Feminism - an Egalitarian term?

The Agogo · 01-08-2010 12:25AM #1

I have no problem with the idea of 'feminism' (no matter how many bandwagon-hoppers there are out there), but technically, should the correct term not be "Sex Equality".

For instance, take the term "racist". This term/ideology refers to a person who believes that their own race is superior to all others. Hence, feminist denotes that females are aiming to be ordinate over men (the correct use of the term).

I certainly hope this is not true, but still - why call it feminism? When it is clearly Gender Equality?

*edit* Apologies for using the word totalitarian. I was stuck for a word and I can't edit it now.

/* flips through thesaurus*/

MagicMarker · 01-08-2010 12:27AM

I'm going to sit this one out... :pac:

mikom · 01-08-2010 12:29AM

Feminism......... fine as a hobby girls, but it's not going to get you a husband.

Dudess · 01-08-2010 12:30AM

I agree OP, egalitarianism ftw. Originally, feminism was a great thing - it's been forgotten just how few rights women had (including by some women) but it's not as relevant now, in the west anyway.
I don't understand what you mean by "totalitarian" though...

Donkey Oaty · 01-08-2010 12:31AM

Speaking on behalf of rational people, attention feminists: we're on you're side, and have been for so long that you've fallen into obscurity.

01-08-2010 12:31AM

feminism has been so hijacked that it would be difficult to define it under one cause as such. It means different things to different people . Some of it I agree with some of which i have huge problems with.

TheIrishGrover · 01-08-2010 12:32AM

Dudess wrote: »

I agree OP, egalitarianism ftw. Originally, feminism was a great thing - it's been forgotten just how few rights women had (including by some women) but it's not as relevant now, in the west anyway.
I don't understand what you mean by "totalitarian" though...

Good girl

Celly Smunt · 01-08-2010 12:32AM

don't mind what feminists do on the streets,they still get the good old slap when they get home

Dudess · 01-08-2010 12:32AM

Yeah it is a shame how it's been hijacked by man-haters - no help though when some use this as currency to justify misogyny...

thetonynator · 01-08-2010 12:34AM

Well if this turns out to be a women-versus-men argument, i don't think the gender ratios on after hours are fair. . . As dudess said before, when she started on boards, she was the only woman there. . . In fact i think most of the women on boards are actually men pretending otherwise. . . :pac:

Superbus · 01-08-2010 12:35AM

Every woman should try feminism at least once.

Really sorry.

The Agogo · 01-08-2010 12:36AM

Dudess wrote: »

I agree OP, egalitarianism ftw. Originally, feminism was a great thing - it's been forgotten just how few rights women had (including by some women) but it's not as relevant now, in the west anyway.
I don't understand what you mean by "totalitarian" though...

Yeah me either (re: totalitarian). I was stuck for a word? I'm always messing up thread titles. And they're so uneditable...

01-08-2010 12:37AM

all woman here too! think there is enough of us here

Donkey Oaty · 01-08-2010 12:38AM

thetonynator wrote: »

Well if this turns out to be a women-versus-men argument, i don't think the gender ratios on after hours are fair. . . As dudess said before, when she started on boards, she was the only woman there. . . In fact i think most of the women on boards are actually men pretending otherwise. . . :pac:

Op wants equality.

Dudess wants equality.

Can't we all, like, just get along?

Ollchailin · 01-08-2010 12:44AM

I suppose it's easy for us women in the developed world to look at feminism as a slightly old-fashioned way of thinking. I'd agree that it's better to have equality of the sexes, as opposed to trying to out-do each other. But if I was a woman living in a country where I was oppressed by men, it'd be hard for me not to want to try & get one over on them.

Having said that, there is the whole thing that men still on average earn more than women etc.- but then pregnancy has a lot to do with that, & women still seem to have the upper hand when it comes to gaining rights of access to a child- so there's just one example of inequality that still exists in a modern country.

I think people have to accept though, that it's ok that men and women are different- it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

thetonynator · 01-08-2010 12:44AM

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Op wants equality.

Dudess wants equality.

Can't we all, like, just get along?

i was pointing out that there aren't many woman on boards.

WindSock · 01-08-2010 12:44AM

There are too many inequalities to choose to fight. Feminism focuses mainly on womens'. Any decent feminist would not stand in the way of anothers battle for equality, but compromises must be made. And vice versa.

Dudess · 01-08-2010 12:48AM

Ollchailin wrote: »

I suppose it's easy for us women in the developed world to look at feminism as a slightly old-fashioned way of thinking.

I hold the original tenets extremely dear but I don't like the way some feminists in the west look for examples of discrimination against women in a similar way to how some "800 years" nutters look for examples of "the Brits" repressing the Irish.

