How has feminism changed over the years?

Question

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

Feminism started as an offshoot of the woman's sufferance movement and was originally designed to provide equal rights to men and women in the narrowly legal realm. Particularly in the right to divorce, property ownership and such. Historically, such legal equality had been denied to women and in an American context, this seemed to have violated the principle, established in the Constitution, of the "equal protection of the laws."

From there it became involved in economic questions such as employment discrimination and "equal pay for equal work." This took on special salience - and was not originally seen as strictly feminist, as women went to the factories in both world wars and to a lesser extent the Korean War. With men serving in the armed forces, women were taking on what had been traditionally seen as men's jobs but they were not getting men's pay and benefits.

This appeared prima facie to be inherently unfair and unequal. Further, with the need for income security in an insecure time, the need for women to be able to provide for their families was not just obvious, it became imperative.

Thus, not all at once, but slowly and surely "equal pay for equal work" became a principle in law. Indeed, to the point where, allowing for differences in education and work experience, women and men are generally paid now on an equal basis.

From there, however, feminism took a radical turn. It became a doctrine that argued that there were no differences between men and women at all. That, in effect, such laws and customs were oppressive to women and inherently unjust. That law and culture were inherently sexist and, in its most extreme manifestations, feminism argued that they needed to be overturned wholesale and replaced.

Interestingly, this has produced something of a backlash - even among women. It is true that many laws and customs were restrictive of women's rights. However, such laws and customs had evolved, in part, to protect men from women. They were an evolutionary, anthropological and sociological development, however unconscious and sometimes inept, that assured women some protection from the more predatory instincts of men.

Suffice to say, as feminism ripped down these customs, men felt no longer bound by the rules either and the net result was a higher tolerance for sexual assault and conduct like that seen by the likes of Harvey Weinstein - an almost classic example of the alpha male, i. e., successful, aggressive, wealthy, etc. Suddenly, in that context, women had no place to turn and the law - at least initially, having never had to address such questions offered little or no redress.

Thus feminism, somewhat comically, now sounds like the swooning of a scandalized Victorian maiden. How to protect the helpless woman? She cannot speak up because she is intimidate and her oppression requires that her accusations be given special protection, that they must be believed and that the rules of evidence - innocence until guilt is proven and all the rest - must be suspended to accommodate a woman's unique vulnerability.

So much for the presumed equality of the sexes. In the short run this has led to a tendency of society to ignore the serious problems facing men. See also "The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It" by Warren Farrell PhD.

However, the tolerance for that is growing thin. As indeed, the fairly easy brushing aside of the claims made against Justice Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings suggests. As little as 15 years ago such charged would have sent Kavanaugh's supporters running for the hills. Instead, in that case, they refused to back down and his accuser was discredited.

This is where feminism stands at the moment. A force for social engineering that is increasingly on the defensive as it tries to reconcile its ideas with the unintended consequences of those ideas. Feminism is by no means a spent force , but it is on the defense in many ways.

ImJustCurious13 · Accepted Answer

If I remember my history correctly

1st Wave (1920s) - We want some of the rights that men have, at least let us vote and cut our hair short

2nd Wave (1940s-1960s) - We want to be equal to men, we want the right to work and earn the same amount of money.

3rd Wave (Today) - We want more than men and to call the shots. We DEMAND men pay for our tampons, we DEMAND men pay for our razors, we DEMAND men pay for our birth control, we DEMAND men to pay for our abortions. We also DEMAND the "right" to murder our unborn babies when we don't want them, MY BODY MY CHOICE!! and we want men to sit in an uncomfortable positions because fuck your body. I can have sex with as many people as I please, but don't you dare "shame" me for it, it's not my responsibility. We're proud to be sluts, we're proud to be fat, we're proud to never shave, we're proud to kill our babies, and we can reject any man for any reason, but if a man EVER has the audacity to reject any of us, then he's a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic, fatphobic Nazi pig and deserves to be assaulted and harassed.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

May be it became extreme in the western countries. Clearly they don't need it as women enjoy equality. Some countries are still unsafe for women though like acid attacks, rapes, molestation etc are really common in many countries and these women need justice.

