Good and Bad Feminism Theories

In my opinion, I think that socialist feminism is the most relatable. Socialist feminists use the insights of class analysis and seek to understand the workings of capitalist patriarchal institutions and societies. In simpler terms, this means that socialist feminists think the root of female subordination is a result of living and working in a male dominated society. They view this as an institutional problem, not just an individual one.

I think that this is easiest to relate to it looks at what is happening not only in the public realm, but the private as well. This theory is a combination of Marxist feminism and radical feminism, which places socialist feminism in the middle of the road, instead of being at one extreme or the other. The comic we saw in the slideshow during class was a perfect example of socialist feminism. It shows that a woman can rule the board room and be a good mother at the same time.

To me, the feminist theory that is hardest to relate to is radical feminism. This theory is very extreme, and in my opinion, a big part of what gives feminism a sometimes bad reputation. These feminists feel that women were the first people to ever be oppressed, that women are oppressed in all societies, the victims of violence, and are biologically oppressed in pregnancy and childbirth. I think this is borderline ridiculous. If radical feminists want their theory to be taken seriously they need to calm down a bit. Their theory involves too many heavy issues... violence, pregnancy, and childbirth, oh my!

When I first heard it I practically ignored it myself, so I cannot even imagine what men would say when they heard this theory. Don’t get me wrong, it would be nice to overthrow patriarchy, and I am in favor of anti-pornography as much as the next girl, but if that is what radical feminists are trying to accomplish I think they need to take it piece by piece, step by step. They currently have too much on their plate and it makes it all the easier to ignore. If they broke it down they would at least accomplish more and will be more likely to see results. Even if these results were minor, they would still be results, and in the end is that not what everyone is after?

Gender Socialization

Gender socialization is a process that I have been familiar for a very long time. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where football knowledge and the Steelers in particular, is a must. I also grew up four boys (two younger brothers and two friends of the family who I call my older “brothers”). So naturally, when the boys were all playing with G.I. Joes and Ninja Turtles, I did not want to be playing with Barbie. When the boys were watching football, I did not want to be having a tea party with my dolls. I was considered one of the boys and that is the way I liked it. I’m pretty sure I even thought I was a boy at one point, just with longer hair. My parents never pushed me to play with “girl toys”, in fact, they probably liked that they only had to go down one isle at the toy store.

It wasn’t until fourth or fifth grade when I started to noticed that I was dressing more like a boy than a girl; wearing the longer gym shorts and Nike t-shirts, with my knees always cut up from sliding into first base. This was around the same time that my older brothers started to be interested in girls and did not have much time for me and my tomboy ways. Slowly throughout middle school I began to transform my wardrobe and self into something that resembled a girl, while realizing that I could still talk about football and hang with the boys without looking like one.

My brothers have definitely had the biggest influence on the way I view of gender socialization, and I am happy that it happened. The way I see it, I got the best of both worlds and I would not want it any other way.