Final Essay #2

Many of the readings of this course have impacted me, in good and bad ways. Feminism is so multi-faceted that it was hard for me to pull out one theme out of these readings. The readings I chose are “The Beauty Myth” by Wolf, “Opt Out” by Belkin, The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, and Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks. The theme that I discovered throughout all these readings is the empowerment of women and the ongoing battles that women are still fighting. Being a woman is not an easy thing (it never has been), and these articles explore the current battles women are fighting and attempt to propose solutions to these problems. These readings have really opened my eyes to the many inequalities women still face today. Before this class I always thought we were pretty equal to men with a few minor exceptions. Now I know that this is not really the case Body image, I believe, is one of the most important issues women face today. You would think after all the battles women have fought and won like the right to vote, we wouldn’t be worried about something as silly as body image right? Wrong. Anorexia has run rampant among adolescent girls, cosmetic surgery is constantly on the rise and it is no wonder why. In the F-Word chapter “Tracing the Divide: Campus Women, Social Issues, and Volunteerism”, social and media images of women were on the top ten social issues list for college age women. Every single day we are bombarded with unrealistic images of emaciated, blond, and made up models who we are supposed to look like because that is what “beautiful” is. Airbrushed and sexed up women are used to sell everything from beer to dental floss. These defined beauty standards are degrading and irrational. In “The Beauty Myth” Wolf discusses how the beauty myth is the last powerful feminine ideology still in place after all these years. Sadly it will probably be many years before it is dislodged. The Beauty myth exists universally and will continue to exist because women long for it and men desire women who embody it. The myth states that beautiful women are more fertile and that these events that perpetuate these beauty ideals are a never ending circle that cannot be broken. Obviously this is not true and I found Wolf’s article extremely refreshing and empowering at the same time. Chapter 8 in the F-Word and the Belkin article both discuss the current state of motherhood. Balancing a career and children is an exhausting and challenging job. In “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Current State of Motherhood” Rowe-Finkbeiner discusses how earlier in the feminist movement, women who decided to stay and home and raise children were ridiculed and seen as part of the problem for “giving in” to the chains of being a woman. Part of the third wave of feminism is accepting all types of mothers, traditional and non-traditional and those who attempt to combine the two. Rowe-Finkbeiner highlights these challenges of the working mother. It is common for women to put their career on hold and then take time off work once they have children. Many of them try to get back into the workplace unsuccessfully because of companies unwillingness to work with the demands of employing a mother. I think a quote from Ruth Todasco really embodies this problem, “Only when women’s unwaged work is acknowledged and valued will women’s demands and needs be valued.”So, although women have made great strides towards keeping their identity when they are married, now the main obstacles are arising upon the birth of children. The “Opt Out” article by Lisa Belkin explores a rising trend in motherhood: starting a career only to “opt out” of their jobs when the children arrive to stay at home. This article is extremely controversial and I thought it was one of the most interesting articles we read this semester. Opponents of Belkin argue that she only focused on a few upper class women who cannot possibly represent the majority of women because most do not have the opportunity to opt out even if they want to. Although I think this argument is probably true I think the more important issue here is that most women would want to opt out if given the chance. This article just goes to show you how difficult it is for women in balancing work and family. These are issues women will always have to face. Chapter 4 in the F-Word discusses the need for women, especially young women, to raise their voices about important issues. It also brings up the point that young people aren’t as apathetic as most people tend to think. According to a survey based on college women in the United States, 82% of these young women vote. They are concerned about such issues as gender equality, reproductive rights, self-identity, balance in everyday life, violence against women, economics, education, health care, images of women in media and society and civic engagement. Young women need to realize the power of their vote and continue to fight for their rights that others in the past have fought for because “democracy is not a spectator sport”-Marian Wright Edelman. Although I do not agree with many of the readings this semester I think I still have gained much from them. I never really thought about feminism that much before this class other than to dismiss it with a wave of my hand. I think awareness of the world around you and sharing opinions with others is a vital to becoming a well rounded, educated person and this material along with the class has helped to get me a little closer to that goal. These readings will help me later in life as I myself struggle with being a woman and everything that it brings. Some things I am still curious about is feminism around the world. I would have liked to read more about that. In hooks chapter “Sisterhood is still powerful” she highlights another of the current problems the feminist movement is still facing. When feminism first started gaining momentum, it created a foundation for women to come together within a sisterhood to fight sexism. It was extremely helpful in casting away the change of patriarchal thinking. At first the sisterhood was strong and accepting of women with different races and classes. As the movement continued to grow however, the sisterhood began to weaken. It was hard work to keep the foundation that they had formed strong. Large groups of upper class white women made the decision to continue to have domestic servants, namely women. Obviously this is no way to have a sisterhood with all women. Women need to take a step back, learn to accept all women for who they are, and repair the foundation that has been damaged throughout the years. We now have a much better understanding of feminist theory and have had much time to learn from our mistakes in the past. The sisterhood can still be, and is, a powerful thing.

Sources:

“The Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf

“The Opt Out Revolution” by Lisa Belkin

“Between A Rock and a Hard Place: The Current State of Motherhood” (Chp 8 in the F-Word) by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

“Tracing the Divide: Campus Women, Social Issues, and Volunteerism” (Chp 4 in the F-Word)

“Feminism is For Everybody” by bell hooks