disadvantages of feminism essay

The problem with feminism

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All too often I hear the words ‘I support equality between men and women but I’m not a feminist’. Even the feminist icon, Simone de Beauvoir, repeatedly refused to align herself with the feminist movement until later in her career in 1972.

The term is divisive, polemical, scoffed at and avoided. ‘Feminism’ is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way or the set of activities intended to achieve this state.

Tabloids are all too eager to push feminism into the forefront for all the wrong reasons

It’s disappointing that anyone should seek to distance themselves from this belief, yet I understand what might lead to that. The fear and unease I, and many others, feel before declaring they’re a feminist is not one that should be pushed off as unjustified. The term ‘feminism’ implicates so much more than the lexical definition.

No-one really seems to agree on what feminism is, if we still need it and whether it’s important or not. The narrative surrounding feminism is dripping with horror stories of so-called ‘feminazis’ wishing for a world free of men and mockeries of a line of women waiting to jump on the opportunity to wrongly accuse unsuspecting men. As ridiculous as these stereotypes are, tabloids are all too eager to push feminism into the forefront for all the wrong reasons.

Marginalised groups often pushed aside and excluded from the discussion

The truth is, feminism is divided within itself too, hence the hesitation and confusion people experience when faced with it. There is a spectrum of beliefs ranging from the view that feminism loses it’s utility after women are allowed the right to vote to the embarrassing and shameful transphobic conspiracy theories pushed into the limelight by trans-exclusionary radicals. In short, the list of differences and conflicts within feminism is headache-inducing and non-exhaustive, with marginalised groups often pushed aside and excluded from the discussion.

It was my responsibility to make sure I didn’t get hurt by men that might want to exploit my body

I can’t talk for all feminists, nor should I. But I know my own reasons for being one and these are reasons many of peers relate to, whether they identify as a feminist or not. I remember the first time I cried over being what society views as a woman. I was being criticised by a 50-odd-year-old man at 14 for being overly provocative just because of the way I sat.

I remember my mother explaining that she had to protect me more because I’m a woman, and it was my responsibility to make sure I didn’t get hurt by men that might want to exploit my body. I either weighed too little or too much, acted too immature or acted too mature, didn’t have enough ‘womanly’ curves or had too many, made too much of an effort with my appearance or looked too scruffy.

What on earth are we supposed to do to be viewed as ‘enough’ as women? How do we remove the collective weight on all our shoulders, regardless of gender, of the contradictory expectations that society has on gender norms and behaviour?

Feminism shouldn’t be a cis-centred, white-centred, middle-class narrative and it’s time we stop denying that a lot of the time it is

These questions are why I’m a feminist and I strive to remove this weight the best I can. As hard as I work at trying to answer these questions, I’m pretty rubbish at it. It’s easy to give up and to give in. Without unity, these issues seem insurmountable and I haven’t even scratched the surface of it.

It’s hard to back your voice when you’ve been silenced but it has been done and it will continue to be done. Feminism shouldn’t be a cis-centred, white-centred, middle-class narrative and it’s time we stop denying that a lot of the time it is.

The essence of feminism, of being a good feminist, should be rejecting the social constructs that define gender as a whole and to be free from the guilt and constraints that inevitably arise from the incoherent expectations we are conditioned to live up to. The world would be a much better place if we all did. But what do I know? I’m definitely not the perfect feminist, I don’t need to be.

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Feminism: Benefits over Disadvantages Essay

Introduction, feminism and fight with gender discrimination, feminism and assault, feminism and improved working environment, feminism and economic state of the country, negative effects of feminism.

The rights of women and men and their position in society are often discussed by the general public. Today, individuals are willing to have equal opportunities regardless of their diversity and their wish is supported by the government but it was not so all the time. Those who did not belong to the privileged population were discriminated against because of their race, religion, age, gender, and other peculiarities. Being unsatisfied, they started expressing their displeasure and changed the world with time. Feminist movements contributed to this greatly. Feminism occurred as women’s attempt to make society alter its views about females, their lives, rights, and place in the world. Historians and other scientists tend to have different opinions on the effectiveness of feminist movements, but they all agree that today’s life would not be the same without them. Feminism should be supported by society and government because even though it has some negative side-effects, it reduces gender discrimination and cases of assault improve the working environment and the economy.

The main advantage of the feminist movements is that they helped women to fight with gender discrimination. They made reality better for females as they got the opportunity to control their own lives. This process was long-lasting, but women received a right to have their property, which allows them to become more independent and be more sanguine about the future. They can now terminate a pregnancy in a case of rape, for example, and do not have to live under the pressure of adverse memories. Women became able to initiate divorce, which gives them a chance to escape from violence or/and to start a new happy life.

In this way, they can also save their children from physical assaults and psychological traumas. The needs of women and girls are now even considered by the government. As a result, new policies, programs, and legislation support them, trying to improve their lives in different spheres (Maxwell, 2014). New educational opportunities were opened for girls and women, which gave them a chance not only to alter their own lives but also to influence the world they live in with time. From early childhood, girls can go to kindergarten to start learning just like males. Then they can graduate from the school and enter any higher educational facility they wish (Hoare, 2009).

As a result, females can learn how to be a great professional in any sphere they are interested in, which also affects their careers. In this way, women receive a great opportunity to show the world something new that would not be created without them. They can also turn into great politicians whose power over the general public is enormous, and who can hold the world in their hands (Hubler, 2010). Economic, social, and political alterations do not only implemented positive changes in women’s lives but also made them more equal to men. In this way, they became treated in almost the same way by employers, government, financial, and healthcare sectors. Women entered the political life of the country, which allowed them to become as influential as males (Lanning, 2012).

Feminists attracted the attention of society to sexual assaults experienced by women, which resulted in the reduction of rates of females who faced attempted or completed rape. Feminists made women willing to speak up and allowed them not to be scared (Toit, 2012). They struggle even now to protect women and make their lives in the local communities and on campus safer. Activists consider this issue to be extremely critical today that is why they gather in groups even in educational facilities to make sure that females can receive required support (Willis, 2015). Domestic violence used to be the private problem of a family that should not be reported to anyone, and women had no opportunity to escape from it. Feminists change this situation, as they believe that women should not live under men’s control, and they should not bear the pain their husbands make them experience. They made the government consider cases of domestic violence and enhanced female dignity (Friedman, 2015).

The changes brought by the feminist movements improved working environments. The rights of nannies, housekeepers, and home care workers were discussed by the government, as feminists emphasized that their working environments require improvement, and payments should be increased (Maxwell, 2014). Due to the contribution of feminists, a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights was created and established in the USA. The right to work gained by the women made working places more diverse (Williams, 2007). As a result, the organizations received an opportunity to avoid biases and to consider the issues from various perspectives. Today, it is even considered to be an advantage and human resources managers tend to employ the workers of different genders who represent various nationalities and have a distinct background. As a result, the employees become more creative and innovative, which enhances the competitiveness of the company.

Many scientists believe that feminism improves the economic state of the country. As women started working, the workforce expanded greatly, which provided the companies with the opportunity to extend and develop. As a result, numerous organizations can choose the most efficient workers in the sphere and improve their performance. Increased gains have a positive influence on the economy and let it remains vibrant for a long time (Plank, 2014). Except for that, many females proved to be more efficient workers than males in the financial sphere. They can overcome male biases and create effective economic models. Feminists consider the ways, in which they may be able to improve living conditions for both genders. For example, great attention is paid to care providers.

Still, feminism has its negative sides, which cannot be denied. Feminists emphasize violence experienced by their gender, but they rarely consider the interests of other people. Professionals believe that they should also remember that “women need to take responsibility for their own physical and emotional violence against men and children” (Gremillion, 2011, p.44). However, women did not receive the right to hurt men. Just as males, they are punished for the assaults so it cannot be said that feminists made all women violate others.

Some scientists consider the domination of female teachers to be is a disadvantage for boys. Today, the teachers at the school are mainly females, which means that children of both genders have to follow one example of behavior. “The female teachers have a different way of approaching things than male teachers, they are less understanding of what constitutes natural behavior in boys… Another danger is the lack of male role-models and disciplinarians” (Erikson, n.d., para. 16). Still, it cannot be denied that children tend to believe females more, and they are more likely to find a common language with them. Except for that, all teachers regardless of their gender are taught to find an approach to each child and treat one without any biases.

People who consider feminism to be a too radical state that families suffer, as women tend to raise children alone. They believe that feminists make the importance of family less critical than it used to be, which affects children’s lives and their psychological state. Moreover, women are encouraged not to be dependent on men, which means that they do not need to create a family at all. “Men and women have been culturally emancipated from each other in a social engineering effort for them to ‘not need each other’ or very specifically so that women specifically ‘don’t need no man’ and can become ‘a strong independent woman’ …

Single-parent households are almost always headed by women, this is because women tend to unilaterally get custody in the majority of cases due to a biased family court system, another reason for single parenthood is because women can have babies without the consent of the ‘sperm donor’” (Illimitable Men, 2013, par. 5). However, feminist movements gave women a chance to support their families financially. Today, they are free to hire a housekeeper and a nurse so that there would be no issues at home. Except for that, even feminists tend to create families and live with their husbands and children if they are treated equally by their relatives. Feminism is not about living alone, it is about being powerful enough to build something new.

Thus, it can be concluded that even though feminism has a range of negative influences on society, its advantages overweight. Women received an opportunity to control their lives, became protected and supported, and even can now help their countries to become the leaders in various industries. Feminism altered the word beyond recognition but it does not mean that all previous views and beliefs are forgotten. Feminism movements look for improvement, they just develop the current order of things to meet the requirements for the future and make the world better for the next generation.

Friedman, E. (2015). Feminism under construction. NACLA Report on the Americas, 47 (4), 20-25.

Gremillion, H. (2011). Feminism and the mythopoetic men’s movement: Some shared concepts of gender. Women’s Studies Journal, 25 (2), 43-55.

Hoare, J. (2009). Women’s rights movements and education for all: connections and disconnections. Equals, 23 (1), 1-12.

Hubler, A. (2010). Feminism’s Global Contradictions. Against the Current, 25 (4), 36-37.

Illimitable Men. (2013). Feminism, family destroyer . Web.

Lanning, T. (2012). Feminism and democratic renewal. Soundings, 52 (1), 8-20.

Maxwell, Z. (2014). 23 ways feminists have made the world better for women . Web.

