Feminism Today

Feminism isn’t dead.

Though many different groups and the stigma of the word itself have tried to nail its coffin shut for decades, feminism is alive and well. That’s not to say that there aren’t still problems associated with the movement; the fight for gender equality is far from over, both in the U.S. and the world at large. This column will be an exploration of feminism’s achievements, the challenges it continues to face, analysis of public opinion from all sides, and how the feminist viewpoint illuminates a whole host of other issues.

But first, a definition of terms: what exactly is feminism? Who or what is a feminist? What makes acknowledgment—if not acceptance—of these views so crucial?

While the image of the bra-burning, man-hating radical feminist is still fresh in the public consciousness, feminism actually comprises a heterogeneous group. At its core, feminism is a political, cultural, and economic movement seeking greater rights and participation for women in society. Anyone who supports this push for more active participation and opportunity is a feminist—hardly a radical statement, to put it bluntly. Why, then, have the aims of feminism been constantly subverted and stigmatized?

There are a number of ways to go about understanding this phenomenon, none of which convey the whole story. Inherently, sexism and male privilege play a significant role. The structure of western (and eastern, and northern, and southern) society tends to give men a leg up, whether they want it or not, based upon traditional gender roles and perceptions of what occupations, behaviors, and modes of expression are suitable for men and women. Unearned privilege is difficult to discuss and even harder to combat, but paving the way for greater women’s equality does not necessarily mean profoundly altering the very fabric of our society. Most men benefit from unearned privilege inadvertently and in some cases unwillingly. Other factors compound the issue: the social construction of gender roles and the historical “enforcement” of those roles work to maintain women in an inferior position. Furthermore, women face not only sexism but simultaneous and interrelated inequalities of race, religion, level of education, and particularly socioeconomic status.

However the most virulent challenge that feminism faces doesn’t concern any of these factors. Instead, the fight for women’s equality is beleaguered by negative perceptions of feminists and public figures that reinforce those negative perceptions. Perhaps the most egregious of the offenders is Rush Limbaugh, conservative commentator and radio talk show host. Limbaugh is notorious for his disdain of the women’s movement, though in his own words, “I’m a huge supporter of women. What I’m not is a supporter of liberalism. Feminism is what I oppose. Feminism has led women astray. I love the women’s movement, especially when I’m walking behind it.” Hardly enlightened discourse, I grant you, but certainly an improvement from his earlier assertion that, “[f]eminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream.” (The author would like to register her surprise that Limbaugh is currently in his fourth marriage. What a charmer.)

With such vocal opponents, it’s no wonder that even those who agree with the tenants of feminism are reluctant to self-identify as “the f-word.” The academic journal Sex Roles published a study by Ramsey et. al. in 2007, which stated that all of the 171 women surveyed, regardless of whether they self-identified as feminists, believed that others view feminists negatively and as more likely to be lesbian than straight. (The assumptions about sexual orientation are very interesting and will be discussed in another column, stay tuned!)

One could raise the objection that feminism presupposes some degree of nonconformity, so why should they care about negative perceptions? The response is that while those who believe firmly in feminist values will continue to fight for them, real gender equality cannot be realized until some sort of majority approve of and will work towards achieving those aims. Negative perceptions of feminists have been damning to those efforts, as evidenced in a study by psychologist Kathryn Lenz (2002), which notes in the abstract that, “Results suggest that negative attitudes toward feminists have discouraged public support for and participation in the organized women’s movement, thus slowing the progression toward total social gender equality.” The source of these negative perceptions is nebulous and, honestly, sounds to me like a bizarre conspiracy theory: Men are taking advantage of their superior societal position and trying to ridicule women into staying in a subservient role. Over the coming weeks I will attempt to break down the root causes of these perceptions and explain how their effects taint our political system, cultural norms, and daily lives.

Until next time, that’s what she said.