The F-word

Feminism, of course. What else could I possibly be thinking of?

Boy, oh boy, I really do not embrace Diana's definition of feminism: "Feminism as we know it is a radical re-ordering of the relations between the sexes based upon the writings of certain thinkers, published mostly in the late 60s and early 70s."

She, like Dean, is free to equate radical feminism with feminism, but I just do not see it that way.

Diana thinks that people like me, who embrace the wider definition of feminism I found when I Googled are merely fooling ourselves.

Here's what I found on Google. First, the short and simple definition: "a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women/"

And now the longer version: "What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men, women, girl or boys. Feminism can also be described as a movement. A revolution that includes women and men who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. These boundaries or blockades are better known as discrimination and biases against gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status and economic status. Everyone views the world with his or her own sense of gender and equality. Feminists view the world as being unequal. They wish to see the gender gap and the idea that men are superior to women decreased or even abolished."

Please take note: Nothing about man-hating. Nothing about opposition to the concept of pregnancy and motherhood. Nothing about required lesbianism. Nothing about advocating the right to abortion under any and every circumstance.

Diana claims:

"The point is: definitions matter. Yes, labels matter. Taxonomy matters. "I'm a feminist and I love to have men look at me." Sorry: that's not feminism. Feminism is a harsh code, as harsh as Islam in its way, and it says that no woman can enjoy having men look at her and call herself a feminist. And sorry, it also says that no woman can enjoy being a married woman, a mother, defining herself by her family associations, and call herself a feminist. That is stretching a definition beyond recognition. It's dishonesty. Sorry, but no woman who stays at home with her kids is a feminist. Sorry to ruffle feathers but you might as well call a person who eats meat but feels guilty about it a vegetarian."

Gee, that reminds me of another form of extreme Orthodoxy. The kind that says I can't even contemplate wearing jeans, walking into a church, driving on Saturday, or eating a cheeseburger and still call myself a member of the Jewish people.

Must every movement or affiliation be defined by and limited to its most extreme manifestations? I don't think so.

Yes, I read feminist literature in the 1970's. My mom -- my stay-at-home suburban Jewish wife of a doctor -- subscribed to Ms. Magazine.

Yes, some of what I read was out there. But when you are fermenting a social revolution, often the founding fathers -- or mothers -- as the case may be -- push the envelope further than it need be pushed. I'm still incredibly grateful for what this movement has accomplished on a personal level and on a wider scale.

No, it hasn't been perfect. Yes, mistakes have been made. And my generation of women is still figuring it all out (would you believe that all of my friends from Wesleyan class of 1986, all steeped in the most lefty campus PC forms of feminism -- taught by the kind of academics that Diana despises -- have ended up -- gasp -- married with children?)

Currently, my feminist heroines are blogosphere warriorettes Judith and Meryl for defending feminism way more eloquently and linking far more prolifically than I am.

While I'm praising feminist commentary, Dean was urging all of us misguided feminists to read a certain article that he thought would help us see the light

An astute blogger named Lesley gave it the onceover. Dean, for the record, I agree with Lesley's critique of the piece. (I was happy to discover Lesley in Dean's comments section, and she's my latest blogroll addition. Thanks, Dean, for helping me find her.)

Posted by allisonks at September 5, 2003 09:30 PM