Plank, E. (2014). 23 ways feminism has made the world a better place for men . Web.

Toit, L. (2012). Sexual specificity, rape law reform and the feminist quest for justice. South African Journal of Philosophy, 31 (3), 465-483.

Williams, L. (2007). Feminism at work. Against the Current, 22 (1), 21-23.

Willis, E. (2015). Villains and victims: “Sexual correctness” and the repression of feminism. Salmagundi, 187 (1), 151-160,637.

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12 Advantages and Disadvantages of Feminism

Equality between men and women has been a long-standing goal in society.

Over the years, feminism has become a powerful movement advocating for equal rights and opportunities for all genders.

However, like any ideology or movement, feminism has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. 

In this article, we will explore both sides of the coin, the pros and cons of feminism and examine the impact of feminism on society of women and men.

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Advantages of Feminism

• Gender Equality : Feminism's primary goal is to achieve gender equality, where individuals of all genders have equal rights, opportunities, and representation in all aspects of life, including education, employment, politics, and personal relationships.
• Empowerment : Feminism encourages individuals to challenge traditional gender roles and societal expectations, empowering them to pursue their passions, careers, and life choices without unnecessary limitations.
• Social Justice : Feminism advocates for justice and equality not only in terms of gender but also intersects with issues related to race, class, sexuality, and other aspects of identity, contributing to a broader social justice movement.
• Awareness and Education : Feminism has helped raise awareness about issues such as sexual harassment, domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and reproductive rights, leading to a better understanding of these challenges and the need for change.
• Representation : Feminism has played a crucial role in increasing the visibility and representation of women and marginalized genders in media, politics, and various fields, challenging stereotypes and biases.
• Legal Reforms : Feminist movements have contributed to significant legal changes, including reforms related to women's suffrage, reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and marital rights.

Disadvantages of Feminism

• Diverse Perspectives : Feminism is not a monolithic movement; it encompasses a wide range of perspectives, from liberal feminism to radical feminism and beyond. Disagreements among feminists on goals, strategies, and priorities can sometimes lead to fragmentation and internal conflicts.
• Backlash : Feminism has faced backlash from those who feel threatened by changes in societal norms and power dynamics. This backlash can lead to opposition, misinformation, and resistance to feminist goals.
• Misunderstanding : Misconceptions and misunderstandings about feminism can arise due to misinformation, leading some to believe that feminism is about promoting the superiority of women over men, rather than advocating for gender equality.
• Cultural Variation : Feminism's ideas and strategies may not always translate seamlessly across different cultural contexts, leading to tensions between Western and non-Western feminist movements.
• Intersectionality Challenges : Intersectionality, the recognition of how various forms of oppression intersect, can sometimes be challenging to navigate within feminism, as different groups of feminists may prioritize different issues.
• Media Distortion : Media portrayal of feminism can be oversimplified or sensationalized, leading to a skewed perception of the movement's goals and intentions.

What is feminism?

Feminism is a social, political, and cultural movement that seeks to achieve gender equality. It aims to dismantle the systemic barriers and oppressive structures that disadvantage women and other marginalized genders. At its core, feminism advocates for equal rights and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression.

Definition of feminism

Feminism can be defined as the belief in and advocacy for equal rights between men and women. It challenges the traditional societal norms and gender roles that perpetuate inequality and discrimination.

Goals of feminism

The primary goals of feminism include achieving political, economic, and social equality for all genders. It seeks to eliminate gender discrimination, promote reproductive rights, challenge patriarchal power structures, and create a society that is inclusive and equitable for everyone.

Feminism throughout history

Feminism has a rich history that spans centuries. The first wave of feminism emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily focusing on women’s suffrage and the right to vote. The second wave of feminism occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, addressing issues such as reproductive rights and workplace discrimination. Today, we are witnessing the third wave of feminism, which advocates for intersectionality and recognizes the different experiences of individuals based on their race, class, sexuality, and other identities.

Why is feminism important?

Feminism is important for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, it aims to eliminate gender inequality, which is a fundamental violation of human rights. By advocating for equal rights and opportunities, feminism seeks to create a society that treats all genders with fairness and respect.

Benefits of feminism

There are several benefits to feminism. Firstly, it challenges gender norms and stereotypes, allowing individuals to express themselves authentically without fear of judgment or discrimination. It also strives to break down barriers in the workplace, promoting equal pay and opportunities for career advancement. Additionally, feminism fights against violence and abuse, aiming to create a safer society for everyone.

Feminism and gender equality

Gender equality is at the heart of feminism. By addressing the systemic imbalances that favor one gender over another, feminism seeks to level the playing field and create a society where everyone has an equal chance to succeed.

Feminist movements and progress

Throughout history, feminist movements have achieved significant progress in advancing women’s rights. From securing the right to vote to breaking glass ceilings in various fields, feminism has played an important role in empowering women and challenging patriarchal norms.

How does feminists movement impact society?

Feminism has a significant impact on various aspects of society, from the workplace to relationships and cultural representation. Let’s explore some of these impacts.

Feminism and the workplace

Feminism has helped pave the way for greater gender equality in the workplace. It has challenged discriminatory practices, including issues like pregnancy discrimination , advocated for equal pay, and promoted policies that support work-life balance. However, there is still work to be done to achieve true equality in all industries and at all levels of leadership.

Feminism and relationships

Feminism has also influenced the dynamics and expectations within relationships. It has challenged traditional gender roles and encouraged more egalitarian partnerships. This shift has led to healthier and more balanced relationships where both individuals can thrive and contribute equally.

Feminism and cultural representation

Feminism has played a crucial role in advocating for the accurate and diverse representation of women and other marginalized genders in media, arts, and culture. By challenging stereotypes and demanding representation, feminism has broadened the narratives and empowered individuals to see themselves reflected in the world around them.

Is feminism still relevant today?

Some may question the relevance of feminism in modern society, but the need for feminism persists. Let’s explore why feminism is still essential in today’s world.

The need for feminism

Although progress has been made, gender inequality continues to persist in various forms. From the gender pay gap to limited representation in leadership positions, there are still significant disparities that need to be addressed. Feminism provides a framework for challenging these inequalities and striving for a fair and just society.

Challenges faced by modern feminism

Modern feminism faces challenges such as backlash, resistance, and pushback from various sectors of society. Some argue that feminism has achieved its goals and is no longer necessary, but the reality is that there is still much work to be done to achieve true gender equality.

Feminism and intersectionality

Intersectionality is an important aspect of modern feminism. It recognizes that individuals experience multiple forms of oppression based on their intersecting identities, such as race, class, sexuality, and disability. Feminism must not only address gender inequality but also consider the unique experiences and challenges faced by individuals with intersecting identities.

In conclusion, feminism has both advantages and disadvantages. It is a powerful movement that seeks to create a more equal and just society for all genders. While there may be criticism and misconceptions surrounding feminism, its impact on society cannot be denied. By challenging gender norms, promoting equality, and advocating for the rights of all individuals, feminism has the potential to create a more inclusive and equitable world.

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The Pros and Cons of Feminism

The difference between benevolent feminism and hostile feminism..

Posted August 10, 2009 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

I read the recent postings by Regina Barreca and other bloggers on feminism with interest, as they highlight how sensitive and charged this topic is. In today's post, I wish to contribute to the debate by pointing out the pros and cons of feminism. In so doing, I hope to disambiguate the worthy form of feminism (as a movement fighting injustice) from its counterpart (as an academic discipline capable of apparently contributing to fields as varied as psychology, ecology, physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as being a source of misandry).

Women have faced countless brutal forms of institutionalized discrimination since time immemorial and in all sorts of cultural settings. This is an undeniable and morally reprehensible truth. Accordingly, feminism as a movement, in seeking to create equality for women in the social, political, economic, and occupational spheres (to name a few domains), is laudable. There is no moral reason that a woman should not be allowed to vote, should not have equal access to education and health care, should not make the same amount of money as a man performing the same job, etc. Feminism has been singularly responsible for redressing these deeply sexist social injustices. This is what I would call benevolent feminism and under this rubric I would proudly call myself a feminist, as I abhor all forms of injustice and intolerance.

Now let's turn to the harmful forms of feminism, which I coin hostile feminism. I shall restrict my discussion to four key issues.

1. From the onset of the movement, many radical feminists rapidly converged on the erroneous idea that if women are to be treated equally in all walks of life, it is important to demonstrate that men and women are indistinguishable beings. Hence, all sex differences short of one's genitalia were attributed to socialization. See Professing Feminism: Cautionary Tales from the Strange World of Women's Studies by Daphne Patai and Noretta Koertge for endless examples.

Men and women should be equal under the law, albeit they are distinguishable biological beings. Wishing away sex differences, and creating imaginary narratives about the power of socialization in shaping all sex differences, does not make them disappear. It does not take a sophisticated Darwinist to recognize that we are a sexually dimorphic and sexually reproducing species. By definition, this implies that men and women possess some innate biological-based differences.

2. Some forms of feminism have been harmful in that they have built an ideological foundation that is anti-male. Apparently, misogyny is reprehensible and evil but misandry is virtuous and laudable. I am sure that most readers are familiar with the words of Andrea Dworkin and Catherine MacKinnon to the effect that all men are rapists, and that heterosexual sex is nothing short of rape. And according to many feminists, men who consume pornography are at the very least "rapists-in-training." I wonder how we might go about reproducing given that heterosexual mating is apparently "violently penetrative."

3. In the strange world of academic feminism, the knowledge bases of venerable scientific fields are suspect if not incomplete because men have been the major contributors in those fields. I am not talking about Film Studies and Literary Criticism wherein one might argue that interpretive texts and other cultural products might benefit in being analyzed from multiple ideological viewpoints. Unbeknownst to natural scientists, the hard sciences including physics, chemistry, and biology, apparently need to be infused with feminist theory. And apparently mathematics (the purest of all fields) is incomplete and biased, as it lacks a feminist perspective. Having been trained in mathematics, I wondered what feminist mathematics might be. I had to read Higher Superstition : The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science coauthored by Paul R. Gross and Norman Levitt to get my answer. Apparently, arithmetic word problems are inherently sexist in their content, and hence can be "liberated" by a feminist lens. Take for example the following word problem: "Bob is a fireman who makes $40,000 a year. His boss, Fire Chief Larry has advised him that he will be receiving a 5% salary increase next year. What will his new yearly salary be?" Feminist mathematics would alter fireman to firewoman (or perhaps fireperson ); it would change the name Bob to Barbara . It would also alter Larry to Linda .