MzAsh · Accepted Answer

It has gotten soft. I wish women would quit asking for permission and just take what they want.

Anonymous · Answer

Today's feminism is an example of what happens to a social movement after it has achieved all of it's valid and achievable goals. It manufactures pseudo-problems in order to justify its continued existence. Women in places like the US today are the most privileged and entitled class of people in the history of humanity. They have all the rights and privileges men have, plus some that men don't. That's why the issues important to feminists today are things like manspreading and the "sexist" air temperatures in office buildings.

So, how has feminism changed? It has evolved from a movement with a just cause, which was to achieve women's right to vote and work, to a movement whose goal is power over men and is fueled by hatred and sexism, and that manufactures "issues" and seeks to paint women as victims and men as perpetrators for the purpose of maintaining a sense of anger and victimhood among women so they will continue to support feminism.

That's why the vast majority of western feminists today are young, naive girls (many seen here at GAG) and older extremists. Emotionally and mentally stable women with the honesty and maturity to recognize what feminism actually is today no longer support the movement.

someginger · Answer

It use to fight for real issues, such as giving women the right to vote, then giving women more freedom to work, then the sexual liberation... now we're here where sexist chair get awards and people "fighting for equality" pull fire alarms on men's issues meetings

A-man-22 · Answer

It only effects what it can control not what its definition says it should do.

You don't hear on the news Feminists raise money/ campaign for the better treatment of women in the middle east do you.

No it's usually about how angry they are about office temperature or how a man sits.

Anonymous · Answer

So much to the point that here aren;t any men shelters for this man. Because the focus is all on women and women only. Feminism doesn't do anything for men. In fact, harms men

Where are the feminists in aid for this man, since they are about equality?

https://t.co/mPZQwJWRJu?amp=1

Anonymous · Answer

It has nothing to do with equality and everything to do about being sexist towards men, when it used to be the opposite back in the 60s, the movement has become so corrupted with hate that it resembles the nazis in Germany more than any other ideology

StephenCF · Answer

It has gone from a much-needed movement for equal rights for women to a cult of female superiority & misandry 🤬

Nowadays, women are only taken seriously when they avoid this community of rats like the plague 👌🏻

Anonymous · Answer

It’s crossed a line into extremist views. There’s no one party to blame. It’s frustrating trying to be a decent person with beliefs when the tension between men and women over today’s feminism doesn’t leave much room for understanding.

Ámayas_20 · Answer

It's continued to want to fight when the problems have gone away.

SkipStop · Answer

From simply giving women the freedom to make more personal choices to the ability to assault and even kill a man without consequences.

bangyourhead · Answer

Of course it has. In the 60s/70s they were working towards equality. They've mostly accomplished those goals. So to stay alive, feminism had to become more radical, invent more enemies, and transform into the shit-show of man-hating it is now.

Browser101 · Answer

Many feminists don’t want equality. They want preferential treatment over men. Many “rights” groups are this way.

genericname85 · Answer

they have changed from a movement to claim legitimate rights that womend didn't have to claiming nonsense that has nothing to do with equality.

Dchrls78104 · Answer

Yes. They started off sounding stupid and now they've gone completely soft in the head! And they just won't do the decent thing and shut up!

grega239 · Answer

It turned into a religion where vagina is God and men are satan

Nadim171 · Answer

No, but more radicals joined the movement and made it look bad while it's generally a good movement

Number39 · Answer

It's more radical and prone to being abused.

mermaidia_lol · Answer

It's gotten pointless and angry at everything.

SomeGuyCalledTom · Answer

For the worse, mostly.

Massageman · Answer

It's gone from bad to worse.

AllThatSweetJazz · Answer

It was poison, and now it’s toxic.

MoscowMitch · Answer

It's become less relevant and more strident.

Anonymous · Answer

Want equal rights but not equal responsibilities.

1828avaava1828 · Answer

im not sure

How has feminism changed over the years?

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