Meghan OLeary Lori Bedell CAS 137H Paradigm Shift in Changing Definitions of Feminism Feminism has encompassed various

movements and held several different definitions and connotations through the ages. Under the vague heading of womens rights, feminism sounds like it should have a concrete meaning with absolute members. However, the word and its meaning have been as fluid as the womens rights movement itself, and tracing its changes through time shows a clear paradigm shift. Through the decades, feminism movements have faced different challenges as well as achieving certain goals, and this rich history contributes to the modern definition of feminism, which is often skewed by misperception or ideas of the past. The current definition of feminism has come about directly because of each generations responses to cultural events involving women in previous decades. Originally feminism simply meant that a person or thing had feminine qualities, as an unbiased look at the word would indicate. It began to take on social implications and political meaning , during the French and American revolutions in the late 18th cent., with regard especially to property rights, the marriage relationship, and the right to vote. In Britain it was the suffragette movement in the late 19th century (feminism, n.). This concern of feminism with political activism, particularly the right to vote, is referred to as First Wave feminism. The activists, writings, goals, and accomplishments of the 19th century are were inspired in part by Mary Wollstonecrafts Vindication of the Rights of Women, in which she questions the submissive role of women in society,

sparking suffragist fever in later generations (Feminism). This feminist ages most impressive achievement was the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. People today often imagine First Wave feminists as women in long skirts and big hats waving picket signs, and while this makes for a charismatic mother figure in pop culture such as Mary Poppins, these women were fighting hard against society and the judgment of their peers for rights long denied to them. Feminists seem to have gone mostly dormant during the years between the First and Second Waves, because of the placating effect of the Nineteenth Amendment; the Second Wave renewed feminism with fervor in the 1960s, based largely on the contribution of new feminist figures on the cultural scene. An overview of feminism notes, second-wave feminists in the United States pushed for full equality in all facets of society and for those rights to be enshrined by law (Feminism). Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique in 1963, and she became a valuable role model in the feminist community by encouraging women to retake up arms for the feminist movement through her works, which challenged the existing societal norms regarding women. The word women was added to the Civil Rights Act in 1964, leading the way for more changes in womens liberation, which had new aims and obstacles. Once feminists like Friedan became well-known figures and women started to take notice, and more importantly action, about their lifestyles, things really started happening for feminists in the 1970s. One article states, [t]he liberals and radicals of the 1960s inspired the socialjustice crusades or liberation movements of the 1970sFeminism remained the most controversial aspect of 1970s culture because it, more than any other ism inherited from the 1960s, carried within it the most radical implications of that decade of upheaval"

(1970s: Lifestyles). The renewal of interest in feminism in culture caused feminists to contribute to this upheaval by intensifying questioning of gender roles, family structure, male dominance, and attacking sexual inferiority, challenging American traditions and forcing people to think about womens issues of the day. However, challenging existing social norms upset many conservative people and politicians, and provided them an easy target to blame problems of the time on. Feminists achieved a great victory as a part of the pro-choice movement with the decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973, but this achievement came under attack in later years from an increasingly vocal pro-life movement and conservative Americans. An overview of the decade relays, conservatives extrapolated that feminism was responsible for many ills and miseries which seemed to have little connection with the feminist movement. Feminism was blamed for permissiveness and the creation of a poor workforce who undermined American productivity in the global market; gender anomie and passivity and countless other issues, earning the movement as a whole an unwarranted bad reputation, particularly among conservatives and traditionalists (1970s: Lifestyles). Their fight against economic and social discrimination was warped by some media into a scapegoat for good, traditional Americans to fight against this struggle with negative backlash from the public and politicians followed the feminism movement into the future, shaping attitudes and perceptions of both men and women along the way. Traditionalist men who were unhappy with the changing roles of women and competition in the job force were not the only Americans unhappy with feminism. In the early 1980s, there was an increase in antifeminist women. In 1986, a Yale University study was published stating that women in their thirties and older were severely unlikely

