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Feminism; what are your views?
Topic Started: Jan 13 2008, 12:57 PM (247 Views)
Data's Cat's Sister
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Commodore
I've been doing a bit of reading on the internet about feminism lately and I'm keen to learn more. I've got some classic feminst texts winging their way from Amazon in the next week or so such as The Female Eunch.

The reading I have done so far has made me realise how many issues women still face and made me believe it is still important to get behind the feminist movement.

I was wondering what the ladies her on Sistertrek think of Feminism? Do you think of yourself as a feminist?
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Sgt. Jaggs
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How about a Voyager Movie
I would add to your discussion my experience in these areas, generally speaking. There is something that has been lost in the Typical American Family speaking from the traditional role of Women in Families and their role.
Perhaps women (years ago) did not realize their importance as a mother and wife or maybe their men did not show them enough love for the value of what their children benefit from having them at home.
A steady consistent God fearing mother in the home and a loving God fearing husband are the hallmark of a stable family loving and balancing their family.
Try having your kids raised in day care by other people.

Women in this country have aldready proven their equality, however DCS I think if I were a woman I would have a rich abundance of choices to make.
It all comes down to what you want out of life. Do you have something to prove? Or do you have a family you want to grow.
You can do both in the end. But beware the simple word alone 'feminism' sparks aingst that all digest differently.
I love my wife dearly and she can do things so remarkably that she could go and be anything she wants and be successfull.
We chose to be a traditional family, which is nice since ours were so typically screwed up.

Apologies again since this is for the Ladies forum, but not all men are pigs who want multiple girlfriends, some of us want to make you the Queen and appreciated as you were designed to be. :chicken: <----what is this chicken for? I need to go get some wings.....
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Data's Cat's Sister
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Please don't apologise Jag. I posted this in the women's forum because it being about women, it seemed like the perfect place, and because it wasn't headline based it didn't seem to fit in the politcs forums. I didn't do it because I wanted to exclude men from commenting and I welcome your reflections.

Feminism is a broad 'church' so to speak and there are many differant viewpoints which are contained in it. There are no doubt some feminists who believe that having a family, staying home and raising children are appauling submissions to the patriarch and women who do are betraying other women.

However from my readings so far this is an absoulute minority viewpoint amongst feminists. I've even encountered a group for feminist housewives. I'd love to be a housewife and have kids myself one day.

What struck me, and why I think feminism is still relavent, is that women still face so many issues of inequality - here in the west and often more so in differant places in the world. I think that women have to work together to ensure that these issues - such as inequality in pay, sexism in certain industries, domination by the beauty industry of certain ideals of beauty, domestic violence and street harrasment to name but a few.

I agree that feminism has some negative conatations, however I think these are largely false and perpetrated by those who want to take the attention away from womens issues.

For most feminist, feminism is not about man hating or beliving that men are pigs who treat us badly. In fact there are some feminist issues that have nothing to do with men at all. I also believe that feminsm can and should focus on the negative behaviour that impacts on women committed by other women. I'm thinking chiefly here of those in the fashion industry and media who push this super skinny culture.





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Sophie
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Data's Cat's Sister
Jan 13 2008, 04:08 PM
I'm thinking chiefly here of those in the fashion industry and media who push this super skinny culture.

Wasn't Marilyn Monroea size 14?
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Data's Cat's Sister
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I believe she may even have been a size sixteen.

However she was one woman many many years ago and she is not representative of the beauty/modeling/film industry today.
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Sophie
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Keeper of the spider-cats
too bad though.

Supermodels back then were a size 8 or 10.
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Data's Cat's Sister
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Indeed.

I don't think the problem with the beauty industry is skinny women (well not the natually skinny ones anyway). I lived with a girl who was a size eight and ate like a horse and she could have easily passed, figure wise, for a girl on the cat walk.

I think the problem is that we only ever see the really skinny girls. No other body type is celebrated. And its not just weight. You have to be tall and have long legs as well as skinny.

What's horrible about this is that not only does it make women feel bad, but that this negative feeling is exploited for commercial gain. If you'd only buy this diet food your life would be perfect type messages.

I'm not saying its all bad or that trying to look good is inherently wrong. I love my make up and clothes and have a lot of fun indulging in that side of life.

The awful side is the dispare that it brings to a lot of women and this conviction that if they only looked better life would be perfect.

I don't know if you've ever seen that make overshow 'Extreme Makeover'. I've seen both the British and American versions.

On one I watched last night they took this women who was a dancer who had acne scars. Now that is something I can sympathise with.

She felt that the acne scars were holding her back from getting dancing jobs and perhaps they were.

So they took her in for surgery and corrected the scars with lazers I think.

What got me though was that this wasn't enough. Remember this women had a lovely dancers figure.

