Peter1469
01-02-2014, 07:39 PM
Feminism 2013: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/01/02/the_gender_battlefield_in_2013_the_good_the_bad_an d_the_ugly_121106.html)
I posted this article here, rather than in, say the Pub, with the hopes of attracting quality comment and argument.
I have noticed, and not just in 2013, that the feminist movement is changing to include women who not only advocate for equal rights for their gender, but also realize that bashing men and attempting to demasculinize them is counter productive. It is still a growing trend and I hope that it continues.
2013 was something of an anniversary year for the modern women’s movement, marking fifty years since Betty Friedan’s best-seller “The Feminine Mystique”—which, while hardly without flaws, offered a bracingly positive vision of embracing female achievement and strength without demonizing men or sacrificing family. Some of this year’s events reflect the remarkable progress women have made in those decades.
The Bad and the Ugly:
Unfortunately, the state of feminism in 2013 may have hit a new low, with much of its energy spent on battles that are either trivial or destructive. Between gender-war feminism on the left and old-fashioned sexism on the right, picking the year’s worst in relations between the sexes in [sic] easy; picking the best is much harder, but worth the effort.
The article discusses several mistakes and over reactions made in the feminist movement in 2013, some sexism (from the right), and some trivial distractions from the movement's goals.
The Good (which I will include in its entirety):
* Malala Yousafzai, the fearless Pakistani girl who has continued her fight for girls’ education after being shot in the head by Taliban terrorists, for reminding us of how urgent the battle for women’s basic rights still is in many parts of the world.
* Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister whose achievements, after her death, elicited grudging respect even from many left-wing feminists who couldn’t abide her in life—for being a model of a truly liberated woman who did not conform to traditional or feminist scripts.
* Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s CEO, for charting a similarly independent course in business. Mayer defied expectations of soft and cuddly female leadership when she banned telecommuting—causing much criticism but boosting company stock. Later, she instituted paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.
And a wish for 214: True equality:
In 2013, there was a fair amount of attention to men’s rights groups—which often raise legitimate issues but have a regrettable tendency to mirror the gender antagonism, hyperbole, and victim mentality of radical feminism. But, with men’s issues on the table, perhaps the next year will see more calls for a balanced approach that promotes fairness and goodwill toward both sexes. That would make a good, if optimistic, New Year’s resolution.
Yes, that is a worthwhile New Year's resolution.
I posted this article here, rather than in, say the Pub, with the hopes of attracting quality comment and argument.
I have noticed, and not just in 2013, that the feminist movement is changing to include women who not only advocate for equal rights for their gender, but also realize that bashing men and attempting to demasculinize them is counter productive. It is still a growing trend and I hope that it continues.
2013 was something of an anniversary year for the modern women’s movement, marking fifty years since Betty Friedan’s best-seller “The Feminine Mystique”—which, while hardly without flaws, offered a bracingly positive vision of embracing female achievement and strength without demonizing men or sacrificing family. Some of this year’s events reflect the remarkable progress women have made in those decades.
The Bad and the Ugly:
Unfortunately, the state of feminism in 2013 may have hit a new low, with much of its energy spent on battles that are either trivial or destructive. Between gender-war feminism on the left and old-fashioned sexism on the right, picking the year’s worst in relations between the sexes in [sic] easy; picking the best is much harder, but worth the effort.
The article discusses several mistakes and over reactions made in the feminist movement in 2013, some sexism (from the right), and some trivial distractions from the movement's goals.
The Good (which I will include in its entirety):
* Malala Yousafzai, the fearless Pakistani girl who has continued her fight for girls’ education after being shot in the head by Taliban terrorists, for reminding us of how urgent the battle for women’s basic rights still is in many parts of the world.
* Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister whose achievements, after her death, elicited grudging respect even from many left-wing feminists who couldn’t abide her in life—for being a model of a truly liberated woman who did not conform to traditional or feminist scripts.
* Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s CEO, for charting a similarly independent course in business. Mayer defied expectations of soft and cuddly female leadership when she banned telecommuting—causing much criticism but boosting company stock. Later, she instituted paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.
And a wish for 214: True equality:
In 2013, there was a fair amount of attention to men’s rights groups—which often raise legitimate issues but have a regrettable tendency to mirror the gender antagonism, hyperbole, and victim mentality of radical feminism. But, with men’s issues on the table, perhaps the next year will see more calls for a balanced approach that promotes fairness and goodwill toward both sexes. That would make a good, if optimistic, New Year’s resolution.
Yes, that is a worthwhile New Year's resolution.