to find a husband. Although the majority of the facts and statistics used in the study were disproved, the media perpetuated the image of a man shortage in the country, creating a mass panic over changing family structures. Unfortunately the notion of a man shortage for educated women persisted through most of the decade and feminists were frequently blamed for the emasculation of American men and their confusion over gender roles and family values (Feminism Flounders). Unfortunately, as people are naturally resistant to change and the nuclear American family is so ingrained in culture, this provided an opportunity to denounce feminism as harmful to the country. Conservatives portrayed feminists as being insensitive to mainstream values, extremists who were advancing false notions of gender equality and the right to abortion (Feminism Flounders). More fuel for this criticism appeared with the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. Despite the many public criticisms of feminists, which dramatized their involvement in certain issues and portrayed them incorrectly, feminists did make some gains in the 1980s. Criticisms provided the challenge that catalyzed the movement into realizing the need to truly fight for women, since men certainly were not going to do it for them. Near the end of the decade, public opinion had improved marginally, and [p]olls showed that large majorities of Americans still supported the principles of equal rights for women and of a woman's right to choose abortion. At the same time, most women believed that the women's movement had significantl y improved their lives (Feminism Flounders). Some of this can be attributed to the increased amount of women in the workforce, leading more women to want better career opportunities and economic equality. Increased activism promoted awareness of the true aims of feminism;

To counter the increasingly vocal and mobilized opposition, pro-choice advocates, like their opponents, courted the media and supported public officialsThe largest rally was held in 1989, when more than six hundred thousand abortion rights supporters marched (Feminism Flounders). Successes such as these pushed feminists to continue trying to change society in later years. While the 1980s served as its roots, Third Wave feminism was coined and out into practice in the 1990s. Increased attention to class, race, and inclusion in the previous decade decisively created a more diverse feminist mission, leading feminists to concentrate on bringing women of color into the fight for womens rights. Feminisms new focus was on the needs of lower income women, as well as the middle-class, which feminists had been primarily concerned with in the past. The narrowing of the gender gap brought women considerably closer to equality, an effort that had slightly stagnated in the previous decade. More women than ever were entering the work force, and the inequality in pay was lessening ever so slightly. However, feminists faced many obstacles in this decade as well, and more adversity was coming from women themselves. Looking at all that feminists accomplished in the past, many women felt that the movement no longer applied to life in general, or them specifically. One article about the extremes of gender issues in the 1990s explains, [a]lthough the feminist movement continued to enjoy success in promoting women's issues and women's rights, increasing numbers of women criticized feminism as a bastion of the elite and as being irrelevant (Overview). This denouncement of feminism from the very group it was trying to help discredited many feminist ideals, and contributed to greater public opinion that the movement did not belong in American society of the time. An article examining the critiques of feminism

examines that the women's movement in the United States made enormous progress in ending discrimination in education, government, employment, and the law. Throughout the decade, however, more and more American women began to criticize the feminist agenda as irrelevant to their lives (Gender Issues). This stigma of feminism as unnecessary, as a movement that can be admired in the past but has no place in the future, continued into the new millennium. Even moving from the 2000s to the present, feminism has had setbacks and accomplishments. In his 1992 book, Rush Limbaugh coined the term feminazi as pertaining to select feminists who wanted everyone to get an abortion (Rudman). However, through the late 90s and continuing through the 2000s, he has continued to use the phrase on his radio show, turning it into a buzzword for particularly blunt conservatives and expanding its meaning from a select few feminists to encompass the whole feminist movement. For example, He outraged feminists by referring to them as feminazis, and in his Thirty-Five Undeniable Truths (February 1994) he argued that Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the main-stream of society (Talk Radio). Limbaughs talks and the attitude they represent contribute to the negative image much of current society holds of feminists, that they are extremists whose only aim is to hate men and encourage abortion. The image of a man-hating, braburning, picket-fence-toting lesbian is a grossly inaccurate and stereotyped image perpetuated by those who, like Limbaugh, disagree with parts of feminist ideals and seek to discredit the movement as a whole. While facetiously promoting fake feminist trading cards, he announces each will contain an action shot of a leading feminist burning a bra, dominating a TV show, picketing an all-men's club, protesting a Rush Limbaugh concert,

