Essay about French Feminism - 1679 Words

Feminism -- it is a term that inspires a spectrum of emotions that range from undying passion to unabashed disgust. The first time that I gave serious thought to where my heart stood on this spectrum was in a Womens Studies course during my freshman year of college. In my mind was the American stereotype of a feminist: a bra-burning, man-hating, and somewhat-hairy old maid. As a self-proclaimed, loudmouth liberal that despises patriarchy and other forms of gender discrimination, I wanted to call myself a feminist, but I could not align myself with that unfeminine stereotype. Being a collector of high heels, lover of men, and an abuser of feminine guile, I felt as though claiming to be a feminist would be in turn proving to be a†¦show more content†¦The unleashing of the female sex into the active politics of modern France occurred in 1945 under the Liberation Government led by Charles de Gaulle (Ardagh 599). Before this year, which is relatively recent in relation to Frances age, women were not only absent from office, but simply did not even have the right to vote (Ardagh 599). Only since then have women been legally considered full citizens with equality to men (Sineau 113). The initial progress was hopeful with 30 women elected to the National Assembly in the first year of suffrage (Ardagh 599). Unfortunately for feminists, the progress took a reverse with this number dropping to 10 by 1977, coupled by a severe lack of women in the ministries (Ardagh 599). This lack of political representation of women was in spite of the feminist movement in France that marked the 1970s. Although few women were sitting in offices of power, many were marching in the streets in protest. Through the political pressuring of the feminist movement, remarkable gains such as the legalization of abortion and progressive rape laws were made (C#233;lestin, DalMolin, and Courtivron 2). In terms of women participating in electoral politics, one part of the feminist movement actually discouraged it with a call for absentation from voting because womens issues were being oppressed by the patriarchal political parties in power (Duchen 106). France has never had a woman asShow MoreRelatedThe noun feminism is derived from the French in the 19th century . It refers to the campaign at700 Words   |  3 PagesThe noun feminism is derived from the French in the 19th century . It refers to the campaign at first but now women have been endowed with greater meaning when it is used extensively in many places. Feminism was born because there are those who feel that women have been oppressed by injustice exists between man and woman . Oppression of women is a human act under social institution and it is not biologkal . Thus, the women themselves able to change this situation . Theories of feminism has changedRead MoreFeminism : Women s Rights On The Grounds Of Political, Social, And Economic Equality1507 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism has been around as long as women have been. Feminism according to google is the advocacy of women s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. So it is basically women wanting to be treated equally. The history of feminism is pretty sketch considering how it was never called feminism until america got a hold of it. But never the less there are definite matriarchal influences throughout the history of the world. A couple of asian cultures were based off ofRead MoreThe Definition Of Modern Day Feminism1116 Words   |  5 PagesMegan Thompson Ms. Butters AP Language 13 November 2014 The Definition of Modern Day Feminism â€Å"Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.† This is what Beyonce, one of the most famous and influential Women of Color in the past decade, claims in her 2014 VMA performance, with a large, shining backdrop of the word ‘feminist’ behind her. This quickly became one of the most direct and most widely-known displays of her feminist beliefs, and Beyonce isRead MoreThe Effects Of Writing On Feminist Theory1375 Words   |  6 Pagesthe masculine (Delahoyde 1). Feminism is not a young concept, in fact, the word first appeared in 1890’s France as â€Å"fà ©minisme† (Freedman 4). Feminist theory was developed to recognize injustices against women, and proposes action to change the situation universally (Young 20). The 1960s and 70s brought second-wave feminism, which occurred during the same time as the Civil Rights movement and protests against the Vietnam War (Rich 7). The second wave of feminism was said to be a transition focusedRead MoreFeminism : A Studies Of Feminism1559 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism 6 Running Head: PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES:A STUDIES OF FEMINISM PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES: A STUDIES OF FEMINISM CUIYI P. Student Pasadena City College Feminism 1 Psychology Studies: a Studies of Feminism What Does it Means to Run Like a Girl 21th Century Earlier Centuries Feminism became a hot topic in 21th century, but anyone know what is Feminism means? Definition on Macmillan Dictionary says, Feminism is the belief that women should have the sameRead MoreFeminism And The First Day Of Class1135 Words   |  5 PagesWhat does the word feminism mean to an individual? Do people believe it means fighting for equality? Do people believe the negative stereotypes? Feminism is a widely debated topic across the world. People either support feminism or protest against it. It is important to know the correct meaning of feminism as it is commonly used in an incorrect manner. Even though the majority of people do not acknowledge the true meaning of feminism and the history it has created, we are oblivious to social mediaRead MoreBlack Feminist1005 Words   |  5 PagesPress). Black feminism argues that sexism, social class oppression, and racism are inseparably bound together (Collins). The feminist movement has been around since the 1880s when the word â€Å"Feminism† appeared in the French language (Collins). The word found traction in Britain in the 1890s, and the United States in 1910, feminism sought to influence popular culture by its very presence and by its persistent demands to be recognized as the official voice of all women (â€Å"What is Feminism†). Although theRead MoreAn Analysis of Rethinking Sex Gender651 Words   |  3 Pagestheorist of French origin. She was an active participant of the Womens Movement(Mouvement de Libà ©ration des Femmes called MLF). She challenged the law of the French Government in 2004 , which forbid Muslim girls to wear hijab in schools. She was the proponent of Material Feminism. Along with Simone de Beauvoir, she co-founded the Nouvelles questions feministes(New Feminist Issues) in 1977.She was the proponent of Material Feminism, which is a radical perspective of socialist feminism, linking aRead MoreFeminism, The Advocacy Of Women s Rights On The Ground Of The Equality 1654 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism is a series of chronological movements and ideologies aimed at altering the patriarchal system to be equalitarian, so women can uphold the same opportunities and rights as men. Feminism, by definition, is ‘the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes’ (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2015). Therefore, feminism is still relevant within Western society because there is still significant evidence that shows women are still not yet equal with men. Thus, this essay will focusRead MoreFeminism And Its Effect On Society1509 Words   |  7 Pagesquite taken seriously.The word is known by many people but not fully understood by the masses. The word being referred to is Feminism and it is phenomenon that has been around for years but has been spreading through people everywhere. Feminism is a movement created to help everyone and make our society more positive and to rule out harmful gender roles in our culture. Feminism is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as â€Å"the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities†