The F word

The F word: FEMINISM IN JEOPARDY

BY: Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

"One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done."- Marie Curie

This author Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner argues the two waves that created the movement of Feminism. She states information that was passed down to her from her great grandmother, grandmother who took place during the first wave, and also her mother who was part of the second wave. Reading the document I was instantly connected to it, learning about individual women who put all their life into making sure women could vote, that they could be educated and work, not have to stay home all day making sure food ready on the table for the minute her husband came in the front door. Or to be educated on sex and making sure they are safe. These two waves were the start and the most important thing to ever happen to women and I don't believe that a lot of women present day know much about the background on how we today have so many rights but still yet are not completely equal to men, and how men still treat us like we are their pets. Rowe stated from her perspective something that I my self felt was correct as well. She wrote " many older feminists feel they've given young women a meaningful gift through their work to expand women's rights, yet many young women don't quite understand the import of the gift, or see that it is something they must take on as their own. A gift, and a responsibility." she also goes on to say "Yet for young women, especially, to ignore the achievements of the past is to underestimate the relative fragility of women's contemporary  status." Rowe is saying that women who have been feminist for sometime pass down knowledge and beliefs to what feminism is all about to younger women but some younger women don't quite understand how really important feminism is and what it stands for so they just take it as they hear it but don't hold it close to them as a valuable gift. She also goes on talking about what some of the women sacrificed to promote the rights of women she writes " Women suffered the cause- some were jailed, fined, and endured hunger strikes- and many participated in marches on Washington" "Alice Paul, founder of the National Women's Party protested the inauguration of President Woodrow wilson to protest his opposition on women's voting rights. In 1878 women got the right to vote, then in 1920 women voted for the first time. The National Association of Colored Women in the 1920's focused on equalizing women's suffrage, mainly on colored women. Another point that Rowe mention that extremely caught my attention was the second wave. Two main activist Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. "They increased gender equality in the workplace, access to reproductive health care and sexuality information, civil rights legislation that made discrimination on the basis of sex or race illegal." also " The second wave also worked to secure equal pay for equal work, constitutional rights for women in the form of equal rights, the election of more women to public office, legal abortions and the ban on discrimination in schools and lending other things." They tried everything in their power during the second wave to fight for fundamental rights. Though the second wave did not focus on the issues still at hand of the women of color and lower-in come women. An author of Against our will: Men women and Rape Susan Brownmiller stated " I don't think any movement has ever worked harder to include women of color than the women's movement in the 60's 70's and 80's, and we were often rebuffed because there was still the sentiment that black women should be working with black men on civil right issues- they were torn." (I LOVE THIS) 
Fear Of Feminism -> Looking back on the article fear of feminism both authors have different perspectives, one mentions why people are afraid to pursue feminism and be apart of the movement and the other author Rowe talks mainly about the three waves that had women devoting their lives to women and the rights. In the fear of feminism it talks more about the past history of how they went through so much hate and the article The F word does the same so they both connect in a certain way but then branch of to take the past and use it to how they see the present day.

http://www.history.ac.uk/makinghistory/resources/articles/womens_history.html

REFLECTION: My self being a huge feminist and not really knowing many others who are as strong about feminism as me makes me super interested in reading all the articles and learning more about the past vs the present day. This article was my favorite because it really broke down on the 3 waves and put them in a much stronger perspective for me.

Questions: I wanted to know how others feel about the waves? do you agree with any of them? are you against any of them? do you wish more things happened? and how would you compare it to present day? 

Fear of Feminism

"Fear of Feminism by Lisa Maria Hogeland states a lot of major points that I don't believe feminist and non feminists realize. being a feminist my self I learned new facts. Lisa's argument is that Yes young women and some older women are indeed afraid of feminism but why? well why not? she goes on explaining the "of course" they are afraid, they are afraid to speak up for themselves especially through the years of our past presidents, how the world sees women as sexual figures in so many different terms, and also politics of women and how it frames them toward men. all of these topics would make any women afraid of speaking out for women. Some major points that caught my attention that Lisa states are for example, she asks the reader questions, she says "what are the arenas for selfhood for young women in this culture? How do they discover and construct their identities? what teaches them who they are, who they want to be, who they might be? these questions had me thinking but as i continued to read she went on explaining that our country doesn't give women much opportunity to do any of these. There is no "women" class during elementary or high school. Girls are only hearing the words remember you matter and have a voice but they aren't getting educated further than that to even fully understand what that means. Feminism is what will teach them people like you and I and Lisa who are trying make you realize that being afraid is not going to change anything. Another example is "fear of feminism, then, is not a fear of gender, but rather a fear of politics. Fear of politics can be understood as a fear of living in consequences, a fear of reprisal. Politics controls our country, you long on to Facebook and see a video of a women in her towns local farmers market stripping down to just her bra and underwear to show awareness for other women and young girls like herself who have suffered from bullying because of they way they look, because society puts a strong opinion on what the "perfect" or "ideal" is for a women. all of that ties into feminism because she is a voice of women who have gone through what she has gone through she just happens to be "speaking" some of the comments say "wow she is so brave" "I can't believe she had the guts to do that" or "ew look at all her cellulite no wonder she was getting made fun of cover up!" some people will come out of hiding from seeing these things but others just are so brainwashed in todays society that they comment hurtful things to something that is suppose to be helping people. They get this from seeing elders around them treat women this way and its getting passed down generation to generation. Lisa goes into a really strong point from this she states "What would our mass culture look like if it didn't sell women's bodies-even aside from pornography? Every celebrity women or Model gets glorified by the tabloids all the time, headlines saying "Kim Kardashian showing baby bump off in a bikini in Mexico" and its portrayed as sexy and beautiful,which fine it is but if someone else who wasn't as famous as Kim posted a picture of there pregnant stomach in a bikini they would be getting a lot more hatred comments. women get judged everyday for what the look like and how we are portrayed in pictures on social media and even in person. Girls posting a picture with their friends and happen to wear short shorts, boy leaving comments like "slut" or "attention whore" and even "she ugly she doesn't even have a butt to fit those shorts" some even who like the picture but want one thing from the picture will leave comments like "I would" or "fatty" which is a good term for nice ass. from generation to generation the "women bodies" on how it should be has changed for the worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guHZHu6dBag

Questions and Comments: Fear is a natural instinct for humans, so fear can come at anytime its a concern or anxiety, and emotion due to danger, evil or pain. the article states so many important things but there is so much more in the world that fear can be created by. Like the picture I posted she is saying I don't need feminism or people to support feminism or speak on behalf of the women around the world. She says she isn't a victim. Everyone is a victim in some way. Nothing might have happened to this young women but it doesn't mean it isn't possible that something could happen to her, or anyone. Thats why feminism is created to help educate and make change. To help women not fear there everyday life, to know that they have a voice and rights and that they aren't compared or under men, that girls in college can look and feel comfortable and be able to walk alone at night with out worrying about getting hurt by someone or to go to a party and have fun and not worry about getting taken advantage of. Just because you don't think your a victim or haven't been through something doesn't mean you aren't or never will be.

who am I?

Hey, my names Chloe smith I am freshman at Rhode Island college and I am a women studies major. basically for me that means Im all about the women power. I love helping women have a voice, helping girls through situations and just knowing that women have a purpose. during the summer I work all summer down in cape cod, for my free time i like to be with friends and family playing sports listening to music, whatever I can do to keep me busy. Im super excited to be taking Gender studies because i feel that it will help me get stronger and better at helping the situations that women face in our society to make it better for them and my self. I have always been passionate about women in our world and this class will hopefully just make it better:) thanks for reading!
~Chloe