Not satisfied at having "liberated" mathematics from its “sexist” shackles, academic feminists have enlightened us about the sexist properties of DNA . Specifically, feminist biochemistry proposes that DNA is an instrument of male dominance as evidenced by its "master molecule" narrative ( McElroy, 1996 ).

4. The feminist movement has created confusion regarding the permissible dynamics between the sexes. Men and women no longer trust their Darwinian instincts; instead they seek to adhere to new "feminist" rules of intersexual conduct, as they are highly fearful of being accused of being "sexist pigs" or "tools of the patriarchy." See my earlier posts regarding benevolent sexism here and here , as it very much relates to this point. Am I allowed to compliment my female colleague about her beautiful dress or would this be harassment? Can she compliment me on how smart I look in my new suit or would she be objectifying me as man-meat? Hence, most individuals now thread very carefully in their daily dynamics.

To recapitulate, let us applaud feminism for its contributions in making our societies more equitable and just, and less sexist (although more work remains). However, let's stamp out the nonsense that is promulgated by a number of feminist theorists.

Gad Saad, Ph.D., is a professor of marketing at Concordia University and the author of The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption and The Consuming Instinct.

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28 Key Pros & Cons Of Feminism

“ The point of feminism is you shouldn’t have to be a man to be treated with equal respect.”

Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, Activist

Advantages & Disadvantages of Feminism

Feminism is an ideology that aims to establish the equality of men and women in various areas of our daily life.

This includes political, social as well as economic perspectives.

Feminism has become quite popular over the past decade.

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Yet, there are also some problems related to this ideology.

In this article, the pros and cons of feminism are examined in detail.

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Advantages of feminism, feminism may strengthen human rights, less gender discrimination, gender quotas, better access to education, higher level of freedom, better overall treatment of women, higher wages for women, may make leaving an unhappy marriage easier, freedom to vote is encouraged, may help to break male hierarchies, higher quality of life for women, confidence among women may increase, better chance for a leading corporate career for women, may lead to a more tolerant society, healthy mix between men and women may also help companies.

One major advantage of feminism is that it can strengthen our human rights.

Our human rights should also include treating men and women as equal as possible in order to enable everyone with similar chances in life, independent of whether the person is borne as a male or female.

The feminist movement aims to achieve this goal and also raises awareness of this important topic.

This is especially crucial in countries where there is still a big difference between men and women in all parts of daily life and in order to improve the overall chances for women, feminism can be an effective tool to accomplish a higher level of equality.

Gender inequality is still a big issue in many parts of the world.

Women are often not allowed to work in certain professions or to participate in certain social activities that are still reserved for men.

Also, their overall rights may be quite confined in general.

In order to strengthen the rights of women, the feminist movement can make a big difference since people become more aware of the problem of gender inequality and the overall tolerance in our society towards women may increase significantly.

Another advantage of feminism is that it tries to promote gender quotas for various parts of our daily life.

For instance, the vast majority of leading positions in the corporate world are still occupied by men and women are often not present too much.

Moreover, also in politics, there are still far fewer women than men.

Even though this changed a little bit over the past years, there might still be a need for gender quotas to tackle the inequality issue and to make it more acceptable for women to work in those important positions.

In many countries all over the world, women also often have quite limited access to education.

Especially in poor parts of our planet, people often have many kids and parents cannot financially afford to send all of them to school.

Therefore, they have to decide which family members they want to give the opportunity to get proper education and which family members will not get this opportunity.

In many poor countries, there is no social security and parents rely on their children to take care of them once they get old.

Most often, boys will get the opportunity to get education in school since they are better able to provide for the family afterward compared to girls and girls will suffer from a serious lack of education .

In order to give girls a better chance for proper education, it is crucial to raise the awareness on the education topic so that also every girl gets the chance to attend school and to get a certain level of education to have better chances to get out of poverty at one point in time.

In general, the overall level of freedom of women in many countries is still rather low and men usually have much more rights in general.

Yet, freedom is one of our most important goods and should be considered to be a human right, independent of whether you are male or female.

Feminism can help to promote a higher level of freedom for women since it strives for a higher level of equality in all parts of our daily life.

Women are also often treated quite poorly by men in many countries all over the world.

In many regions, women are rather considered more as goods rather than as human beings and men often have learned to treat their women quite poorly.

In many cases, even though women may suffer from quite poor overall living conditions, they are not able to improve their quality of life since they will often be discriminated in all parts of their daily life.

In order to improve the overall conditions for women, feminism can also help in this regard since it promotes equal treatment of men and women and if the overall acceptance regarding this social norm increases, men will tend to treat women much better in general.

Another upside of feminism is that it might lead to higher wages for women. In our current state of the world, women still earn far less than men on average.

Even in the case when men and women work in similar jobs, men tend to earn significantly more money.

This can be considered to be quite unfair and feminists often claim that men and women should have equal pay for similar jobs.

Therefore, in order to increase fairness regarding salaries in the corporate world, feminism can play an important role and chances are that wages will become equal for women and men in the long run if feminists continue to work hard on it.

Many women all over the world also suffer in their marriages quite a lot and urgently want to leave their husbands.

However, in many countries, leaving a marriage is not easy at all.

Quite often, women even have to fear to be sentenced to prison or even to death.

Therefore, even though they might be stuck in unhappy marriages, women will not have the courage to leave their husbands since they fear the severe consequences that might be associated with divorce.

Hence, feminism might also make it easier for women to leave a marriage since it may lead to a change in laws so that leaving a marriage will no longer be sentenced and women could leave whenever they want to do so.

In some countries, women are still not even allowed to vote.

Yet, voting is quite important to show political attitude and to have the ability to influence how the future of a country and its local population will look like.

Therefore, it is crucial that as many people as possible have the chance to vote since only then, the preferences and wishes of the majority of the general public will be represented by parliament.

Feminism can also help women to get a right to vote since it promotes the equality of men and women and in case the overall acceptance towards women increases in a society, men will also be more willing to let women participate in elections.

There are also many jobs out there where you will not find too many women at all.

This is especially true in technical professions or in professions that also require plenty of physical work.

While it is undeniable that men have more physical power and it makes sense that those physically demanding jobs are occupied by men, there are many other jobs that could also be carried out by women.

Yet, women are often belittled and not accepted in jobs with strong male hierarchies.

Therefore, in order to give women the opportunity to excel in those jobs, feminism might play an important role since it may set the framework so that it is easier for women to start a corporate career in those types of professions.

Feminism aims to raise awareness regarding the equality of men and women in society.

This is crucial so that women are valued more by men, especially in countries where women are still not considered to be equally important compared to men and still suffer from many disadvantages in their daily life.

Only if the awareness on this important topic is raised, the overall tolerance in society tends to increase towards women, which in turn may lead to a significantly higher quality of life for women.

Since women are still suppressed in many countries all over the globe, their lack of confidence is often significant.

Women are often told by their men that they are worthless and this may translate into serious mental issues over time.

Consequently, in order to increase the overall confidence levels of women, feminism can play an important role since it promotes equal rights and shows women that they are in fact equally important as men.

Another benefit of feminism is that it can make it easier for women to get a chance for a leading corporate career.

The top positions in the corporate world are still mainly occupied by men and even though more women entered the top tier positions in corporations of the past decade, women are still underrepresented in those jobs.

Hence, in order to give women a better chance to get one of those demanding jobs, the feminist movement can help in this regard since it promotes gender quotas and also equal pay.

Therefore, not only the chances to get one of those jobs increases, also the chance for equal pay in those jobs increases through the spread of feminism.

Feminism can also help us to achieve a much more tolerant society.

Even though many people claim that they are tolerant, the fact of the matter is that words are cheap and when we want to see how tolerant people really are, we have to look at their actions rather than listening to their words.

When I look around, there is still a significant level of intolerance toward minorities in our society.

In many countries across the world, there is also a significant level of intolerance towards women.

Therefore, in order to lower the level of intolerance towards women in our society, feminism may play a crucial role to promote equal rights for all of us and to break the male hierarchy in all parts of our current state of the world.

It has also been shown by many studies that teams that are composed of men and women work the best in the corporate world.

Thus, even though many people are still skeptical regarding the concept of gender quotas, more women in leading positions may also help corporations to strengthen their market positions and to make higher profits in the long run.

Disadvantages of the Feminist Movement

May lead to excessive advantages of women, feminism may discriminate men, women may be preferred in case of divorce, feminists may take it too far, frustration among men may increase, women may not be accepted in certain positions, men and women are borne with different characteristics, women get a certain attitude, more career women means fewer children, bureaucratic work, even some women think feminism is unnecessary, may not make sense from a historical perspective, long-term effects still rather unclear.

Apart from the many advantages of the feminist movement, there are also some issues related to it.

One problem of feminism is that it can lead to excessive advantages for women and in fact lead to a state where women will have all the advantages while men will have the downside.

For instance, if gender quotas are introduced, women may get promoted even though they might be less qualified just to fulfill the quota.

There are many other examples where women might be preferred while men will have the downside of it and therefore, feminism indeed poses the danger that women will get excessive advantages in our society through the feminist movement.

Many men may also feel discriminated against by the feminist movement.

For instance, there are many men out there who already treat their women quite good and hence, they see no need for feminism at all.

Thus, those men will tend not to tolerate feminism since they will simply see no sense in it.

Another downside of feminism is that women often have all the upsides when it comes to divorce.

Men often have to pay for alimony, not only to support their kids but also to support their ex-wife.

Moreover, women often get full custody of their kids in case of divorce and men are often only able to see their kids a few times a month.

All this can be considered to be quite unfair from a man’s perspective and those political and social outcomes in case of divorce can be heavily attributed to feminism.

While many women practice feminism in a rather moderate manner, a minor fraction of women also practice this concept in a quite radical manner.

Some feminists make claims that simply go too far in my opinion and while I agree that moderate feminism can be a good thing, too much of it may do more harm than good.

In states where feminism is quite prevalent and where men already suffered from quite a lot of injustice related to it, men may also get quite frustrated about this ideology.

For instance, imagine you recently got divorced from your wife and have to pay large amounts of money for alimony while your ex-wife might even alienate your kids from you.

Chances are that you would get quite angry due to the overall unfair situation, wouldn’t you?!

Therefore, feminism and the related effects may also lead to a high level of frustration of men who have to suffer from unfair treatment in various parts of their lives.