They also gave her boob implants and lyposuction!!!!!

All this was done with her consent of course but what women in her right mind thinks that she needs to have figure changing surgery when she has a perfectly lovely and healthy body? It's just crazy. How much did it cost her or did the show pay?

It's just so sad.
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Dandandat
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Time to put something here
I think the issue of woman’s rights (or sexism) is very much like the issue of racism in the western world. Most of the important battles have been fought and already won, now all that is needed is time for it to spread to all corners of the western world. I also think time has proven that the direction we are moving is in the positive. So in reality I don’t think it’s an “Issue” at all – its something to be confronted on an individual bases when you come across it, but not something to be worried about on a national/global scale.

Also, like all ‘monitories’ (loosly speaking of course) I think woman need to accept that they have won so much and begin to fully utilize what they have gained and to feel comfortable about it. It has been my experience that some woman at some times still act meek in the presence of the opposite sex, especially when that man is in a position of authority (like a boss).

On another note, to many woman give equality a bad name. They demand to be treated equaly and then demand to be given special treatment. For example the woman who crys to get out of a speeding ticket, or to win the New Hampture democratic primary election. Who expect to be wined and dined on their first date and then think poorly of the chap how cant or wont do that. Yes these are little things, but they do add up to an image that is contradictory.
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captain_proton_au
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A Robot in Disguise

There are some basic biological differences betwen the sexes that will never be overcome until humans themselves change dramatically.

Feminism and the sisterhood tends to break down when its about chasing the hottest guy in the room.


As a guy you go through life with blinders on in late teens and early 20s, motivated too much be sexual attraction, hot girls are primarily sexual objects, its not till those blinders come off and you start to see what damage it does to the girls when they are sexualized too young, or go through that period only getting attention from guys cos of their looks. Blinders come further off when guys your age or you start to have daughters
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Sgt. Jaggs
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How about a Voyager Movie
Dandandat
Jan 13 2008, 06:45 PM
I think the issue of woman’s rights (or sexism) is very much like the issue of racism in the western world. Most of the important battles have been fought and already won, now all that is needed is time for it to spread to all corners of the western world. I also think time has proven that the direction we are moving is in the positive. So in reality I don’t think it’s an “Issue” at all – its something to be confronted on an individual bases when you come across it, but not something to be worried about on a national/global scale.

Also, like all ‘monitories’ (losing speaking of course) I think woman need to accept that they have won so much and begin to fully utilize what they have gained and to feel comfortable about it. It has been my experience that some woman at some times still act meek in the presence of the opposite sex, especially when that man is in a position of authority (like a boss).

On another note, to many woman give equality a bad name. They demand to be treated like men and then demand to be given special treatment. For example the woman who crys to get out of a speeding ticket, or to win the New Hampture democratic primary election. How expect to be wined and dined on their first date and then think poorly of the chap how cant or wont do that. Yes these are little things, but they do add up to an image that is contradictory.

Point well taken. Men and Women are Are Are different. There are reasons for that. We were not made the same.
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Sgt. Jaggs
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How about a Voyager Movie
captain_proton_au
Jan 13 2008, 09:38 PM
There are some basic biological differences betwen the sexes that will never be overcome until humans themselves change dramatically.

Feminism and the sisterhood tends to break down when its about chasing the hottest guy in the room.


As a guy you go through life with blinders on in late teens and early 20s, motivated too much be sexual attraction, hot girls are primarily sexual objects, its not till those blinders come off and you start to see what damage it does to the girls when they are sexualized too young, or go through that period only getting attention from guys cos of their looks. Blinders come further off when guys your age or you start to have daughters

I agree with all of that too.

Even more blinders come off every year you grow older and hopefully wiser for your dings.
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Franko
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I think that feminism has to be re-defined at this point.


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Minuet
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I think some men do not understand what feminism really is. I can think of one person on this forum who has made some horrendous remarks about feminism.

I am not a crusader and I don't belong to any feminist organzations. But I recognize and appreciate the sacrifices made by those who came before me so that I could have choices in my life instead of having those choices made for me.

I am from the second generation of working mothers, not the first. When my mother went to work it was still unusual. When she grew up she didn't have the educational opportunities I had. Only a few years before I went to university most women still went there to get thier MRS instead of thier MBA. By the time I went women were actually focusing on thier own careers.

I am grateful I had the opportunity for an education and the opportunity to spend a few years with my children. I like the idea that it does not have to be the woman that chooses this. I have met a number of men that have opted to be the caregivers. Some work from home while the kids are small. Others I do not know the circumstances. But it is great to see a growing number of fathers picking thier kids up after school. Feminism was not only about liberating women. It freed men up for the same choices. Men can choose to be the caregiver if they are more suited then thier wives for the task. Men can be and want to be nurturers and this is great.
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