Every 16-year-old in Sweden to receive copy of We Should All Be Feminists

kettlehead · 04-12-2015 11:52PM #1

Less than a month after it was revealed that the UK is planning to drop feminism from the politics A-level, every 16-year-old in Sweden is being given a copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s call to arms, We Should All Be Feminists.

The essay, adapted from Adichie’s award-winning TED talk of the same name, is being distributed in Swedish to high-school students by the Swedish Women’s Lobby and publisher Albert Bonniers. Launching the project at Norra Real high school in Stockholm this week, they said they hoped the book would “work as a stepping stone for a discussion about gender equality and feminism”.

“My own definition of a feminist is a man or a woman who says, ‘Yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better,’” writes Adichie in the essay. “All of us, women and men, must do better.”

“Some people ask: ‘Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?’ Because that would be dishonest,” Adichie continues. “Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general – but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded.”

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/04/every-16-year-old-in-sweden-to-receive-copy-of-we-should-all-be-feminists

I don't like this idea of just giving impressionable youngsters books like this...anything like "Why you should be X" is wrong. We should teach people to think and argue for themselves not trying to guide them to the "correct point of view."

Letree · 04-12-2015 11:56PM

Sweden is heading for hell in a handcart. Stifling political correctness, 4th wave feminism and massive Islamic immigration. A mess is brewing.

Fr_Dougal · 04-12-2015 11:57PM

Could be worse, could have those bloody Alive! magazines shoved through their letterbox. Bastards.

Deep Six · 04-12-2015 11:58PM

If I was a 16 year old in Sweden I'd burn that ****. Stuff your gender engineering up your arse.

The Randy Riverbeast · 05-12-2015 12:02AM

Is a bit stupid but there is nothing stopping them from using it as hamster bedding and not read it. Im not sure the laws around it but there was a state in the US that allowed an organization (could have been just religious?) to do something similar, satanist colouring books put a stop to it though. Maybe theres a few copies left :pac:

The Backwards Man · 05-12-2015 12:03AM

When I was sixteen I already knew that behind every publication there was an agenda, be it in a Swedish A-level paper, an online forum or the Paddy Power nap of the day.

Most sixteen year olds are that mature, so I don't know exactly why you're ranting here. Or maybe I do.

RWCNT · 05-12-2015 12:04AM

Seen this earlier on, absolutely loving reading people getting pissed off about it =D

Deep Six · 05-12-2015 12:06AM

RWCNT wrote: »

Seen this earlier on, absolutely loving reading people getting pissed off about it =D

Why wouldn't you be pissed off? It's the equivalent of giving people a book called "Colouring in Chauvinism"

Pseudorandom · 05-12-2015 12:06AM

Letree wrote: »

Sweden is heading for hell in a handcart. Stifling political correctness, 4th wave feminism and massive Islamic immigration. A mess is brewing.

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Could be worse, could have those bloody Alive! magazines shoved through their letterbox. Bastards.

Deep Six wrote: »

If I was a 16 year old in Sweden I'd burn that ****. Stuff your gender engineering up your arse.

Very strong feelings to have about an essay you haven't even read.

me_irl · 05-12-2015 12:06AM

Swedish Justice Warriors?

the evasion_kid · 05-12-2015 12:07AM

should give the young fellas a copy of "the manipulated man"......its like kryptonite to feminists

RWCNT · 05-12-2015 12:08AM

Deep Six wrote: »

Why wouldn't you be pissed off? It's the equivalent of giving people a book called "Colouring in Chauvinism"

Because you havnt read the essay and you clearly don't know what you're on about.

Fr_Dougal · 05-12-2015 12:08AM

Pseudorandom wrote: »

Very strong feelings to have about an essay you haven't even read.

Did you get giddy and quote my post? Because I don't think you understood it.

