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Jennah Jones English-111 12/4/13 Why Feminism is Still Relevant Much of society today is not attuned to what is happening around them. There is a multitude of economical and social issues in our society that need to be addressed. One such issue is that of feminism. Feminism is usually regarded as an unnecessary, radical movement. However this large misconception about the feminist movement is mainly due to a lack of education on the matter, the influence of both the media and social media outlets, and a closedminded thought process which all condone the idea that feminism is obsolete. Before an argument can be made for or against feminism, one must first know the true definition of feminism. British suffragist Rebecca West has been famously quoted saying, feminism is the radical notion that women are people (Feminism 101). A more text-book definition would be the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men (Feminism). In other words, the goal of feminism is equality. The roots of feminism can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. In many cultures women were (and still are) regarded as inferior. Women were seen as less intelligent and weak; not able to work, go to school, or vote, and many were not able to read or write. They were simply put in their place by men and told to take care of their children, their husband, and their home (Infoplease). In modern society women (of first-world countries) are fortunate enough to have won the long-fought social battles for the rights they have today. Women are allowed to vote, work, go to

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school, divorce, join the military, and be at the top of their jobs. On the surface it seems that there really is no need for feminism. However, having these rights is not always as it seems. For example, women are allowed to join the military. Women are not allowed to fight on the frontlines though. It does not matter that women have already fought on the front-lines due to wrong place at the wrong time circumstances (Dao). It does not matter that women have proved their physical endurance and strength and even passed marine infantry training (Tepper). In fact reactions to the question of women being on the front-lines included statements such as, it would be distracting and potentially traumatizing to be forced to be naked in front of the opposite sex [when relieving themselves](Beauchamp) and men are disinclined to trust women in dangerous situations (Browne). In regards to the military involvement, Sergeant Pearsall says it best, I cant speak for the men, but I feel that when the bullets were flying, they didnt care that I was a woman, as long as I was pulling the trigger (Dao). The media, as with most social issues, has a prominent impact on the perception of feminism. Women today are often sexualized and seen as objects or prizes. Many primetime television shows, videogames, and popular movies depict women as nothing more than that. Women who have sex are seen as sluts, and men who have sex are praised for getting some all by the same peers (Firestone). Social media outlets such as Twitter promote topics such as No Shave November for men to grow out their beards and facial hair. In the same breath the users on the site make sure to let women know that girls who participate in No Shave November will be participating in No D December. The media is a destructive force against women (Romano). It teaches girls from a young age to be sexy and appeal to men, but only when theyre told to. If youre a woman and have a strong opinion and arent a push over, youre likely to be labeled as just a bitch.

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Modern feminism fights for a different view on women. Feminists want women to be seen as strong and assertive, but also want women to know that it is also okay if it is not in your nature to be so. Feminists want women to be as free as men in their sexuality, and also want women to know that it is okay to not be free in their sexuality. Feminism is a movement that fights for equality in rights, representation, and perception. Not everyone will agree with the textbook definition of feminism. There are those who are closed-minded and will not accept feminism for what it is. For example, there are both radical feminists and anti-feminists that will dispute what feminism is truly about. The former believing that in order to reach equality women must be liberated from the patriarchy and abolish gender as it, [divides people by] oppressing women and privileging men (Lewis). Anti-feminists and mens rights activists alike believe that the eradication of all men is the entire concept of feminism, and recognize feminism as, a hateful, bigoted, and destructive ideology which undermines the civil society by pitting women against men and against their own interests (Anti-Feminism). There are anti-feminists who believe that feminists believe every woman should be outspoken and working, and that it is a bad thing as a woman to be a stay-athome mom. However most feminists believe that it is the womans choice in what she wants in life. If a woman wants to stay home and take care of her kids or partner she should have that choice. If a woman wants to work and rise to the top of her workforce she should have that choice. However even after civil debate and sound reason on how feminism looks for equality and not misandry, many anti-feminists are firmly set in their ways in believing that being a feminist equals hating men. It is unfortunate that such a powerful and well-meaning movement has been demeaned and written off in this way.

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The idea and meaning of feminism has been changed and misconstrued throughout time because of ignorance, those who are set in their ways, and the way media projects feminists. It is important to remember that the actions of a few do not define a movement as a whole. Feminism is comprised of all sorts of men and women from all over, each with their own unique backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. Not every feminist will think the same, and that should not take anything away from the validity or true concept of feminism. Ultimately feminism comes down to equality, respect, and our decency as human beings.

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Works Cited "Anti-Feminism." Men's Rights Edmonton. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Beauchamp, Zacl. "Wall Street Journal: Women Shouldnt Be in Combat Because Men Poop." ThinkProgress. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Browne, Kingsley. "Putting Women in Combat Is a Disastrous Decision." US News. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Dao, James. "When the Bullets Flew, They Didnt Care That I Was a Woman." The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. "Feminism." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Firestone, Lisa, Ph.D. "Are We Still Condemning Women for Their Sexuality?" PsychAlive. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Infoplease. N.p.: Pearson Education, 2013. Print. Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Radical Feminism." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Romano, Aja. "No Shave November Leads to Antifeminist Backlash." The Daily Dot. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Tepper, Fabien. "First female Marines pass infantry training but no combat yet." Christian Science Monitor. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.