Literature Review

Literature Review

Natalie Forney

Prof. Sonia Apgar Begert

English 102

5 Nov. 2015

Feminism is a word that is tossed around quite often in modern politics, economics, and culture, but it seems that nobody can agree on its meaning. The Webster’s dictionary defines feminism as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of social, political, and economical equality to men.” Although most people seem to agree with this principle, so few people in America are confident in calling themselves feminists. It is clear that the definition of feminism has changed. How has the word feminism obtained a negative connotation in today’s society? What has changed within feminist theory that has changed the feminist movement? Is feminism beginning to have a negative effect on society? Sources for this project fall into the following categories: how feminism has changed throughout history, the differing views on feminism, its impact on culture, and what needs to change.

A number of sources address the history of feminism and how it has evolved to become what we have today. One such source is Tasnim Ahmed’s “The Evolution of Feminism,” from a 2015 issue of Harvard Politics. This article discusses compares how feminism used to be to what it looks like now and points out the how the movement has evolved and cannot be viewed in the same way. For instance, when the women’s suffrage movement was going at full speed, the women had a goal to rally behind. Today we have goals, but many of them are much broader, more difficult to push, and cause disagreements within the party itself. The author also points out that at one point, it had to be the “women’s movement” since women were historically oppressed, but now it should be considered simply the people’s movement as it will be beneficial to all people. June Hannam’s “Women’s History, Feminist History,” found in the Institute of Historical Research from 2008 is another example. Hannam focuses on gender studies and women’s history in this article, which highlights the difference between feminist history and women’s history. The field of women’s studies focuses on the notable women throughout history and seeks to make this study more pronounced in our culture. This source brings to light the lack of women’s history in historical studies and makes an argument to change that. "The Women's Rights Movement, 1848–1920” an article found on History, Art & Archives: United States House of Representatives, enlarges the concept of the Women’s Suffrage Movement by explaining the struggles, not only for the women’s movement, but struggles and disagreements within the movement itself. Early on, the group struggled to gain proper momentum and later on both men and women were unhappy with certain goals within the movement. Despite the many complications faced by the suffrage reformers, by 1920, the women’s movement moved forward and is continuing to be furthered today. Another example includes, “History and Theory of Feminism” from GWANET, which objectively discusses the history and major events that have occurred within the feminist movement as well as the major theories and variations behind feminism itself. The article goes through the three waves of feminism and the major events and famous people included in defining the stages. Outside of the major waves of feminism, many other theories and political parties exist including international political theory and separate theory still held by some today. Terry Catasus Jennings’ book, The Women’s Liberation Movement, 1960-1990, also goes through the history of the women’s movement from 1960 to 1990. From the gaining the right to vote, to changing the cultural and political view of women, the twentieth century holds a lot of life changing history in the lives of American women, and according to this source, things keep getting better. Equality for women goes beyond political rights and stretches to the understanding in our culture of the importance of women having a voice and impacting society.

            Today there are so many differing views and strong opinions of feminism that many sources can be found that share one opinion as well as several. One such example includes the article by David French, “Modern Feminism: Appalling Stupidity Backed by Hysterical Rage,” from the National Review, in which French articulates his strong opinion of how the result of the evolution of feminism as it exists in modern times is irrational. Using examples from radical feminists he argues that feminism has gone too far. He gives examples of how feminism has become a series of complaints and sensitive arguments. French goes on to say that feminist theory has become so vague that it seems to have no point to it. Satoshi Kanazawa’s “Why Modern Feminism is Illogical, Unnecessary, and Evil,” a 2009 article from Psychology Today, is another argument against the reason and morality of feminism, declaring that the pursuit to prove that the sexes are the same is illogical being that there are obvious differences in every way. Kanazawa uses this argument to point our that women cannot be exactly compared to men and that these differences do not mean that women are oppressed. He concludes by arguing that feminism ultimately causes unnecessary trouble between the sexes and causes unhappiness. On the other hand, sources such as Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Heather Wood Rudulph’s book, Sexy Feminism: A Girl’s Guide to Love, Success, and Style, highly support feminism. This source in particular highlights the authors’ opinions on what it should mean to be a feminist today. In pursuit of guiding young girls on how to be “sexy feminists,” the author’s explain how to love yourself as a woman and to accept other women in their own pursuit of self-love. This book depicts feminism as a sexual revolution for women – that to be a feminist and a women in modern times, you should focus on what makes you sexually happy and highlights the enjoyment of modern sexual activity. The Natural Superiority of Women, by Ashley Montagu, goes as far as to say that although throughout history, and even in today’s culture, women have been seen as the inferior sex, the evidence shows that this is explicitly untrue – that women are not only men’s equal, but their superior.  She uses evidence focused on women’s general personality traits, physical, emotional, and intellectual differences to support that men are naturally inferior and that it is up to women to help men and thus help humankind. There are others who agree with of feminism but see it from a conservative viewpoint. The Flipside of Feminism: What Conservative Women Know—and Men Can’t Say, by Suzanne Venker and Phyllis Schlafly, helps to shed light on the conservative view of feminism. The authors explain how feminism is not what it claims to be (a movement for equal rights for women), but how it instead is a leftist movement that seeks to portray women as oppressed in ways that they are clearly not in the modern day and seeks to bring power to liberal feminist goals. The book continues to give examples of how the idea of feminism is damaging our society and how we can change this movement in order to make a positive impact. Martha Rampton’s article, “The Three Waves of Feminism,” on a study from the Pacific University of Oregon talks objectively in depth about the three waves of feminism in this source as they relate to gender and sexuality studies. The beginning of the women’s sufferage movement is now considered to be the first wave of feminism and the beginning of it all. The second wave occurred when the term ‘feminism’ was coined in the 1960’s and is known to be the most radical. The third wave began in the 1990’s and established the post-modern way of thinking. The article ends by inferring that the fourth wave is close at hand, although it is unclear where it will go. Although all of these sources give an idea of the many differing views on the subject, a more authoritative source includes the National Organization for Women website which serves as the public homepage for the National Organization for Women, the most well-known current political movements for women’s rights in America. The main issues and concerns of the feminist party as well as the action that is being taken by it in response is listed and articulated on the website along with their slogans and values.

