One Step Foreword, Two Steps Back: Evaluating Actions of Radical Feminists Which Undermine Feminist Issues
Feminism is currently evolving and expanding its reach to include all women regardless of ethnicity and economic status. This fundamental idea to incorporate all women in feminism, and to involve all women in the continued struggle for equality is in peril as privileged women (predominantly white, and of relatively good economic status) stymie real feminist issues, thus causing women new to feminism to distance themselves from the title of feminist. In her article I’ve Been Pondering Whether You Can Be a Part-feminist’: Young Australian Women’s Studies Students Discuss Gender Kate Hughes questions women from a wide range of ethnic and
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The manifestation of these extreme tactics in media give negative connotations to being a feminist, which creates a further rift between men and women. Marilyn French a key player in second wave feminism stated in her book: Feminism is for EVERYBODY, that “[feminism] does not privilege women over men” (qtd in Adeleke 128). While French was from the previous generation of feminists and was a self-described radical feminist she still believed that the ultimate goal of feminism is equality between both sexes. The arrogant, chauvinistic acts performed by these radical feminists are traits often associated with men and criticized by feminists (Adeleke 126). The absurd irrationality of extreme feminists only serves to detract from women’s oppression, trivialize feminist issues and can lead to people perceiving feminism as a fallacy (Adeleke 126). The discrediting of feminism due to radical feminists is detrimental not only to the work of previous generations of feminists but as well as to the future generations of feminists who fell estranged from feminism as it is represented in media …show more content…
I believe this is due to the way feminism has been portrayed in the media by radical feminists who dominate the spotlight. The overwhelming majority of these ‘infamous feminists’ are white, middle class heterosexual women (Schuster 1) whose opinions and issues are broadly labeled as feminist. Radical feminisms ability to dissuade women from identifying as a feminist is illustrated in a quote from Alison Dahl Crossley’s When it suites me. I’m a feminist:’ International Students Negotiating Feminist