The Backwards Man · 05-12-2015 12:09AM

Deep Six wrote: »

Why wouldn't you be pissed off? It's the equivalent of giving people a book called "Colouring in Chauvinism"

Wouldn't be a very taxing colouring book that, you'd only need blue and pink

Pseudorandom · 05-12-2015 12:12AM

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Did you get giddy and quote my post? Because I don't think you understood it.

Sorry, my mistake - got a bit enthusiastic with the multiquote button.

the_syco · 05-12-2015 12:20AM

“Some people ask: ‘Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?’ Because that would be dishonest,” Adichie continues

She's right there, it would be dishonest. Feminism is about getting more rights for women.

fleet_admiral · 05-12-2015 12:22AM

the_syco wrote: »

She's right there, it would be dishonest. Feminism is about getting more rights for women.

Can you tell us one right that men have that women dont

Nodin · 05-12-2015 12:22AM

kettlehead wrote: »

I don't like this idea of just giving impressionable youngsters books like this...anything like "Why you should be X" is wrong. We should teach people to think and argue for themselves not trying to guide them to the "correct point of view."

Quelle surprise.

Nodin · 05-12-2015 12:23AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

When I was sixteen I already knew that behind every publication there was an agenda, be it in a Swedish A-level paper, an online forum or the Paddy Power nap of the day.

Most sixteen year olds are that mature, so I don't know exactly why you're ranting here. Or maybe I do.

Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!!!!

sonny.knowles · 05-12-2015 12:23AM

Silly bints.

fleet_admiral · 05-12-2015 12:28AM

kettlehead wrote: »

Equal access to their children if unmarried or divorced.

Thats a right men dont have

The Backwards Man · 05-12-2015 12:32AM

Nodin wrote: »

Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. Paddy's worse than the feminists, he wants your money as well as your balls. :P

Sand · 05-12-2015 12:34AM

I cant say I am all that bothered what 16 year old Swedes do or read, but I find it bizarre that feminism is being advertised as some sort of equivalent with human rights or equality. It definitely is not.

Feminists unashamedly push for the interests of females, over and against the interests of men. Certainly in the 19th and 20th century this was not wholly inimical to a wider human rights/equality agenda, but in 2015 in the western world, its very much cherry picking privileges rather than responsibilities. Feminists campaign for equal outcomes in simplistic male-female pay comparisons, but they certainly are not pushing for equality in male-female suicide rates, despite the likely link between the two.

05-12-2015 12:35AM

Haven't read the essay.

Don't care about Sweden.

If the damned thing is so convincing that it can't be absorbed and disregarded if necessary then its probably got something in it worth paying attention to.

I suspect this may not be the case.

But this is not exactly in the top forty things worrying me today.

InitiumNovum · 05-12-2015 12:46AM

It’s the current year, peeps. Time’s a progressin’.

Le_Dooner · 05-12-2015 12:50AM

I wonder will they distribute leaflets on how not to get half your stuff taken off you when your wife decides she wants a divorce, but wants to maintain her lifestyle?

cantdecide · 05-12-2015 01:22AM

I can see why it would be important to let 16 year old boys know that their female counterparts will be rewarded equally for making generally fewer sacrifices and commitments.

CyclopsDeluxe · 05-12-2015 01:23AM

What a lot of sh1te

Annasopra · 05-12-2015 01:37AM

It's a fantastic idea to educate young people about feminism. It's also great in that it highlights how masculinity restricts men so much.

cantdecide · 05-12-2015 01:41AM

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

It's a fantastic idea to educate young people about feminism. It's also great in that it highlights how masculinity restricts men so much.

Feminism good.
Masculinity bad.

Right. I think I finally got it.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 05-12-2015 01:45AM

kettlehead wrote: »

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/04/every-16-year-old-in-sweden-to-receive-copy-of-we-should-all-be-feminists

....we should teach people to think and argue for themselves not trying to guide them to the "correct point of view."

Thats is never going to happen in a western education system, period. And that;s not jus ta specific comment related to femiism.

Every 16-year-old in Sweden to receive copy of We Should All Be Feminists

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