If women are just promoted due to gender quotas and not since they are the best candidate for the job, chances are that their male colleagues might not accept them.

Therefore, even though it might be easier to get leading corporate jobs through feminist movements, women might have a quite hard time to get accepted by their male colleagues.

It is undeniable that women and men are still different and that we are borne with different characteristics.

While one gender is better in task A, the other gender is better in task B on average.

Thus, making everything equal may not serve humanity quite a lot since we may not be able to work in the professions we are best in.

Hence, feminism may also do us a disservice by promoting certain jobs to women that might simply not be suitable for them.

Even though the increasing level of confidence of women that can be attributed to the feminist movement can be considered a good thing, excessive levels of confidence may lead to a certain attitude of women that might be considered to be a little bit over the top and may do more harm than good for our society in the long run.

If more women pursue a corporate career, chances are that this might lead to a lower number of children in our society.

Moreover, the children who are borne may not be taken care of that well if women have to work long hours in demanding jobs.

Hence, feminism can also lead to a state where we will have insufficient numbers of children to keep the system running and where children may also suffer from a lower quality of life since their mothers will have less time to take care of them.

Extreme feminism may also lead to a state where there will be plenty of unnecessary bureaucratic work.

A prominent example of this is the complaints regarding our street lights.

Feminism claims that street lights that are currently using a male figure should be switched to gender-neutral traffic lights.

There are many other examples around but I think you get the point.

While some things that feminists claim really make sense, others may do no good for our society and may also result in plenty of bureaucratic work.

Even many women out there don’t like feminism at all.

Many women think that the feminist movement has taken it too far and that women actually do not need this kind of movement in order to be happy.

Thus, even amongst women, feminism is often a quite controversial topic and it is rather unclear what the majority of our global population really thinks about it.

Also from a historical perspective, feminism may not make too much sense.

While men had always been the hunters, women had the role of taking care of the children over many thousands of years of evolution.

Hence, opponents of feminism often claim that also from an evolutionary standpoint, feminism doesn’t make too much sense.

Since feminism is a rather recent movement, the long-term effects of this ideology are still rather unclear.

Whenever the effects of something are unclear, we should be quite careful not to rely on those concepts in an excessive manner in order to avoid any unpleasant consequences in the future.

Top 10 Feminism Pros & Cons – Summary List

Do we need feminism.

We can conclude from the previous discussion that feminism has many important advantages.

Yet, feminism also implies many serious problems. In my opinion, the strengthening of the rights of women is generally a good thing.

However, we should be careful not to take it too far since otherwise, men will be discriminated at one point in time and this should not be the goal either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism

https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism

https://iwda.org.au/learn/what-is-feminism/

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Feminism: Benefits over Disadvantages Essay

1. introduction.

At its core, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism has a complex history, and has taken many forms - from the struggle for the right to vote, to the ongoing efforts to promote reproductive health and the fight against domestic violence. It also has a complex position in the world today: in many parts of the world, women are not granted the same rights as men, and a feminist is seen as someone who confronts just such issues, and seeks radical and lasting change for the better. Feminism, however, is no monoculture and should not be defined as such. As Lady Gaga once said: "I'm not a feminist. I, I hail men, I love men. I celebrate American male culture, and beer, and bars and muscle cars...". Feminism is much more than man hating, bra burning, and going after people who choose to wear a lot of makeup. These stereotypes that surround the feminist cause, stereotypes that suggest feminists see the battle of the sexes in the only terms that matter: women versus men, are proof of the necessity of that cause. This essay, therefore, seeks to critically assess the key practical and theoretical benefits and disadvantages of feminism - a social movement that has been and continues to be critical in the campaign for equality and freedom for women.

1.1 Definition of feminism

Feminism is a concept that seeks to find equality, not just in terms of finance and economics, but in terms of the larger picture - the social and global standpoint. Susan J. Douglas, a well-known feminist, defined feminism as "a multi-faceted movement that seeks to end sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all other forms of oppression." However, the ruthless and aggressive character sometimes treated as the feature of the advocates of women's rights has led to the definition of the term in the non-feministic way, for example in Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners: "Feminism is the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men." The term "aggressive" indicates stronger action, and the phrase "the belief that..." points to it as not a universal truth or fact, and has been used by people to show us a reference, which declares the disadvantage of the term of feminism in a non-feministic way. This underlines the age-old dilemma surrounding what the actual meaning of feminism is, where the perspectives may change according to the sources of information, be it a solid scholarly work like "The Sociology of Gender" by Amy S. Wharton, general knowledge in a dictionary or through the public opinion. Well, many feminist experts accept feminism as a compound package for achieving gender equality and social reorganization, not as a ‘battle of the sexes' as reprobates argued for decades. But, no one has ever heard a feminist advocate thought of feminism as the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. This just simply illustrates the concept that feminist movement has hardly ever been a battle of women against men. Instead seeking for gender equality such definition of the term feminism advocated feminist experts similarly. Feminism can be considered to be composed of three different stances: liberal, radical and Marxist. Liberal feminists argue for a society where individuals are viewed as separate entities, Marxism argue for a social change, enough to embrace a classless society and radical feminists stress the importance of gender differences and the need for gender-specific and exclusive rights for women.

1.2 Historical context of feminism

The historical context of feminism began in the 18th century during an Age of Enlightenment when writers and philosophers began to discuss the concept of basic human rights and the inherent natural role of women in society. Feminism in the United States grew out of the country's transformational shift from a farming society to an industrial society, a time that gave rise to new classes of people as well as the ethnocultural diversity that the nation began to experience. As immigrants and workers began to flood into the cities, many women took on new roles outside of the traditional work they had been accustomed to on the farm. For example, they began to be more involved in the industrial manufacture of goods and, with the rise of domestic consumerism, took on the new role of purchasing goods for the home. This move outside of the limited sphere of the home helped to fuel the first wave of feminism, which began in the mid-19th century and focused on the promotion of women's suffrage. First wave feminism was driven by the need for women to have practical political power, namely the right to vote, and they believed that through having the ability to participate in the political process the very nature of the inferiority of women in society could be overthrown. It is important to note that the right to vote was progress in and of itself, but it was not necessarily perceived at the time as an end goal for the feminist movement. Women's suffrage was seen rather as a stepping stone towards the larger goal of societal transformation to eliminate the oppression of women. This is evidenced by the fact that the struggle for women's suffrage carried into the next century and was not achieved until the 1920s with the passage of the 19th amendment.

1.3 Purpose of the essay

Throughout the years, the public image of feminism has evolved, and many people have developed a view that feminism is no longer needed in a society that's come so far. This correlation between society and the public's view on feminism is my main focus point throughout this entire essay. For example, in today's society, women can vote, they can have important jobs such as a doctor, and they are able to be a single mother as many men have accepted that it is not just a man's job to provide for the family and children. But women are still seen as the "stay at home and do the housework" type of people and this is because feminism is seen as that women want to be better than men - which is not the case. In examining an assortment of published material on the topic, economic and political changes have had a large influence on the way people view feminism. For instance, various journals and books have been published on the economic freedoms of women and how that has changed the way that society has either accepted feminism or not. This suggests that feminism is not "dead" as such, but to some people, feminism is taking over how society acts. This is further shown in my main area of research: the rise in social media and technological changes. Because feminism has become such a global scale problem in recent years, public sociology is a rapidly growing field. Through producing and popularizing knowledge about the social world, we can engage in democratic debate about the world and how it can be improved. This is something that, in particular, young feminists have become very involved in. The view of women as inferior and not worthy of the same basic human rights as men is absurd and unbelievable. However, the main concept of men having some power over women is still not entirely unlikely. In conclusion to this section of the essay, all of the above shows that people's view on feminism can be heavily influenced by media, through the use of publications, cinema, and social media.

2. Benefits of Feminism

Gender equality, a fundamental goal of feminism, is beneficial not only to women, but to whole societies. The reasons for this are several. Firstly, gender equality is a fundamental facet of a just and fair society. When women are on an equal footing with men, it encourages social progress, it better ensures that couples have the necessary means to protect and care for their children, and it will aid economic growth as women are able to participate in the labour market. Secondly, gender equality and the empowerment of women are intrinsically linked; this is the notion that feminism promotes the idea that gender should not be a deciding factor in whether someone has political, social and economic power. The empowerment of women, a central facet of the movement, has both personal and political implications whereby women are able to take control of their personal lives and feel able to participate fully in the political landscape. Another significant benefit of feminism is the breaking of gender stereotypes. Traditional gender roles can be extremely limiting. Men often feel pressured to fulfil a very restricting notion of what it is to be a man and likewise, women feel the same pressure – both by society and individually – to adhere to traditional female roles. Feminism has created an environment whereby these traditional roles have been all but eliminated in most modern societies. The movement has worked tirelessly to end the idea that a person's gender should not be prescriptive in dictating that person's temperament, opinions, feelings, abilities or preferred dress. After centuries of pernicious stereotyping, the fact that feminists have made such progress is not a small feat and it is highly fortunate for future generations. Moreover, increased opportunities for women through feminism have had widespread, global benefits. Throughout the world, women have been successfully pushing for their own rights. As a result, in most Western countries, women are able to live lives which they choose – but not all nations afford women the same benefits. From the global campaign to end the practice of enforced female genital mutilation (FGM) to the push for sexual and reproductive rights in the developing world, it is becoming increasingly apparent that women can and have changed the world. Feminist ideals are attempting to show women that they do have opportunities, that they are capable of work and making decisions. However, most importantly, feminism is striving for the possibility that, one day, every single woman in every corner of the world will be able to make choices about their lives, irrespective of male opinions or their embedded traditional structures of power. Last but not least, feminism has facilitated and increased gender equality in access to education and healthcare. There has been significant progress globally with the emancipation of women from traditional roles; indeed, in most developed and developing countries, women make up the substantial majority of those enrolled in higher education. In turn, feminist research and policy initiatives are gaining traction across the world, with the United Nations, Rothschild and feminist writers such as bell hooks and Naomi Wolf all participating in the much needed drive for increased sex education, access to family planning services and the effective provision of abortion and maternity health care. The United Nations envisions a world where all men and women have access to effective sexual health services; a world in which women are not at the mercy of preventable diseases such as cervical cancer; a world where unsafe, illegal abortions do not pose a threat to women's lives and a world where a diagnosis of HIV is no longer a death sentence. Feminism, through making significant progress in gender equality in education, is helping to achieve this vision.

