Discussion Question on Feminism - Paper Example

Describe the three waves of feminism. How are these waves similar? How are they different?

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The three waves identified include the First-wave, Second-Wave and Third-wave, all aimed at achieving different outcomes. The first-wave feminism occurred within the period of the mid-19th century and the World War 2 ending. This was driven by the discovery that the women made on the limitations that they were facing due to lack of vote. On the other hand, the second-wave feminism is believed to have grown out of movements to recognize civil rights and anti-wars. It occurred between the 1950s and 1990s. This feminism focused on the expansion of the roles of women (Gagnon, 1996). There was the need for women to shift from being a wife and a mother to work and earn equally as their men counterparts. Furthermore, the women recognize the need to do what they desired with their bodies and also to end all types of sexism and inequity. This wave can be seen to have ended since the Equal Rights Amendments never succeeded. This was the section of the anti-feminist repercussion that soon caused infighting. However, the wave led to the advancements of rights of women to be given equal treatments in politics, work and school and within the whole society (Gagnon, 1996). The difference of the second wave from the first wave is that it brought together women of color and less developed countries, looking for solidarity and sisterhood and seeing women struggle as class struggle.

Lastly, is the third-wave feminism which started in the early 1990s and is still seen today? This wave can be seen as vaguer, with the lack of sturdy legislative agenda and key players, not household words. The wave can be said to have started when the second-wave ended, with the aim of finishing the remaining injustices. However, it was a move aimed at expansion and questioning of the ideas received on gender and gender roles (Synder, 2008). The wave can be described as more abstract and less focused politically and more academic and post-modern. Its political context can be seen as a continuation of the Second-Wave feminism to sort out the remaining issues.

Define the concepts of patriarchy and voice and explain their centrality to feminist scholarship.

The concept of patriarchy is a fundamental idea within the second-wave feminists, who looked at is as practices and systems of social structures, where men controlled, coerced and exploited women. This concept has led to the development of some of the important feminist ideas and programs globally. This idea was common with women never given an opportunity to express themselves within the society. For instance, according to Smith (Amin, 1999), there was burning of women who had knowledge of the scriptures and could challenge the exclusively male clergy during the 15th and 16th century. Furthermore, the exiling of Anne Hutchison, who was a preacher and teacher, from the colony due to taking over a male authority was also a form of patriarchy (Amin, 1999). Women leaders from women revolutions were also guillotined during the Terror after the French Revolution since they were taking over the roles of authorities reserved for men. Another instance is also the imprisonment of a woman who preferred different religious views to those of her husband, a Calvinist minister in an insane asylum during the 19th century (Amin, 1999).

Even today, there are women who have their careers in the universities ended in Canada for trying to raise issues of equity (Amin, 1999). The concept of voice came into play when women discovered that they could only address their issues by speaking in one voice. According to Lynn (3), as woman describe the problem she is facing to another woman, she comes out to understand it more clearly. Sharing of the life experiences made them aware of common ground where they exist. What they say to one another evolves to become one of the issues they face as women, and this put them together, to speak with one voice (Amin, 1999). These concepts led to the realization of the need to social change by the women. The undertaking of academic courses had the women equipped with knowledge that allowed them to challenge the knowledge of authorities within the traditional bodies. Community programming also gave women self-image and self-confidence, high level of competence and power to come up with their decisions. Furthermore, women experienced improved health both mentally and physically and the need to start solving their personal issues.

Choose one of the theories identified in Question 1 and elaborate on its history, strengths, and weaknesses.

The second-wave feminism concentrated on addressing rights in workplace, reproductive, sexuality and family. This was the time the women had met their goal to equality, but the Equal Rights Amendment was not yet ratified. The strength of this period is that women cared about the rectification of various civil issues and were aiming at strengthening their voices through fighting for gender equality to make sure they were heard. The major weakness is the period was seen as offensive and outdated, addressing only the issues of the middle-class white women. Many women were part of Black Civil Rights Movements, Chicago Rights Movements, Gay and Lesbian Movements and Anti-Vietnam Movements. Many of the supporters of these groups had the feeling that their voices were never heard, hence the need to address gender equality first.

Describe and then compare the histories of two groups of women who would not have considered themselves feminists, yet can be regarded as community activists.

