L posted an article a few days ago "The Many Misguided Reasons Famous Ladies Say 'I'm not a feminist'" and I've reflected on it a bit knowing that my first post was due for this blog.
"Are you a feminist?" is an ever popular question for the leading ladies of our culture, one that I find tedious knowing that the term "feminist" does not mean the same thing to everyone. Many view the word negatively, and despite visibly demonstrating pro-feminist stances refuse to allow themselves to be labelled as such.
I spent 27 months living in Ghana, West Africa as an environmental volunteer for the Peace Corps. There I met and befriended the most fiercely independent women that I will most likely ever meet. Feminism exists on a completely different level in Ghana. These women rule their families and their communities all in an effort to survive and better their lives. Being a feminist isn't a choice, it's a way of life. It is life. And believe it or not, Ghana is miles ahead of the USA in terms of equality for women. But more on that another time.
I never discussed feminism with my Ghanaian friends because I never had to. Now, hearing the female "role models" of our culture reject feminism both scares and worries me especially during these strange political times.
Through this blog I'd like to explore feminism on all levels, but first I thought it best to question how feminism exists in our culture and why the question "Are you a feminist?" receives so many mixed answers.
Lisa
I think one of the things that upset me the most about that article was how all the successful, talented, intelligent women were letting other people have control of the word feminism. Other people have twisted the word to mean: man-hating, angry, loud complainers, negative, alienating, egotistical . . . and all these women just let them and let them take that potential identifier away from them. I can't imagine people renouncing their religious, political, or familial identifiers or labels away anywhere near as easily just because other people have decided they are going to co-opt and re-define the word. Why is it so easy with the word feminist? The contrast you pose, Lisa, between feminism in the US and Ghana is a real challenge! Why is embracing feminism so complicated in America???
ReplyDeleteI thought the discussion in the comments of that article felt really one-sided, that feminist is "just a word" and that maybe it's time to redefine the word "feminist". To me, that's a step in the wrong direction. You already have this negative connotation, why not try to change that and make it positive? I think embracing feminism comes with a cost in America, one that doesn't exist in other cultures. I'm not sure why, but women are afraid to be perceived as a feminist. Maybe not afraid, but it's a curious thing.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm more on the "its just word" side, though I could be convinced otherwise. I'm not sure where the "Are you a feminist" question gets us. Would it not be more productive to ask thinks like, "Have you tried to support economic equality for women throughout your career?" Or "Does your music champion social and political equality for women?" Those questions would discuss substance rather than conjuring stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteThe stereotyping problem isn't limited to "Feminist." Almost any broad "movement" label will suffer from extremism. I would hesitate to call myself an "environmentalist" (environmental activist is even worse) because the word calls to mind people setting fire to Hummers, chaining themselves to nuclear power plants, or steering banner draped boats in front of whaling vessels. Ask me about a label and I'll balk. Ask me about issues and we can have a conversation.
Grist posted this article yesterday and I had to share: http://grist.org/politics/who-me-an-environmentalist/
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of labeling either, but I think it's a problem how that label is interpreted and whether the actual actions behind the label are considered negative. I think embracing the label might not be such a bad thing, depending on how it's done.
Wow this is really challenging! I think it is really important for people doing feminist work to embrace the 'label' of feminist. But I can't explain why! I will have to think about it more. I guess, part of it is because I think it is such a general term (which most people don't understand/admit) that should unite so many diverse people (except it has been re-defined by anti-feminists). I really don't see a 'good' reason why feminist people won't embrace it except because of fear, stigma or ignorance--- and I think that is someone being oppressed, not really someone 'choosing' how to define themselves. When I compare it to other things, like: I think women should have the right to vote, but I'm not a suffragette/ist or I work to free people from slavery but I'm not an abolitionist or I follow the teachings of Karl Marx but I'm not a Marxist, I rule a kingdom now that my father has died and I wear a crown and sit on a throne, but don't call me King . . . the logic just seems ridiculous. By your statement, you ARE a suffragette/abolitionist/Marxist; it's the definition. What else is going on that is preventing you from acknowledging what you are?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I feel the same way about 'environmentalist.' :D
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm going crazy with the commenting: Lisa I was wondering if you could elaborate a little more on what you think helps unite women in Ghana to do feminist work? (You mention survival and ways of life). I'm wondering if our American obsession with individualism and being 'the best' is one of the things getting in our way in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteL - yep I agree with you 100% about embracing the label. I'm working on another post to expand on Ghana feminism, I want to get some input from another volunteer that I served with first. However, I do think a lot of it has to do with individualism vs the greater good.
ReplyDeleteL, maybe the problem is that "feminism" is a very broad concept without a single defining core. The examples you cite all had very specific missions or theoretical bases. Suffragette = get women the right to vote. Abolitionist = end slavery. Marxist = the stuff Marx wrote. Feminist = uh, lots of stuff (Environmentalist = uh, lots of stuff).
ReplyDeleteIf you had Equal-pay-ist or Affordable-childcare-ist or Anti-Rape-ist (or Save-the-Whales-ist) people would understand what that means and would be more likely to embrace the label.
Not gonna lie, I was super bummed to hear this week that Kelly Clarkson doesn't consider herself a feminist...It's even affected my excitement when her song comes on the radio.
ReplyDeleteDoing a quick google search of "feminists are:
ReplyDeleteannoying
stupid
ugly
crazy
hypocrites
This is how this kind of discussion makes me feel:
"I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side"