2.1 Gender equality and empowerment

There are numerous advantages in a feminist approach towards law, for example, the first being that rule of law and access to justice can be switched into a more positive right. Positive rights are rights that impose a duty to do something on another. If cases were argued through feminist theory, then it may be more obvious that justice and the interpretation of legal rules and principles may be best served by taking a positive approach. By doing this, rights such as those under Article Six of the European Convention of Human Rights – the right to a fair trial may be flipped from a negative right to a positive right. This is because judicial systems will owe a duty, for example, to apply the law in a fair and impartial way rather than just refraining from political influence. Another significant advantage is that the strike down and reform of laws based upon discretion and stereotypes can be more easily achieved. This is because equal treatment from a practice or rule of law can be argued from the position that a given kernel of discretion needs and should be equivalent across the board or that the discretion is arbitrary and unjust. Also, the stereotype that a practice or rule supports can be used in interpreting legislation or reviewing acts of public authorities under convention rights, adding a new dimension to the interpretation and application of the law. The Human Rights Act allows individuals to rely upon the Act in legal procedures and also allows dissolutions to be made. This is significant because feminist theory can view the Act as a tool for positivist reform and hermeneutic reinterpretation. This is because judges are obliged to interpret legislation as far as is possible in compliance with convention rights under section three of the Act. This new approach to interpretation means that a vital advantage of a feminist theoretical approach could be the sense that positive rights under the Act may be utilized to show a just cause of action in family law or present a better construction of the land in property law. There is a move towards a "facilitative" judiciary, who in accordance with section six(1)(b) must take account of European Court of Human Rights decisions, thus further providing an avenue by which gender equality can be argued and reform achieved. By focusing instead on how seemingly neutral laws employ stereotypes and contribute to gender subordination, feminist jurisprudence can help develop a critical legal consciousness and modern interpretation of acceptable and just behavior within society. This approach can benefit the political impact feminists can make as with the development of critical legal consciousness, according to Smart, individuals begin to "understand and object to existing relations of subordination associated with gender oppression and differentiate them from just arrangements" (Smart, 1989).

2.2 Breaking gender stereotypes

Although some people may argue that gender stereotypes have changed and are no longer common in today's society, prominent evidence suggests the contrary. An example of this is Bailey et al.'s research, which shows the way in which children's picture books present a highly gendered division of labour. Evidence such as this suggests that feminism, and thereby the breaking of gender stereotypes inherent within it, is as necessary now as ever. In recent years, the breaking of gender stereotypes is becoming an increasingly mainstream aspect of feminist activity and modern studies of feminism regularly examine the way in which feminists can defy. Challenging conventional views on femininity and masculinity can be seen as a key strand of the breaking of gender stereotypes and such a movement is gathering pace. For example, the media is becoming more gender neutral, with children's toys shown in the Argos catalogue no longer being explicitly assigned a gender. This is important as it shows that society is making steps to alter preconceived ideas about gender that have been ingrained into culture. This material change in society, as a result of the breaking of gender stereotypes, is incredibly important, for it allows a representational schema - which can be seen to inform the way many people understand their own identity - to be broadened and for individuals to be given choice in the way in which they are represented. This is the case for both men and women, as the resistance and struggle to the classification and 'othering' that occurs as a result of the binary opposites of masculine and feminine can be ended. It is arguable that the benefits of breaking down gender stereotypes as a result of the feminist movement are vast and far-reaching; not only will it serve to increase the autonomy of individuals and give them greater freedom of choice within their lives, but the foundation necessary to correct inherent gender inequalities within society can be created. In recognizing that our societies and our identity structure is dominated by patriarchal and heteronormative ideology, it can begin to appreciate the implications of such historical practices.

2.3 Increased opportunities for women

Finally, statistics show that feminism has improved the quality of life for women in society because they now have higher economic status. Studies have shown that there is a positive relationship where feminism has thrived to bring gender equality; women are given more economic chances that help them benefit their lives and the lives of their families. Increased feminist movements have led to women having their employers give them more paternal and maternal leaves and also pay their medical insurances. As a result, more and more women are now being considered more for promotions as their male counterparts. For example, Statistics Canada shows that the majority of men in the country are still considered as the dominants in most of the higher economic positions as a result of the males having the majority of the working experiences. However, more women are being considered for these positions due to the change in the way organizations choose to do business. Today, the modern society drives economic growth and equality, which means that there is a need for various perspectives so that they satisfy the diverse markets. As a matter of fact, more women have been considered for high economic positions since the companies have adopted a 'joint philosophy', which argues that they need to foster human development so as to achieve the company's goal and economic growth as well. Companies are now moving from the 'competition work strategies' exactly which are dominated by men. This is really a great picture under female favor where the society's modern way of doing business also fits within the modern way of life and civilization. These are the advantages and increase of the quality of life that feminism offers to women. Also, more children today enjoy the benefits that feminism brings forth. Companies that support families have seen their employees being able to concentrate more on their tasks at work. As a result of having peace of mind, which comes from the confidence that their families are being taken care of, and more women employees got their employers to make available employee benefits such as daycare and a room that can be used for breastfeeding. Feminism has greatly exploited the body for knowledge; therefore, science has become an important tool for the feminist sciences. With this thought in count, and putting other aspects into consideration, for example, health, the opportunities that are in place so as to foster the research on women's health are wonderful. For example, Canada provides a great resource on women's health in the country. The Canadian Women's Health Networks work to address the health needs of women and the leaves by focusing on research, knowledge translation, and information in the health community. This is a clear justification that health sectors benefit from feminism; the quality of the lives for the women is improved as technologies are discovered and the lives of children also improve as a result of better healthcare that is now available for the women of tomorrow. Feminist studies continue to develop and provide new insights in implementing what the some educational system says that critical thinkers and explorers were usually men long time ago. Feminism has thrived to challenge what is in place and provide a better knowledge society, particularly when talking about research in higher education. For example, feminist teaching is well developed in North America but researches in Women's Studies are still seen to be less extensive than those in traditional disciplines, computer sciences. This is mainly due to the oppression and the fight for the first wave feminism. The history of women is seen to be silent under major disciplines. It was in 1981 when an important and first-ever published book called 'The Feminist Standpoint Theory Reader' by Sandra Harding comes out to show some guidelines axed upon feminism and knowledge.

2.4 Access to education and healthcare

Feminism has altered the understanding of gender-based encounters within medical science, the health care delivery system, health policies, and the organization of medical knowledge. One significant accomplishment of feminist activists is the present-day struggle for women's rights, such as calling for an end to violence against women. The education and awareness created by feminist movements play a vital role in changing how health care is delivered and in trying to make sure that new medical developments do not ignore the specific health needs of women. In addition to the deep symbolic meaning of having a woman as a radical feminist in the White House, the importance of a feminist Brazilian woman president would be seen in the ways that it would materially change many women's lives for the better in this country. For instance, if an anti-choice doctor were licensed in a particular state as a result of political pressure or merely because not enough doctors applied for licensure, he could go to court to force that his name be added to the list of certified providers. This would have the effect of denying students' access to medical abortion through telemedicine in their health care center. Also, feminist activists today stand up to the government's attempt to control health care for women. For example, anti-choice politicians have tried to defund basic reproductive health care services, like teen pregnancy prevention counseling and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. As a matter of fact, feminist activists could help to raise awareness about the importance of many affordable care services provided by Planned Parenthood and continue to place pressure on local, state, and federal legislators to ensure that these services are protected and may be widened. Such a display of feminist social and political justice could have crucial effects on the way the right to accessible health care is understood and applied, which is seen as ably important in the upcoming 2016 election. Not to mention, it doesn't make sense to move to an elective system in society that does not strive towards a broad critical collective analysis. We want to encourage a system that promotes the full development of human potential and effects empowerment. And this is why a feminist's healthcare goal is to offer a stage upon which women can resonate the significance of establishing a mission that helps forge a reality commensurate with this particular vision of healthcare access.

2.5 Legal and political advancements

In the late 19th century, "first wave" feminism focused on overturning legal inequalities, such as voting rights, which would be unified under the 19th Amendment in 1920. "Second wave" feminism had its inception in the early 1960s and worked to address social inequalities, such as workplace discrimination and reproductive rights. Then, in the late 20th century and continuing today, "third wave" feminism looks to further address the unique cultural issues of countless and differences among women. This approach to "third wave" feminism has provided that there are some unique cultural issues involving feminists and has shaped policies and helped to bring them more in line with the world. For example, laws like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, which includes provisions concerning access to breast cancer treatments, have all been influenced by feminist strategy. The Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows for a majority of employees to receive paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child, has similarly been influenced by feminist reform and the growing belief that home and work should not be separate worlds for a woman. For legal and political advancements, it's being shown that feminist efforts have made and will continue to make differences in women's lives. Also, with the advent of the internet, political polarization and generational differences, "fourth wave" feminism is being seen as a response to fears about sexual harassment and several rights in the current global environment. This section should make clear to the reader the fact that feminism is organized on the basis of each of a number of widely recognized comprehensive doctrines. However, it must be noted that government intervention into this type of thing is very severely limited. This is because, by and large, American laws and literature do not allow for gender as a legitimate independent basis for making a distinction. This is part of the reason that many times the merits of "equity" feminist legal proposals, that is proposals which tend to argue that women should be provided with the same rights and opportunities as men, seem to be more successful and agreed upon in society. On the other hand, the dismissal of "gender" feminist proposals, that is proposals which tend to argue that patriarchy has led to the subordination of women and this cycle of subordination must be broken, is felt much more frequently, since it is more difficult to argue in political and legal spheres that gender can be an independent means of separating people.

3. Disadvantages of Feminism

The coverage of the disadvantages of feminism in the essay is much more comprehensive than that of the benefits of feminism. Four main points have been raised in the essay. First of all, the misunderstandings and stereotypes of feminism as a movement are expressed. It is suggested that on the one hand, feminists cannot have a unified enemy. By being so varied, the argument about a feminist current could be articulated in terms of its specific branches and their specific enemies. On the other hand, as a powerful cause pushing for social change, there are many who feel threatened by the potential outcomes of feminism. This fear can manifest itself in a number of ways, from faux-sympathy to malicious hostility. One effective way to show how feminism has been persistently misunderstood is to show the discord between the aims and hopes of the feminist movement and the woeful interpretations. Also, in the essay it is believed that backlash gives a more plausible explanation for the dissatisfaction with the development in women's situation. As was described, movement towards female emancipation is often met with hostile response from those who presume that sexist privileges are under attack. For example, hysterical concerns about how fathers' rights are being eroded in child custody battles may be cited as manifestations of the backlash thesis. However, the essay also presents the criticism of the backlash thesis by some feminist scholars. It is argued that only focusing on backlash tends to describe women in a passive sense who are acted upon by oppressive forces while ignoring the opportunities that women create for themselves.