But if I was a woman living in a country where I was oppressed by men, it'd be hard for me not to want to try & get one over on them.

Yeah it's still highly relevant to e.g. Pakistan where a woman could be a convicted criminal for being raped...

I think people have to accept though, that it's ok that men and women are different- it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

Agreed.

Donkey Oaty · 01-08-2010 12:50AM

thetonynator wrote: »

i was pointing out that there aren't many woman on boards.

On re-reading, I can announce that that is exactly what thetonynator was doing.

As you were, everyone.

Capt'n Midnight · 01-08-2010 12:52AM

If women believed in equality then the retirement age for women would be 4 years higher than for men because that's how much longer they will live.

WindSock · 01-08-2010 12:54AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

If women believed in equality then the retirement age for women would be 4 years higher than for men because that's how much longer they will live.

Ok.

01-08-2010 12:55AM

and if men had periods they would never stop moaning

vicecreamsundae · 01-08-2010 12:55AM

to me, saying feminism should be re-named sex-equality is like saying christmas trees should be renamed holiday trees. it's picking at a word and trying to erase it's origin just to make it sound more inclusive and marketable, it's like white washing it or something. that's how i feel about it anyway. depending on the context, the term sex equality can be perfectly fine, but when you're talking about the entire movement as a whole, i think feminist is more appropriate.
but then, i'm not ashamed to be associated with a word just because people who know nothing about it make uninformed assumptions about it.

of course feminism IS about sex and gender equality, but let's not pretend it has nothing to do with women, when it was a movement started BY women, FOR women, to fight all the injustices AGAINST women.

when i was younger if people asked if i was a feminist i would roll my eyes and say no, i was an equalist -that's when i didn't know much about feminism either, but now i embrace the label.

tony1kenobi · 01-08-2010 12:57AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

If women believed in equality then the retirement age for women would be 4 years higher than for men because that's how much longer they will live.

That's ageism.Different topic.

Ollchailin · 01-08-2010 12:57AM

Dudess wrote: »

I hold the original tenets extremely dear but I don't like the way some feminists in the west look for examples of discrimination against women in a similar way to how some "800 years" nutters look for examples of "the Brits" repressing the Irish.

God yeah, I agree completely- it actually does more harm than good for the image of women in general, and only ends up irritating men & rationally-thinking women rather than actually achieving anything. When feminists or even some from women's rights movements get on their soapbox sometimes, particularly when referring to women in the developed world, I just cringe. It's actually almost like they're telling women how to think or feel, which is actually a joke because surely that's the whole point of gender equality- that we don't need anyone to tell us how to think? That we've the ability to stand up for what we believe as individuals, regardless of our gender?

01-08-2010 12:59AM

ok anyone want to give an overall definition of feminism as it stands now in 2010 ?

Cheap Thrills! · 01-08-2010 01:01AM

Ernest Uptight Handlebar wrote: »

ok anyone want to give an overall definition of feminism as it stands now in 2010 ?

Urrr....someone with too much time on her hands?

The Agogo · 01-08-2010 01:02AM

Fair point,

but e.g. Black Rights movement in America was based on equality. They didn't just label themselves "racists" in order to achieve equality.

Dudess · 01-08-2010 01:02AM

vicecreamsundae wrote: »

the term sex equality can be perfectly fine, but when you're talking about the entire movement as a whole, i think feminist is more appropriate.
but then, i'm not ashamed to be associated with a word just because people who know nothing about it make uninformed assumptions about it.

of course feminism IS about sex and gender equality, but let's not pretend it has nothing to do with women, when it was a movement started BY women, FOR women, to fight all the injustices AGAINST women.

when i was younger if people asked if i was a feminist i would roll my eyes and say no, i was an equalist -that's when i didn't know much about feminism either, but now i embrace the label.

Yeah, good points. Women hating feminism because "they're all a bunch of rug-munching man-hating dykes" really get on my... tits, appropriately enough. And when some genius uses "the feminists" as a prejorative... fuk off already.
That said though, I still do consider myself more an egalitarian than a feminist, despite embracing much of what feminism originally strove to achieve.

WindSock · 01-08-2010 01:04AM

The Agogo wrote: »

Fair point,

but e.g. Black Rights movement in America was based on equality. They didn't just label themselves "racists" in order to achieve equality.

Why would they? Racist is a negative term. Feminist isn't (or shouldn't be)

Mrmoe · 01-08-2010 01:07AM

Feminism is a dirty to use mainly because it has become corrupted by those who seek more than what they deserve. There are numerous instances worldwide where feminism is required. Generally in these countries they have problems with personal freedoms anyway regardless of gender. In this country the balance is not too bad but I think it has swung in favor of women these days. It will balance out eventually, all it needs is time.

Feminism - an Egalitarian term?

Comments