Many sources address the issue of how feminism is affecting American culture. One of these sources include Philip Gould’s "Revisiting The 'Feminization' Of American Culture,” the 1999 article found in Differences: A Journal Of Feminist Cultural Studies 11.3, which focuses on how the United States culture has been inherently impacted by the establishment and rise of the feminist movement. In revisiting these impacts of feminism on American culture, this source highlights just how our culture has misunderstood this argument. Another such source is "Women Today And The Women's Movement," by Linda Tarr-Whelan, from a 1993 article from Social Policy 23.4, which highlights the importance of economic equality for women and how all other goals of the women’s movement revolve around this. The issues and concerns focused on by the feminist movement today all center around equality in the workplace environment and in turn social equality. The author adds that expanding the U.S. economy would succeed as a result of economic equality. Robyn Wiegman’s, "Feminism, Institutionalism, And The Idiom Of Failure," another article from the 1999 Differences: A Journal Of Feminist Cultural Studies 11.3, focuses on the various issues and concerns within feminist theory and the feminization of American culture. Main factors listed by the author include the relations of feminist theory to cultural, political, and social institutions. Wiegman questions the daunting future of modern feminism and whether or not the process of feminism is progress or leading to failure as it relates to these institutions. The article "Necessity Of Feminism," by Greeley, Andrew M. from Society 30.6 (1993), depicts why feminism is necessary in our society to gain harmony in the relationship of the sexes. Now that women have been able to enter the workplace, gain birth control, and gain political equality, feminism is reaping in the benefits. But although this forward movement is significant, the source goes on to say it is not sufficient and points out that with this newfound independence, women are more vulnerable to sexual predators. Another article on the topic of culture includes Carrie L. Lukas’s The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism, which highlights the political correctness of modern day feminism and how uninformed women are on the ideas underlying the feminist agenda. This book addresses some of the major feminist issues including gender differences, casual sex, sex education, men, abortion, working motherhood, and political power. Lukas seeks to push the understanding that politically correct feminist ideas are damaging women’s equality and women’s happiness.

Changes that can be made to improve the feminist theory and movement are discussed in many sources. Christie Farnham’s "Male Bashing Or What's In A Name? Feminism In The United States Today," from the Journal Of Women's History 8.2 (1996) is one of these sources. This source questions what it means to be a feminist and comments on how the various and broad definitions of the word feminism has made it difficult to define. In light of the negative connotations connected to the word, as well as the many disagreements within the feminist group, it is clear that in order for feminism to make any social progress, this movement needs to work on defining feminism in a way that is modern and understandable. The YouTube video by Prager University, "Feminism 2.0," summarizes the problems with feminism today, and the reasons why it is no longer progressing women’s rights. It focuses on how feminism is heading in a negative direction and ultimately having a negative impact on women and on culture. The fact that feminism supports the idea that men and women are the same has caused a common spread of casual sex and this has damaged the morality and dignity of women. And finally, “Feminist Activist Women Are Masculinized in Terms of Digit-ratio and Social Dominance: A Possible Explanation for the Feminist Paradox,” by Guy Madison, Ulrika Aasa, John Wallert, and Michael A. Woodley, found in Frontiers in Psychology from 2014, explores what is known as the feminist paradox; if feminism is about improving conditions for women, why do so few women identify as feminists? Characteristics including heightened masculinization among feminists, general differences among women, and the generalized persona of the feminist group are discussed as reasons for this negative correlation. This source will help make conclusions on changes that can be made.