3.1 Misconceptions and backlash

Nowadays, feminism has been widely accepted. Nevertheless, the word "feminism" still causes lots of misunderstanding and stereotyping. Firstly, society often misunderstands the concept of feminism and the purpose of feminist movements. In different parts of the world, people have different understandings of feminism, leading to the lack of mutual understanding and collaboration among the feminist movement in different areas. This misunderstanding and lack of coordination somehow affect the public awareness and further deepen the stereotype towards feminists. For instance, people usually connect the word "feminism" with "hatred towards men" or "advocating for female superiority". The reason being feminists always fight for "gender equality" between men and women, yet only a few people can truly understand how such gender inequality has led to various "unfairness" in real life. In some more serious cases, the minority of extreme feminists who uphold the idea of "female superiority" or "revolution" will conduct radical actions like condemning man or even conducting violent acts to voice out their stance. This kind of radical demonstration not only worsen the negative stereotype but also narrow down supports from the very critical group of the society. Last but not least, it is worth noting that feminism itself is often claimed to be the reason of women issues. On the other hand, any actions or suggestions made for women are easily related to feminism and hence distracted or neglected. The perception of feminism is like the block on social changes which benefits women. Although there are lots of misinformation about feminism, the misunderstanding began when people fail to realise the advanced feminist theory in this 21st century which perfectly explained how gender inequality is not just a sociological issue, but a wide range of repressions from culture and body to economic. It covers the explanation of every repression and linking them together which helps provide a complete understanding of women's subjection under patriarchy.

3.2 Divisiveness within the feminist movement

The two main camps of feminists that are often cited in this context are "second wave" (mainly concerning women's suffrage and political and equality rights with men, also women's social change) and "third wave" (focusing on and celebrating differences between women and distancing from male-centered and male-identified ideologies). Although these main two camps have subdivided into further waves in some circles, this broad generalisation is pretty widely accepted. However, in reality the situation is all but clear-cut and the existence and destructive potential of infighting to the same ultimate end is significant. First and foremost, divisiveness within the feminist movement has led to ongoing and profound alienation on the behalf of some individuals against the movement itself, reducing any political hold and progress that could be made. Particularly with the growing age of technology and social media that has opened the gateway to pseudonyms, fake accounts and cyber bullying, fall-outs and disputes can be more public and permanent than ever before. This kind of public recognition of animosity, especially on a world stage thanks to global connectivity, can be seen by both society and potential recruits to feminism as a negative and self-defeating organization to join, if indeed they interpret it as an 'organization' at all. Social change, according to theory by famous sociologist Max Weber, is brought about through rationalization and action; if the devoted members of a movement begin to lose sight of the common goals they share then the forward momentum required for political reform is lost and societal expectation smothers the birth of new ideas. This is problematic not least because feminism still, to this day and despite growing acceptance and tolerance, is seen as a radicalist and controversial alternative to a more 'passive' request for gender equality. However, the existence of these what could be seen as internal struggles and attempts to redefine and rediscover common ground as a distributed and diverse society moves forward suggests that, possibly ironically, feminism has in fact become victim to one of its own arguments and critiques: the distraction of infighting.

3.3 Criticisms of extreme ideologies

The text for example should focus on delivering information, explaining concepts, or detailing processes or systems. Well, as for your question, 'why these feminist movements differ in their ideologies?', the simple answer is that every social movement tries to find the best ways to understand and solve the problems it faces. But the more complex answer has to do with the history of movements and contemporary social, political and economic condition of the society in which these movements for women-led. On the different view perceived by radical feminists is this that while liberal feminism provides women with almost equal rights and opportunities, it lets men to keep their power over woman because liberal feminists have too much confidence in the existing political system and are not radical enough to seek solutions outside the system, such as a society where both sexes live apart from one another. So resting within the world of liberal feminism ultimately means giving in to the belief that political and legal changes is all important. On the other hand, socialist feminists argue that liberal feminism has too much focus on individualist solutions to the oppression of women such as choosing a career or a family. In fact, that kind of choice is only available to the few women who enjoy privileged access to rich, material resources and this is something that the anti-discrimination legislation of liberal feminists neglect to consider. And they also argue that it is not enough for women to be given equal rights, because that does not change the basic structures of society and the economy, as men will still have resources and wealth that reinforces their power over women. The real solution to the oppression and empowerment of women is for radical changes to the society, a sharing of economic power, redistributing wealth and resources and a changing of social institutions fundamentally.

3.4 Intersectionality and inclusivity challenges

Intersectionality is a term which was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989. It is a concept often used in critical theories to describe the way in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. In the context of feminism, focusing on only one axis of discrimination would ignore the way in which different aspects of someone's identity can combine to create even more oppression. For example, a white, able-bodied woman may face discrimination, however this would be a fraction of the discrimination that a disabled, black woman would face. Many writers and academics have developed the ideas set out by Crenshaw. For example, Ailsa McKay and Fiona Mackay argue that the introduction of an intersectional perspective helps to address the concerns in the feminist movement that women are divided by their own experiences of injustice. However, McKay and Mackay (2010) also acknowledge that the adoption of an intersectional approach has been met with criticism and hostility. This is because acknowledging the need to include all voices of experience within feminism challenges the privilege that some women have, and requires them to acknowledge the ways in which they have benefited from and perpetuated the suppression of other voices. The feminist movement has not always been welcoming of diversity, whether this be in terms of race, class, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Feminists themselves have acknowledged the lack of inclusivity within the movement, and the reluctance of some to accept what an intersectional approach may mean for them. For example, Tamara L. Butler and Laura Smith argue that the feminist judgment project in the U.K. (2010) has demonstrated that those who hold influential and powerful positions in the movement are often resistant to allowing the introduction of more diverse perspectives on "women's issues". This reflects the findings of Harriet Bjerrum Neilson and Mathias Wullum Nielsen, who claim that public discourse and the media frequently ignore the difference and diversity amongst women's life experiences, and typically present a very one-dimensional, whitewashed and essentialist view of feminism. In turn, this perpetuates the lack of inclusivity and opens up the movement to criticism and attack from both outside and within.

4. Conclusion

Having weighed the various advantages and drawbacks of feminism throughout the essay, it is clear that the scale is heavily tipped in favour of feminism. Although it was found that some of the benefits that have been advertised by feminists are yet to be realised, such as full gender equality and the emergence of a post-gender utopia, it is not plausible to use this as ammunition against the movement when the advantages that have been seen have had such a positive effect. On the other hand, many of the disadvantages of feminism that were discussed in the essay were found to be either lacking in evidence or only affecting a select few people, such as men's rights being apparently eroded as a result of feminist movements. As a result, the overall impact of feminism on society is a highly positive one. Of course, there is still much ground to cover in terms of gender equality in both the workplace and in everyday life, but it is difficult to deny the progress that has been made. It seems that the only way for feminism to progress further is through a deep comforting of those who feel marginalized by such a movement: whether this might be more radical people who feel as though moderate feminist views may have been hijacked or individuals who feel that as a result of feminism other voices have been silenced. This could mean the encouragement of a more intersectional approach to feminist topics, as well as a fostering of a more open and accepting form of debate surrounding the issues that could – and indeed do – affect everyone. Funnily enough, the ways in which feminism could move forward seem to be reflected in the benefits that society has reaped from the movement as a whole. The swelling of opportunities that are available to women and the breaking down of historically accepted gender stereotypes clearly indicate that by discussing and problematizing the disadvantages of feminism, such as backlash or divisions, people are becoming more aware of what needs to be done in order to overcome such issues of inequality. After exploring the benefits and disadvantages of feminism, the conclusion presents a final note on the overall impact of the movement on society. And I think that I will offer my final thoughts and recommendations next.

4.1 Summary of benefits and disadvantages

Feminism has both benefits and drawbacks, and these are discussed and analyzed in the paper. The primary rationale of this research was to identify the impact of feminism on society. According to the research evidence, feminism has been a significant force for the last two centuries. The researcher maintains that the main goal of the movement was to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social rights for women. Throughout this essay, it is clear that the feminist movement has been a very successful social movement and has made a lot of changes in many aspects of women's lives. On the other hand, the writer recognizes the fact that there is no social movement that does not have some negative impact on society and acknowledges that the feminist movement also has some pitfalls. However, the researcher maintains that the benefits and successes of the movement outweigh the drawbacks. First and foremost, the researcher notes that the role of the feminist movement in the redefinition of gender roles and the expectations of society was one of the major benefits. This is because, through challenging the traditional gender and sex expectations, the feminist movement has helped to create a society in which all people can reach their full potential, both in private relationships and in society as a whole. This is an achievement and advantage to society. On top of that, this type of paper has a few limitations, including selection bias and a limited, varying dependent variable, and future research could utilize longitudinal data and a wider variety of abuse types to explore the effectiveness of response programs as well as the differing effects of feminist and family therapy-based programs.

4.2 Overall impact of feminism on society

The essay "Feminism: Benefits over Disadvantages" overall has proved to be a success and has shown remarkable improvement in bringing change in society. Women have found their respect by the good deeds of feminism. If we analyze critically, we will come to know that women in the society have established themselves up to a notable extent. In historical perspective, we find many movements in favor of women. First wave of feminism and its achievement has to be viewed through the feminist perspective and according to them, such achievements were building blocks in establishing women's rights. Women were given rights to vote and to establish their independent opinion in that particular era. After that, in the 1960s and 1980s, the second wave of feminism started in the western countries. This wave of feminism has helped women to accelerate in the path of success after a long time. This increased opportunities for education, independent opinion, and choices. The third wave of feminism seems to be giving very good results and helps to improve the social status of women. This wave of feminism has its history in different parts of the world. For example, in the USA, the Feminist Majority was formed in 1987 in favor of feminism and found problems of women who were from developing countries, and its aim is to work on international women's issues. Such movements helped a lot in women's rights. Because women's rights after the third wave of feminism have become more founded and more social support has taken place. Women in society got a gift in terms of freedom due to the controversial issue of birth control. After the controversial campaigns, the government has taken a decision in favor of birth control. In this regard, the state of New York was the first state which legalized birth control and gave access to women to achieve family planning. Women, after the success of this campaign, have started to rise up against the social norms that they have to face in their life. Today, women call themselves as self-determination, independent opinion, and choices and strong social status in society, and all these positive supports are the results of the birth control campaign. Same as in the 1960s and the 1970s, a movement led by women's organizations, civil rights, and women has formed in society. Because they knew how important it is to stop the violence against women. Every year in the United States, domestic violence causes about 2 million injuries to women, and the government has taken legal action to stop this. After the success of the government campaigns on domestic violence, women have gained widespread social support to achieve the goals of ending the violence. Now, in different states, special funds have been allocated for women who are victims of domestic violence and proper shelters have been built. So, women throughout the history of feminism have faced different types of cultural, political, and social challenges and have kept the struggle for women's rights.

