Sunday, February 1, 2009

Liberal Feminism

Liberal feminists have based their efforts on the struggles to educate women. They strive to achieve equal access and equal power between the sexes. I believe that this tactic is the most persuasive because it uses the public sphere to address the public. They have a goal in mind that they are striving to achieve and they are not just complaining and protesting to get the job done.  There are actual laws that have been passed from their efforts such as title 9, making women have the same advantages in sports as men, and Roe vs. Wade, which has made strides in the women's choice for children. I feel that crying about a situation and actually getting what you want accomplished says a lot about the type of women pride themselves in being a Liberal Feminist. These women have shown strength to stand up to "the man" and fight for they they think is right, and actually achieve their goals. Clearly not all their goals have been met just yet but they are involving mainstream sources to get their messages across. 
Some may say that because the private sphere is not addressed that this group is not successful, or persuasive, but how can they not be when they have accomplished as much as they have? I feel that it is every woman's job to fight for their rights in their household. If all women would take a stand to their husband, or significant other and not stand by and watch them relax on the couch and eat potato chips, and make them do some work it would make more strides than people complaining about it and not actually doing what they are saying. 
If women want more rights in the home, then each individual should stand up for themselves. Do not let yourself be a doormat to men. Women have every right to take a job outside of the home and not have a second job as a maid. Men have two arms and legs just like every woman, so they are just as capable as women to do the work. 
Education is a strong source for women. Give them a chance and they may surprise you in what they are capable of. I think men are in fear, that if women become more educated on life, that they wont be the powerhouse any more and they fear being less than women. But I say, I want to learn as much as possible, I don't want to be left in the shadows. 

2 comments:

  1. Great post, Sammy. I totally agree...I relate the most with liberal feminism and find it the most realistic of all the ones we've discussed in class. It's proactive rather than just screaming about how we're treated unfairly compared to men. I believe that feminism is fundamentally based on equality...so if we start excluding men and blaming them for all our problems, how is this helping our situation? Advocating legislation and policies seems to be the best solution in ultimately helping our roles in society.

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  2. It's interesting how you engage the common "private sphere" criticism of liberal feminists. You put a lot of the onus on women to stand up for themselves in the home - I'm curious, what is men's responsibility in the home? I think your analysis of the role of education is powerful.

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