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Women in us during the progressive era
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The land of the free as it is known today, but is it really free? At least in the beginning of The United States of America, this was not the case. The laws of the nation allowed slavery of African Americans and took away power from women. Women were perceived to be reserved and subservient towards their husbands, otherwise they were not good women. It was not until the early-mid 19th century that women gained enough ground to begin discussing women’s rights in the United States. They gained basic rights for a less subservient life style; marriage became a thing of love not obligation. The second wave of feminism came in the 1960s when women saw the opportunity to become completely equal with men in the United States. The latest wave, the …show more content…
Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a new society in which the claimed male supremacy is eliminated. The radical feminists seek to abolish patriarchy by challenging existing social norms and institutions, rather than through a purely political process (Radical). With this call for a new society in which there is no patriarchy, the radicals are calling for rights that men do not have at the moment and will most likely never obtain. Thus, meaning that the radicals are calling for a truly matriarchal society …show more content…
The first wave of feminism gave women basic rights to make life in the United States better. The second wave brought more intensive programs and acts to bring women to a somewhat equal stance with men. The third wave has continued where the second wave left off, but gave rise to a radical group. This radical group believes that society in the United States is patriarchal and that women are always the victim. The radicals even call for more rights than men in the United States, while women in Middle Eastern countries continue to suffer being subservient to men. Feminism in the United States has met its end for all practical, equality purposes. It is time for the less fortunate women of other countries around the world to join feminism and gain equality for a better
In the United States there have been three waves of women’s rights movements. The first movement was called the women’s right movement. This movement was mainly focused on white women and their right to vote as well as hold office. (Wood, p.62) The second movement was the women’s liberation movement, also known as radical feminism. This movement mainly impacted college students because college campuses were a great place for radical feminism to emerge. The radical feminists protested the Vietnam War and fought for civil rights. The women in this movement risked their lives and physical abuse just like the males did. (Wood, p.64) The third wave of feminism in the United States was known as third- wave feminism. In this movement woman with different ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, classes, appearances, sexual orientation and gender identities came together to fight for their rights as women. (Wood, p.74)
The 1960s cultural movement in the United States sent shockwaves through American society. Nearly every aspect of traditional life was challenged and among these was the role of women. Following in the footsteps of suffragettes during the turn of the twentieth century, a new wave of feminism was emerging in the United States that aspired to take the women's right movement beyond the realm of constitutional rights. This movement, now known as second-wave feminism, sought to bring what they viewed as true gender equality by focusing on a number of issues that negatively affected women. The second-wave accomplished much, but there is a historical consensus that it came to an end during the eighties, giving way to a third-wave of feminism in the early nineties.
The image that is usually placed with feminism is that of a rabid, bra-burning, lesbian running around disclaiming the patriarchy. It could be that of a mid-century housewife complaining about how her only career choices are between teacher and secretary, or even of a woman with a sash and banner walking in front of the White House; preaching about her right to vote. However, this isn't necessarily the case. Ever since the rise of the internet, in the late 20th Century, feminism has had a revival causing it to grow in popularity and spread across forums everywhere. Women are joining this “third wave” movement to bring an end to the societal injustices that still plague the gender today (qtd. in Haslanger et al.). Feminism currently represents much more than it did in its infantile stage, having evolved to include relevant issues that affect every woman in today’s subordinating world. Issues such as rape culture, slut shaming, abortion and the wage gap have all been adapted into the feminist agenda with the hope that, as a united force, women could bring change to a misogynist society. The bra burning days are over, and feminism is on a rise, bringing light to issues that need to be addressed.
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. In simple terms, it is the ideology of women being equal to men and it is often misinterpreted as the belief of women being above them. Feminists believe in diminishing patriarchy which is a system of society and or government in which men are considered more powerful than women. When people are against feminism they are supporting sexism which is why it is important to educate ourselves on the matter and to understand why we need it.