4.3 Final thoughts and recommendations

After having fully considered the various arguments presented in this essay, it is clear to me that the benefits of feminism far outweigh the disadvantages. Throughout history, movements that brought about social change and progress have always faced opposition and criticism. The feminist movement has come a long way since its inception and has overcome numerous obstacles. One of the most significant achievements of feminism is the change in societal attitudes. The movement has successfully transformed the traditional belief that women are the weaker sex and men are the strong protectors. It has also challenged the deeply rooted gender stereotypes that have been so pervasive in society for generations. As a result, there is now greater recognition of women's rights and the promotion of gender equality. In order to eradicate the belief that feminism is no longer relevant in today's society, it is the responsibility of everyone, both men and women, to advocate for the movement. The promotion of widespread awareness will allow people to have a better understanding of what feminism is truly about and what it is aiming to achieve. It is important for this information to be disseminated on a global scale, so that people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds can all appreciate the value of the movement. However, it is crucial to ensure that the movement remains progressive and forward thinking. As I have been addressed earlier, one of the main disadvantages of feminism is the presence of extreme feminist ideology. Such extremist views can do more harm than good to both the feminist movement and the society as a whole. It is important for the leaders of the feminist community to ensure that the direction of the movement is inclusive and progressive. By embracing the views of people from all walks of life and by staying committed to the primary goal of achieving gender equality, only then can feminism truly prosper and prevail.

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44 Student Essay Example: Feminist Criticism

The following student essay example of femnist criticism is taken from Beginnings and Endings: A Critical Edition . This is the publication created by students in English 211. This essay discusses Ray Bradbury’s short story ”There Will Come Soft Rains.”

Burning Stereotypes in Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”

By Karley McCarthy

Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” takes place in the fallout of a nuclear war. The author chooses to tell the story though a technologically advanced house and its animatronic inhabitants instead of a traditional protagonist. The house goes about its day-to-day as if no war had struck. It functions as though its deceased family is still residing in its walls, taking care of the maintenance, happiness, and safety of itself and the long dead family. On the surface, Bradbury’s story seems like a clear-cut warning about technology and humanity’s permissiveness. Given that the short story was written in the 1940s, it’s easy to analyze the themes present and how they related to women of the time. Bradbury’s apt precautionary tale can be used as a metaphor for women’s expectations and role in society after World War II and how some women may have dealt with the fallout of their husbands coming back home with psychological trauma.

To experience “There Will Come Soft Rains” from a feminist perspective, readers must be aware of the societal norms that would have shaped Bradbury’s writing. “Soft Rains” takes place in the year 2026. Yet the house and norms found throughout were, “modeled after concept homes that showed society’s expectations of technological advancement” (Mambrol). This can be seen in the stereotypical nuclear family that once inhabited the house as well as their cliché white home and the hobbies present. According to writer Elaine Tyler May’s book Homeward Bound, America’s view of women’s role in society undertook a massive pendulum swing during the World War II era as the country transitioned through pre-war to post-war life. For example, in a matter of decades support for women joining the workforce shifted from 80% in opposition to only 13% (May 59). Despite this shift, the men coming back from the war still expected women to position themselves as the happy housewife they had left behind, not the newfound career woman architype. Prominent figures of the 40s, such as actress Joan Crawford, portrayed a caricature of womanhood that is subservient to patriarchal gender roles, attempting to abandon the modern idea of a self-sufficient working-class woman (May 62-63). Keeping this in mind, how can this image of the 1940s woman be seen in Bradbury’s work?

Throughout Bradbury’s life he worked towards dismantling clichés in his own writing. A biography titled simply “Ray Bradbury” mentions that even in his earlier work, he was always attempting to “escape the constrictions of stereotypes” found in early science fiction (Seed 13). An example of him breaking constrictions could be his use of a nonhuman protagonist. Instead, Bradbury relies on the personification of the house and its robotic counterparts. Bradbury describes the house as having “electric eyes” and emotions such as a, “preoccupation with self-protection which bordered on a mechanical paranoia,” something that would make the house quiver at the sounds of the outside world (2-3). While these descriptions are interesting, Bradbury’s use of personification here is a thought-provoking choice when one breaks down what exactly the house is meant to personify.

One analysis of this story notes that the house’s personification, “replaces the most human aspects of life,” for its inhabitants (Mambrol). Throughout the story, the house acts as a caretaker, records a schedule, cooks, cleans, and even attempts to extinguish an all-consuming fire. While firefighting is not a traditionally feminine career or expectation from the 1940s (more on that later), most of the house’s daily tasks are replacing jobs that were traditionally held by a household’s matriarch. Expanding further on this dichotomy of male/woman tasks, a chore mentioned in the story that is ‘traditionally’ accepted as a masculine household duty—mowing the law—is still assigned as a male task. This is feels intentional to the house’s design as Bradbury is, “a social critic, and his work is pertinent to real problems on earth” (Dominianni 49). Bradbury’s story is not meant to commentate on just an apocalypse, but society at large.  Bradbury describes the west face of the house as, “black, save for five places” (Bradbury 1-2). These “five places” are the silhouettes of the family who had been incinerated by a nuclear bomb. The family’s two children are included playing with a ball, but the mother and father’s descriptions are most important. The mother is seen in a passive role, picking flowers, while the father mows the lawn. The subtext here is that the man is not replaceable in his mundane and tedious task. Only the woman is replaced. While this is a small flash into the owners’ lives, what “human aspect” or autonomy of the father’s life has been replaced by the house’s actions if the house is mainly personifying only the traditional 1940s female-held positions? The message here is that a man’s position in society is irreplaceable while a woman’s is one of mere support.

While this dynamic of husband vs subordinate is harmful, wives supporting their partners is nothing new. Homeward Bound explains that life after World War II for many women meant a return to their previous position as a housewife while many men came home irreparably damaged by years of warfare. PTSD, known then as shellshock, affected countless men returning from the war. Women were often expected to mend the psychological damage as part of their domestic responsibilities, even if they were unprepared for the realities of the severe trauma their husbands had faced (May 64-65). The psychological effects of the war came crashing into women’s lives the same way that the tree fell into the autonomous house in “Soft Rains”. As mentioned earlier, firefighting is not a task someone from the 40s would expect of women, but the house’s combustion and its scramble to save itself can be seen as a metaphor for women attempting to reverse the cold reality that the war had left them with. The picturesque family they had dreamed of would forever be scarred by the casualties that took place overseas. While Bradbury may not have meant for women to be invoked specifically from this precautionary tale, it’s obvious that him wanting his science fiction to act as, “a cumulative early warning system against unforeseen consequences,” would have impacted women of the time as much as men (Seed 22). The unforeseen consequences here is the trauma the war inflicted on families.

While men were fighting on the front lines, women back home and in noncombat positions would still feel the war’s ripples. In “Soft Rains” the nuclear tragedy had left, “a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles” (Bradbury 1). Despite the destruction, the house continues its routine as though nothing had happened. This can be seen as a metaphor for how women responded to the trauma their husbands brought back from the war. Women were urged to, “preserve for him the essence of the girl he fell in love with, the girl he longs to come back to. . .The least we can do as women is to try to live up to some of those expectations” (May 64). Following this, many could have put their desires and personal growth to the side to act as a secondary character in their husband’s lives.

The final line can be read as the culmination of similarities between post-war women and Bradbury’s house. The violence and destruction that fell upon the house in its final moments leaves little standing. What’s remarkable is how the house still attempts to continue despite its destruction. The final lines of the short story exemplify this: “Within the wall, a last voice said, over and over again and again, even as the sun rose to shine upon the heaped rubble and steam: ‘Today is August 5, 2026, today is August 5, 2026, today is…’” (Bradbury 5). The house is acting just like the women from the 40s, clinging to their past in an attempt to preserve something that had already been lost, society’s innocence. One analysis points out that, “The house is depicted in this way because it represents both humanity and humanity’s failure to save itself” (Mambrol). While it might be wrong to say that women were unable to save themselves in this situation, this quote does touch on an idea present in the feminist metaphor for “Soft Rains”. The preservation of “the essence of the girl he fell in love with, the girl he longs to come back to” was a failure (May 64). The same way that the house cannot preserve itself from destruction, women cannot preserve an image of themselves that had already dissolved. As mentioned earlier, women had already entered the workforce, a huge step towards removing sexist stereotypes around women’s worth. After garnering work-based independence, it seems impossible that the idea of women solely as men’s support would not immolate.

While Bradbury’s “Soft Rains” can be viewed as an apt precautionary tale with real modern world issues at hand, in many ways it is a period piece. As a writer in the 1940s, it’s hard to imagine that Bradbury’s story would not have been influenced by the framework of a nuclear family and the stereotypical expectations of this time. Bradbury’s use of personification opens dialogue about gender roles in the 1940s and how war had complicated patriarchal expectations. Despite his attempt to bypass science fiction stereotypes, his story is full of metaphor for gender stereotypes. Using a feminist lens to analyze the story allows it to be read as a metaphor for war and its effects on married women. The standard analysis appears to say that, “machine no longer served humanity in “There Will Come Soft Rains”; there humanity is subservient to machinery” (Dominianni 49). From a feminist perspective, instead of machine, the house represents patriarchy and gender norms. While men suffered greatly during World War II, women often put their wants and futures on hold to support their husbands. This is a selfless act that shows the resilience of women despite their society’s wish to downplay their potential and turn them into mere support.