Such two groups of women include the Huron women and the Black women of Nova Scotia. The Huron women culture formed a small group within the Canadian society. Such culture had differentiated roles for men and women. The men were involved in hunting, warrior, councilor, with women carrying out domestic duties described as feminine. The Huron people were living in villages divided by membership of a clan. The tracing of descent was through the female linage and titles, and rights transmission took the same course. On the other hand, the Nova Scotia women majorly consisted of black slaves (Amin, 1999). The existence of such group can be traced back to the presence of Africa following the foundation of Port Royal. The existence of Blacks in Nova Scotia was sporadic until the arrival of Black Loyalists. These two cultures have women who have played various roles that have seen the realization of the rights of women within the Canadian society, making such groups of women to be considered as activists if not feminist.

In Huron Society, women had some importance accorded to them in various ways. Women were to some extent treated equally as men as and even more than men. For instance, an injury caused to child required compensation to the family with a woman enjoying the privilege. This was because the society considered a woman as more valuable due to her reproductive capabilities. Young women and men were also given equal same sexual freedom. The Nova Scotia women have been struggling for survival in slavery. Such women were exposed to sexual and racial discrimination and servitude. From this culture came out the Black Loyalist women, who remained to keep themselves and their families alive while working to form communities, as Black women being sold and traded (Amin, 1999). Black Loyalist teacher like Catherine Abernathy taught children within a log school house that was founded by the community. She formed a group of Black women teachers that would be upheld strongly by her sisters in the coming years.

Define and explain anti-racist feminism. Discuss two concerns of anti-racist feminists that are relevant to the Canadian context

Anti-racist feminism is a movement by the women in the fight against racism and racial inequality. It is sometimes known as Black Feminisms because most of the individuals who fight for this movement are women of color (Mandell and Johnson, 2016). The anti-racist feminism in Canada was concerned with equal education and employment opportunities to all despite of the skin color. However, the most victims who were faced with such issues were the Black in Canada. The whites looked at the Blacks as outcasts and were always discriminated in the workplaces and education institutions. The isolation of the Blacks in Canada is what led to the Blacks in Canada to join hands with one voice to fight discrimination by the whites.

Provide and discuss two examples of third-wave resistance.

The two examples of third wave resistance include Law and Pornography and sex work. Law is significant equipment for a change. However, depending on law has become problematic, with some young feminists arguing that some of the movements that are directed towards the achievement of equality are pushed to fit within the legislative system, other than the laws being changed so as to accommodate what they are struggling to gain (Karaian and Mitchell, 2009). For instance, when it comes to gay marriage, the argument revolves around the use of court in recognizing of unions of individuals of the same sex. This has forced gays and lesbians to develop heterosexual relationships that are normative, hence lose in the radical potential that gay identity had when challenging family concepts. Many feminists activists have also rejected marriage as the primary issues from which to rally for change (Karaian and Mitchell, 2009).

Pornography and sex work as third-wave resistances are some of the interventions that have formed threats to both states and the feminists. For example, the development of alternative pornography is a way of activism brought by the feminists of the third-wave so as to respond to femininity and sexuality dominant notions forced on them by patriarchy and some of the radical feminists in the second-wave. Third-wavers resisted the idea of some of the second-wave feminists, who saw porn as harmful to women. However, they viewed porn as more liberating and less destructive to women. The issues of sex work within the third-wave activism were also faced with critiques, both politically and economically. They came up with various opinions on the sex work moral implications, with marked movements that put all sex workers as disempowered patriarchy victims. Hover, the third-wave feminism saw the sex workers as to be faced by various economic, social and political barriers that make them sex work victims and thus the need to eliminate them (Steenbergen, 2001).

References

Top of Form

Amin, N. (1999). Canadian woman studies: An introductory reader. Toronto: Inanna Publication and Education.

Bottom of Form

Gagnon, C. (1996). Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality. Teaching Philosophy, 19(3), 299-301.

Karaian, L., & Mitchell, A. (2009). Third wave feminisms. Feminist Issues: Race, Class and Sexuality, fifth edition. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Mandell, N., & Johnson, J. L. (2016). RACE, CLASS, AND SExUALITY.

Snyder, R. C. (2008). What is third-wave feminism? A new directions essay. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 34(Gagnon, 1999), 175-196.

Steenbergen, C. (2001). Feminism and young women: Alive and well and still kicking. Canadian Woman Studies, 6.