In teaching gender related issues during class and gender-based discrimination in particular, I have noticed a disturbing trend among college students today. Namely, when asking students who identify as feminists to raise their hands, very few (if any) student hands will go up. Occasionally, one female student may hesitantly raise a hand, but never more than one or two will self-identify, and of those who do raise their hands, virtually none of them are males.
However, when posing the question of whether or not students believe that males and females should be treated equally, or asking a specific question like should women be compensated the same amount of money as men for the same performance at work, virtually all hands will be raised. Which leads me to the question that I have been grappling with, namely, since when did feminism become a bad (or taboo) word?
In doing a Google search of the term “Feminism,” some of the top finds include articles about the cultural ambivalence with the term, headlines for Women against feminism (really?!), and the oft-cited debate of whether or not it is possible for women to, “have it all." I always thought that the term feminism was fairly straightforward: if you believe in equality between the sexes, in the upholding of human dignity and basic human rights for all, regardless of sex or gender, then you were a feminist. However, experiences in our culture today suggest that the term feminism has become rather loaded, and that even people who may philosophically endorse the principles underpinning feminism are loathe in self-identifying as feminists themselves. Why is that?
Perhaps the hostile stereotypes regarding feminism still persist—the notion of bra burning, male hating, militant women who need to shut up and take a backseat. Or, my fear is that rather than these outdated stereotypes fused with feminism, that younger generations in particular may be disinclined to use the term because they believe that equality between the sexes has already been achieved, and thus the bra burning of yesteryear has paved the way for the “Girl Power” of this millennial. Perhaps to younger generations the term feminism seems like a moot one because the myth of equality between the sexes is an alluring one. This particular mythology regarding women’s rights is particularly disturbing given how insidious and rampant sex based discrimination continues to be in American culture today, let alone how even more blatant it is in developing countries and war-torn nations across the globe.
In a recent Washington Post article entitled, “How to find a feminist boyfriend” the writer notes that there may be arguments regarding what the term itself entails (Bonos, 2015). For instance, if a woman uses the term “feminist” in a dating profile online, will this be alienating or empowering regarding her dating prospects? In a recent interview with Salon, Roxanne Gay, author of “Bad Feminist” has this to say regarding college campuses and the term feminism:
…there’s not a lot of factual awareness of feminism. It’s more like this word, this scary word, that maybe doesn’t apply to our lives for most of these students. And then some of them are curious and starting to dabble in thinking about feminism and what that might mean in their lives. And some of them are just downright hostile toward feminism because they think it’s something it’s not. And so you’re going to get a range of things. But mostly, I see a lot of ambivalence. (Scribner, 2015, para 25)
Perhaps ambivalence is a good term to encapsulate the seeming backlash that the term feminism evokes in the culture today. Moreover, while actions are ultimately more important than words, the way that we use language to express ourselves and give our experiences meaning should not be overlooked entirely. Thus, as an educator of college students, I think it is important to self-identify as a feminist in my classes when sex and gender-related issues come up, and to demystify the term for them. Moreover, as a professional woman, I openly share with my students the challenges that I have faced as they relate to issues of prejudice and discrimination in an effort to connect with my students and encourage them to reflect on how their own experiences may be shaped by perceptions regarding masculinity and femininity.
Ultimately, to borrow from Bonos (2015), maybe the focus of labels is beside the point, as she writes that, “the label [of feminism] isn’t everything; living it is more important than saying it. But it’s [feminism] a good place to start” (para 8).
Thus, I do not shy away from using the term feminism, or in self-identifying as a feminist. I hold the term as a badge of honor, and encourage readers to do the same—regardless of whether you are male, female, or identify somewhere in between.
Bonos, L. (2015, January 2). How to find a feminist boyfriend. The Washington Post: Opinions. Retrieved on January 14th, 2015 from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-to-find-a-feminist-boyfriend…
Scribner, S. (2015, January 13). Roxanne Gay: “I think the world is ambivalent about feminism”. Salon. Retrieved on January 14th, 2015 from: http://www.salon.com/2015/01/13/roxane_gay_i_think_the_world_is_ambival…
Copyright 2015 Azadeh Aalai
