
Feminism is the result of the woman’s liberation movement, which began in the 18th century and gained momentum in the late 19th century after it was found that males were completely dominating every area of life. The word feminism at any point in time, has had many negative connotations to it as well as a good majority of the
Feminism can simply be defined as a range of movements and ideologies in which share a common ground in terms of defining, establishing and achieving equal opportunities to that of males, in regards to economic, cultural and social rights. It is a critique of male supremacy with efforts in changing this to end the social oppression of women. (Hooks, 2000)
Racism and discrimination along the lines of ability and age also contribute to poverty in women. Women of colour are underemployed and paid less than white women (Gaszo, 2010). They are also more likely to be employed ...
Feminism is the movement towards women’s equality. It fights for equal rights in the social, political, cultural and economical aspects for women. Feminism also fights for equal opportunity for women in employment and education. A feminist is someone who advocates their support for women’s rights but is not restricted to only women; anyone who supports women’s rights and equality are feminists, including men. Feminism is not only about the females, it fights for gender equality for all. Feminist movements, or Women’s movements, campaign for reforms in household issues with domestic violence, political issues with equal pay, employment and maternity leave, and reproduction rights. All feminism movements fight for equal rights, but it cannot be conquered or be made known all at once. First wave feminism was mostly about women’s suffrage and political equality in general. Second wave feminism went more in depth about the social and cultural inequalities.
True feminism sought for women to have freedom and rights, such as the right to vote, the right to gain an education, and the right to equal wages. In most aspects, we have been given these rights, but radical feminists are not content. There has been a jump from “We are equal to men,” to “women are superior.” Women have been fighting stereotypes for ages, proclaiming how horrid they are, yet quickly turn around and stereotype men and see no issue with this hypocrisy. The way for women to reach the equality they seek is to bring others up as well as themselves, not to tear them down. When feminists realize and act upon this, they will begin to see the results they have been hoping
Even though society has distorted the ideals feminism was founded upon, some of the remaining true roots still hold true. While women are gaining equal opportunities in society, they need to not diminish the importance of working together with men to form a functional society. The widespread idea of quotas needs to be analyzed. People should be accepted into college or hired for a job because they are the most qualified, not because of their sex. Society has demented feminism as a harmful dogma because it has been an excuse, almost a cop-out by women who do not want to work for their acceptance. Both men and women need to realize the necessity that exists for each other to make society work.
“A feminist is one who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes” (Adichie, 2013). Feminism is not the belief that one’s sexual orientation or one’s power is superior over another. The very meaning of feminism demonstrates a complete resistance to this belief. Throughout the years, a range of categories of feminism philosophy have developed. They consist of goals in objectives, methodologies, and affiliations. Many feminists distinguish themselves with many branches of women 's activist thought. The three forms of feminism that this essay will consider are liberal feminism, socialist feminism, and radical feminism. This essay will argue that liberal feminism is the most valid theory of feminism as liberal feminist’s
The feminist movement helped earn women the right to vote, but even then, it wasn’t enough to get accepted into the workforce. They were given the strength to fight the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be three waves of feminism, each wave fighting for a different issue concerning women’s rights. Laws protecting sexual assault and alimony would be enacted, and women were now allowed custody of their children in divorce cases.