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. “August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains.” Broome-Tioga BOCES, 1950, pp. 1-5. btboces.org/Downloads/7_There%20Will%20Come%20Soft%20Rains%20by%20Ray%20Bradbury.pdf.

Dominianni, Robert. “Ray Bradbury’s 2026: A Year with Current Value.” The English Journal , vol. 73, no. 7, 1984, pp. 49–51. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/817806

Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s There Will Come Soft Rains.” Literary Theory and Criticism , 17 Jan. 2022.

May, Elaine Tyler. “War and Peace: Fanning the Home Fires.”  Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era.  20th ed., Basic Books, 2008, pp. 58-88.

Seed, David. “Out of the Science Fiction Ghetto.”  Ray Bradbury (Modern Masters of Science Fiction).  University of Illinois, 2015, pp. 1-45.

Critical Worlds Copyright © 2024 by Liza Long is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Feminism: Positives and Negatives

The feminist movement has made a huge impact on the Western world and it has evolved the social status of women in the developed as well as developing countries to a very large extent. What exactly is feminism and how does it affect the modern world? Feminism is basically a set of ideologies, social movements as well as political movements which are known for sharing a common motive i.e. to create, believe as well as achieve equal economic, cultural, social, political, personal and professional social rights and authorities for women as enjoyed by men from all over the globe.

Feminism also makes sure that there are equal education as well as employment options available for women as there are for men.

However, feminism comes with its own set of positives and negatives and below are some of the commonly known pros as well as cons of feminism listed.

Positives of Feminism:

• Feminism carves the path of self- respect as well as admiration for women when they are given equal social status in the society.
• When women are given equal power due to feminism, they develop a self of belongingness which encourages them to contribute more to the people around them both personally as well as professionally.
• Feminism aids in addressing the taboo our society has regarding rights of women and it also enlightens public regarding the importance of equality among the genders.
• Women are considered to be the essence of life on earth and when feminism comes into force, women are treated with their much- deserving respect and love.
• Feminism makes men understand their role in the house and promotes them to spend more time with their children and also indulge in household activities.
• There is better sharing of feelings and a sense of belongingness developed between couples when women are given equal respect and admiration.
• Feminism helps in promoting equality in relationships of all kinds.
• Feminism enlightens people about the LGBTQ community and there can be reduction in the number of hate crimes.
• Undoubtedly the society around us has become more authentic with both men and women coming forward in support of feminism.

Negatives of Feminism:

• Feminism is often considered to be an influence of the Western world and culture.
• Feminism is largely applied on women working in the industrial sectors.
• Feminism is sometimes used as a weapon against mankind with women refusing to bear babies.
• Women often see themselves as the better gender and want to separate themselves from the rest of the society, both personally and professionally.
• In a way, feminism is carving discrimination between men and women by demanding for equal rights for them, hence portraying that men are dominant in the society. It also segregates men and women.
• Feminism leads to the undermining of traditional values and power of a woman which is her family and loved ones.
• There can be several negative effects of feminism seen in a woman’s personal life since demanding for equal rights in every sector will lead to chaos and misunderstanding in relationships.

What are your thoughts on feminism? Let’s hear in the comments below.

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Essay on Feminism

500 words essay on feminism.

Feminism is a social and political movement that advocates for the rights of women on the grounds of equality of sexes. It does not deny the biological differences between the sexes but demands equality in opportunities. It covers everything from social and political to economic arenas. In fact, feminist campaigns have been a crucial part of history in women empowerment. The feminist campaigns of the twentieth century made the right to vote, public property, work and education possible. Thus, an essay on feminism will discuss its importance and impact.

Importance of Feminism

Feminism is not just important for women but for every sex, gender, caste, creed and more. It empowers the people and society as a whole. A very common misconception is that only women can be feminists.

It is absolutely wrong but feminism does not just benefit women. It strives for equality of the sexes, not the superiority of women. Feminism takes the gender roles which have been around for many years and tries to deconstruct them.

This allows people to live freely and empower lives without getting tied down by traditional restrictions. In other words, it benefits women as well as men. For instance, while it advocates that women must be free to earn it also advocates that why should men be the sole breadwinner of the family? It tries to give freedom to all.

Most importantly, it is essential for young people to get involved in the feminist movement. This way, we can achieve faster results. It is no less than a dream to live in a world full of equality.

Thus, we must all look at our own cultures and communities for making this dream a reality. We have not yet reached the result but we are on the journey, so we must continue on this mission to achieve successful results.

Impact of Feminism

Feminism has had a life-changing impact on everyone, especially women. If we look at history, we see that it is what gave women the right to vote. It was no small feat but was achieved successfully by women.

Further, if we look at modern feminism, we see how feminism involves in life-altering campaigns. For instance, campaigns that support the abortion of unwanted pregnancy and reproductive rights allow women to have freedom of choice.

Moreover, feminism constantly questions patriarchy and strives to renounce gender roles. It allows men to be whoever they wish to be without getting judged. It is not taboo for men to cry anymore because they must be allowed to express themselves freely.

Similarly, it also helps the LGBTQ community greatly as it advocates for their right too. Feminism gives a place for everyone and it is best to practice intersectional feminism to understand everyone’s struggle.

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Conclusion of the Essay on Feminism

The key message of feminism must be to highlight the choice in bringing personal meaning to feminism. It is to recognize other’s right for doing the same thing. The sad part is that despite feminism being a strong movement, there are still parts of the world where inequality and exploitation of women take places. Thus, we must all try to practice intersectional feminism.

FAQ of Essay on Feminism

Question 1: What are feminist beliefs?

Answer 1: Feminist beliefs are the desire for equality between the sexes. It is the belief that men and women must have equal rights and opportunities. Thus, it covers everything from social and political to economic equality.

Question 2: What started feminism?

Answer 2: The first wave of feminism occurred in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It emerged out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. This wave aimed to open up new doors for women with a focus on suffrage.

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PROBLEMS WITH THIS THEORY

1. Some philosophers argue that the ethic of care is based on traditional women's values in a quest for new virtues.

2. Beings other than women may not agree because humans often only understand what they can relate to. Thus ethics of care could not serve to resolve conflicts involving people who do not relate to the orientation of caring.

3. Gender free morality may be impossible, according to Nel Noddings. Traditional philosophers believed that women were inferior to men and female goddesses were involved in silence, obedience and service. These female roles can be shaped into an ethic of care according to many women philosophers. In so doing ethics becomes gender based and the ethic of care would not be applicable to those who are not of the female gender.

4. It is politically imprudent to associate women with the value of care.  It relieves others of any sense or obligation of care.

5. The theory ultimately disempowers women.  While women act based on caring non-females can act based on rights and duties or utility or some other basic principle and avoid dealing with women because theirs is not an ethic of rights or duties and thus they need not be afforded such.

6. A  person cannot truly care for someone if she is economically, socially, and/or psychologically coerced to do so.  So how would the ethics of caring be exercised or realized by such persons?

7. Criticizes the inconsistency of modernism but hold inconsistent norms themselves.

8. Stresses the irrational.  The Ethics of Caring is based on feelings and can be exercised despite evidence against continued caring and even when continued caring produces harm for the care provider.

9. Feminists contradict themselves by relinquishing truth claims in their own writings. There are no rational arguments in support of an ethic of caring that employs truth claims that can be verified.

10.Calls for behavior that is tailored to each individual situation. If this is the case, then there is no true theory of ethical behavior because you are changing your view of what is acceptable and what is not to suit your needs at the time. 

11.Feminist theories do not allow for the natural tendencies of men. They do to men exactly what they claim was wrongly done to women for centuries.

12. Cared based approach clouds the basic moral code. Emotions and feelings make it easy to break any moral codes when the person cares and doing so violates the codes.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Privacy Management Theory

This essay about Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory offers a nuanced exploration of how individuals navigate privacy in interpersonal relationships. It highlights the theory’s strengths, such as its recognition of the dynamic nature of privacy and its consideration of contextual influences. Additionally, it discusses the limitations of CPM theory, including its potential oversight of power dynamics and its tendency towards oversimplification. Overall, the essay provides valuable insights into the complexities of privacy management within the realm of human connection.

How it works

Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, sculpted by the deft hands of Sandra Petronio, serves as a guiding lantern illuminating the darkened corridors of interpersonal privacy. Picture it as a seasoned cartographer, mapping out the uncharted territories of disclosure and secrecy within the realm of human relationships. Yet, amidst its brilliance, CPM theory reveals both the shimmering treasures and hidden pitfalls of its theoretical landscape.

An advantage of CPM theory lies in its recognition of the dynamic nature of privacy management, akin to the ebb and flow of tides.

It portrays privacy as a living entity, subject to the whims of context and circumstance. Individuals are not mere gatekeepers of their secrets but rather architects of their own boundaries, continually adjusting the sails of disclosure as they navigate the choppy waters of social interaction.

Moreover, CPM theory shines a light on the multifaceted influences that shape our privacy decisions, akin to a prism refracting light into a spectrum of colors. Cultural norms, social roles, and situational factors converge to paint a complex tapestry of privacy management practices. By acknowledging these contextual nuances, CPM theory transcends the confines of individual psychology to encompass the broader landscape of social interaction.

Yet, within the glittering expanse of its theoretical framework, CPM theory harbors its own shadows. One critique is its tendency to overlook the power dynamics that loom over interpersonal communication like silent sentinels. In relationships where power differentials exist, the ability to assert one’s privacy boundaries may be compromised, challenging the assumptions of autonomy embedded within CPM theory.

Furthermore, CPM theory may flatten the nuanced contours of privacy management into a binary landscape of disclosure and concealment. Like a painter reducing a landscape to mere brushstrokes, this oversimplification fails to capture the intricate dance of revelation and reservation that unfolds within the hearts of individuals. By framing privacy management as a series of discrete choices, CPM theory risks obscuring the subtleties of human experience.

In conclusion, Communication Privacy Management theory stands as a beacon in the foggy labyrinth of interpersonal privacy, offering both illumination and shadow. Its recognition of the dynamic interplay between disclosure and secrecy, coupled with an awareness of contextual influences, enriches our understanding of how individuals navigate the delicate balance of intimacy and autonomy in their relationships. However, it is imperative to acknowledge the limitations of CPM theory, including its potential blind spots regarding power dynamics and its tendency towards oversimplification. Like any theoretical framework, CPM theory is a tool to be wielded with care, guiding us through the complexities of human connection while reminding us of the mysteries that lie beyond its reach.

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