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How media represents women and men
Second wave of feminism essay
How media represents women and men
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Feminism changed the world, quite literally. It shook the foundations of the role women had played in society for centuries and brought about a new train of thought, opening minds and smashing the gender roles that society had become so reliant on over the years. There are currently three different waves of feminism. The first wave, the second wave and the third wave. The second wave, which I will be discussing in this essay came about in the 60s and 70s, during major chances in social structure during the post war years . Women had worked all through the war, in industry and business; anywhere a man had previously been employed, a woman could now work as well. Then the war ended, and men came back, wanting, expecting and demanding to have …show more content…
A prime example of this would be radical feminism. Radical feminists often believe all men to be terrible, and that women are almost heavenly creatures incapable of doing wrong. Stating that they are oppressed in every aspect of their life, that the patriarchy dominates it all. The hatred of men as a whole is called misandry and that is what many of these women are. A toxic mindset that they push and impose on others, promoting female superiority over equality. Another example would be white feminism. White feminism is ignoring the struggles of minorities and campaigning for causes such as “free the nipple”. While they may be important, a double standard is often seen when white feminism is portrayed. Women of colour sporting the same risque outfits as a caucasian woman are called “slutty” among other slurs. In the long run, erasing the progress people of colour have made. White feminism blatantly disregards systematic racism, white privilege, police brutality and struggles minorities face. White feminists (not per say caucasian but those who aren’t intersectional feminists) often promote racist and problematic ideas, such as that any woman wearing a hijab is oppressed. Radical feminists and white feminists are thought of the root problem in the feminist community being the culprit of the public mindset that feminism is full of women who hate men. It has created a negative association with the word feminism and turned it into a joke, essentially ruining the face of feminism. We are only just now beginning to recover. We could be much further than we currently are if Radical Feminism had never taken root and corrupted the movement in this
When the war started, women had to take over the jobs of men and they learned to be independent. These women exemplified the beginning of change. Coupled with enfranchisement and the increased popularity of birth control, women experienced a new liberation. When the men returned from the war they found competition from the newly liberated woman who did not want to settle for making a home (Melman 17). This new class of women exercised a freedom that shocked society.
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.
Nothing simply begins. Everything needs something else in order to develop and live continuously. Fire needs wood to burn, water needs heat to boil, and the women’s right movement needed abolition to begin the real fight. The women’s rights movement of the nineteenth century emerged out of abolition activism because it was not until after abolitionist groups formed and began fighting slavery that women began to realize they had no rights themselves and began their own fight.
Women In the Progressive Era In today’s times, women are more equal to men than they ever have been, even though differences like the wage gap exist. However, the rights of women have come a long way since, even as little as a hundred years ago. How is this possible? Women have fought – and won – against the inequalities that they have faced.
When people think of feminism they usually think of Susan B. Anthony and women’s suffrage maybe even the Seneca Falls Convention. People then think about the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960’s and the sexual revolution, both of these were extremely important but, they both lacked something very crucial, women of color. Women of color were definitely around but most of them usually ignored their femininity because, They thought that they could only be one thing or the the other, That was until the 1990’s where Third Wave Feminism occurred and the future got brighter for women of color.
Second wave feminists from the 1950’s to the 1980’s worked to bring women out of the housewife era and into the workplace. These women aimed for a workplace where females could thrive along side with men and to develop an environment where women are would be seen as equals and be respected, with no regard to gender. They imagined a world where women could find their passion, have a career and leave behind any reliance on men. So, they did just that. They paved the road for females searching for equal rights and raising awareness of inequality in the workplace.
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, fictional or philosophical dissertation. It helps to explain the main nature of gender inequality. It further explains the social roles of women in the society such as education, communication, philosophy, sociology and so on (Chodrow, Nancy 1991).
Achieving roles for women that are as equal as men, before and during the twentieth century, appeared to be inevitable in the United States. Women were limited to domesticity, performing duties that only serve their families as wives, mothers, and diligent daughters. Women were absorbed and accustomed to these standards, oblivious to their worth and capabilities that are above and beyond their set domestic duties. “Groups of women challenged this norm of the twentieth century and exceeded their limited roles as domestic servants by organizing movements whose sole purpose is to achieve equality within a male-dominated society” (Norton
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.
Throughout history, women have remained subordinate to men. Subjected to the patriarchal system that favored male perspectives, women struggled against having considerably less freedom, rights, and having the burdens society placed on them that had been so ingrained the culture. This is the standpoint the feminists took, and for almost 160 years they have been challenging the “unjust distribution of power in all human relations” starting with the struggle for equality between men and women, and linking that to “struggles for social, racial, political, environmental, and economic justice”(Besel 530 and 531). Feminism, as a complex movement with many different branches, has and will continue to be incredibly influential in changing lives.
At the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, a series of events occurred that would be known as the feminist movement. During this time, many women were starting to change the way they thought of themselves and wanted to change their social roles. In his views on feminist analysis Donald Hall says, “Feminist methodologies focus on gender.and explore the complex ways in which women have been denied social power and the right to various forms of self-expression. In this context the many perspectives that fall under the heading ‘feminism’ vary wildly”(Hall 199). Since women were denied social power and self-expression, they went against what society saw as acceptable, a patriarchal world.
Good afternoon. I’m her today to talk to you about my chosen topic: second wave feminism in the USA, and its relation to student protests in the 1960s and 70s. Now, while the 1960s in America is mostly well known for student activism in association with the Civil Rights movement and protests of the Vietnam War, the rise of second wave of feminism is also a prominent feature of the decade. These movements are often considered separate; as if student activism and feminism have no correlation. However, the rise in the popularity of the feminist movement had a direct effect on women in education and politics, and their attitudes towards the events of the era, much of which can be seen in the 1970s, as the movement becomes more prominent in and of itself.
Another critique is that it goes against the basic teachings of feminism, in which men and women are equal. Radical feminist sought to believe that patriarchy is the only reason why women are oppressed in society and all men do not want to see women succeeding in business nor social sector. Due to their misandry towards men, radical feminism theory has often been frowned upon, as it gave the term feminism a bad reputation.
What do women want? In particular, what did the feminists of the 1960s and 1970s want? Feminism changed many women's lives and created new worlds of possibility for education, empowerment, working women, feminist art and feminist theory. For some, the goals of the feminist movement were simple: let women have freedom, equal opportunity and control over their lives. Here are some specific feminist movement goals from the “second wave” of feminism.
Throughout the 19th century, feminism played a huge role in society and women’s everyday lifestyle. Women had been living in a very restrictive society, and soon became tired of being told how they could and couldn’t live their lives. Soon, they all realized that they didn’t have to take it anymore, and as a whole they had enough power to make a change. That is when feminism started to change women’s roles in society. Before, women had little to no rights, while men, on the other hand, had all the rights. 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 by the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be