While women continue to be ranked as the weaker sex by popular opinion, feminists have bright hopes in a change towards their liberation. As Rebecca Solnit stated, “feminism has just started and it’s not stopping now. We are witnessing a full-fledged war, not of the sexes but of gender roles”(Solnit). Feminism and the right to equality has been a long and arduous struggle for women before the Civil Rights Act. The Feminine Mystique sparked a change, questioning society, which continues today as women fight for equal treatment regardless of laws that claim for their protection. Feminists will continue to fight for the day where women will be treated as equals, where there will be no gender bias, and for the day when a woman can state her mind, just as her male counterpart, without being called an uptight
Today’s America is being overrun be people who believe in change, people who think that every individual should be brought up with the exact same conditions, no matter what their physical or psychological differences. People who use term “politically correct” whenever they perceive an injustice toward someone because of the orthodox way of life in America that has remained constant for decades. Now, these people, these feminists, want to change everything because they think people (more specifically, woman) have been getting the short-end of the stick for years. Now, these feminists are infiltrating our government, corporations and schools, slowly assimilating individuals into their group. The patriarchs of this society (that is those who believe things should stay as they are) are allowing this to happen because of fear of what the feminists might present against them.
Patriarchy creates a social division. It is often used to describe the power between a male and a woman. This idea is important in Radical Feminism. Seen as the root of female oppression, Radical Feminists recognize that patriarchy is everywhere. Radical feminist came about because they were not happy with the course of action taken by the first wave of feminists. Radical feminists wanted a revolution, not just reform; they wanted to do things their way as opposed to following “the system”. So they came up with their own theories that fit their way of thinking and often were at odds with the reformer feminists...
The first wave of feminism is more commonly known as the women’s liberation or women’s suffrage movement. First wave feminist’s main concern was in political power especially in terms of the right to vote, having a voice. They believed that changes within society could be made gradually within society to achieve equality rather than having to demolish the way things were and reconstruct them.
“I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind.” This quote is by, Translated from the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. Also Found within The Alien Intent, by Raymond A.Robinson. I find this quote very interesting, given that this book is about the mystery of Extraterrestrials. Throughout the book you are given evidence that supports the possibility that aliens exist yet, it never tells you what to believe, it merely makes you open your mind. Each chapter begins with a quote based on the intent of its section. This passage in particular stood out to me. I thought it was oddly satisfying. Given that humans are constantly searching for a meaning to their existence.
Feminism seeks equality amongst men and women and to eliminate sexism, which is the degradation, oppression, and subordination of women (“What is Radical Feminism?”). One branch of feminism, radical feminism, concerns itself with the idea that society is influenced by a patriarchal or male dominated hierarchy. Radical feminists tend to focus on culture change that undermines patriarchy and associated hierarchical structures. Under this principle, the patriarchy can be described as "the division of rights, privileges and power primarily by gender, as a result of oppressing women and privileging men (“What is Radical Feminism). A radical feminist essentially believes that they are oppressed on the single ideal that the gender of a woman is inferior and it can be considered that to alter one 's gender would be a radical feminist
Feminist political ideology focuses on understanding and changing political philosophies for the betterment of women. Studying how the philosophies are constructed and what makes them unjust, this field constantly generates new ideas on how these philosophies need to be fundamentally reconstructed. Liberal feminism, for example, was built around promoting economic and political equality for women. By arguing the older concepts of the split between public and private realms as a way to politically protect male domination of women as “natural”, and ideas about a women’s place in the household, came evidence that supported legal cases leading “to the criminalization in the United States of spousal rape” (qtd. in McAfee). Another completely different approach is radical feminism, which advocates a separation from the whole system, perceiving that the sexual relations between male and female as the basis of gender inequality and female subordination (qtd. in McAfee). Democratic femin...
The major differences between liberal and radical feminists stem from their separate ideas about the differences between the genders that the framework that these ideologies are built upon. For liberal feminism, they hold that
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
Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. It began as an organized activity on behalf of women?s rights and interests. This concept was developed to help women earn a place in a predominantly male society. Unfortunately over the years, the intentions of feminism have become distorted, not only by anti-feminists, but also by the feminists themselves. The principle of equality for women and men has turned into a fight in which feminists wish to be better than men. Feminism has been twisted and misunderstood so much that it has become a harmful idea.
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.