charging into a men's locker room. Denouncing Ronald Reagan (Rudman). By mocking not only the movement but its historical leaders and important figures, he insinuates his disrespect for the movement through time. He is implying that he feels feminism in the past was not respectable either, when its goals were voting rights and legal equality, basic American rights. While Limbaughs remarks were biased and cruel, they provided American society with the evidence that there are still those who are against feminism, and provide grounds for the necessity of feminism as a movement in modern society. In addition to famous radio show hosts, many average people question this need for feminism today. One article regarding the diverging viewpoints on modern feminism states, The debate about feminism and its relevance to womens concerns in the twentyfirst century has not only made it a target for criticism but has also divided the movement itself and while some support the movement, Others argue that feminism is an outdated notion (Feminism). However, there are many who have not given up on feminism, and continue to be activists for women in todays society. Christian, professor, and author Kristin Aune declares, The "I'm a woman and I can do anything I want so we don't need feminism" brigade - the prophets of "post-feminism" - haven't duped them. My students are not stupid. Yet all the same, people keep telling me that feminism is dead (Comment & Analysis). The idea that these students are able to resist the negative stereotypes surrounding feminism is encouraging. Young people are, as in all movements, carrying the future of feminism. Professor Kate Dube adds to this idea with her lessons with her undergraduate students, with whom she talks about the issues of feminism in people their age. Male students seem not only uninterested but against reading and learning about aspects of feminism, as it does not directly affect them, in

their minds. Female students generally believe in most of the aims of feminism, but are reluctant to call themselves feminists because the label has such a negative connotation. She laments, Feminism, to these students, is not action, not even a way of seeing the world. Instead it is a few events, radical and divisive at the timeAnd feminists are the bra-burning, hairy-legged, man- hating lesbians, with their signs and their raised fists, who were there (Dube). Despites this disheartening lack of confidence in the movement, there is hope for feminism in the modern world. New feminism is emerging strongly, as a fight for equality and empowerment in womens issues such as birth control, equal pay, and abortion, to name a few issues. Women internationally are fighting for the rights of each other, speaking up for the oppressed and against the oppressors. The Who Needs Feminism? Campaign was a movement started by students that quickly went viral, in which people, particularly young people, contribute short phrases indicating why he or she feels feminism is needed in the world today. The campaign was particularly powerful after Todd Atkins make the infamous statement that womens bodies somehow have a way of preventing pregnancy from rape. The outrage following this statement contributed to Americans perception of the necessity of feminism, why women still need to fight for themselves against the ignorant and misguided figures in power in this and other countries. Rachel Seidman, the professor overseeing the project, says her students believe that reclaiming the word feminism is key to any future progress on important issues concerning women and to gaining greater acceptance and equality for everyone. They want to reach out to a wide variety of people, including those who have never before identified as feminists, they have to eschew defining feminism (Seidman). This kind of activism in young adults is

valuable because they are the future political leaders and activists that will shape international definitions of feminism. The definition of feminism in a given age is vital, because public opinion can empower or limit a movement, and something as important as equality between men and women cannot be restricted by ignorance or prejudice in America. The events of previous decades have affected each new generations perception of feminism, resulting in the currently held definition of feminism and its modern implications. It is important for one to understand how todays societal view of feminism arose by tracing the changes of the word through time, and examining the causes of each shift. Looking at feminism in its beginning, and comparing it to the movement now, drastic changes in both message, audience, and participants have taken place. Without looking at the way each generation put its own spin on feminism, it would be nearly impossible to realize how modern feminism rose from the ashes of the original movement. Accomplishments of feminists in the future will depend both on feminists perception of themselves and on societys views on womens rights and the activists fighting for them.

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Rudman, Chelsea. "'Feminazi': The History of Limbaugh's Trademark Slur against Women." Media Matters. N.p., 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Seidman, R. F. (2012, Aug 23). After todd akin comments: Why women--and men-still need feminism. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1034883026?accountid=13158 "Talk Radio." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 10: 1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.