New Oxymoron: A Feminist Analysis

Is the feminist movement going in a good or bad direction? Is the feminist agenda about equal rights for all women and all persons? These are questions that should be pondered as the movement continues to gain momentum and as our society starts to change around it.

In an article titled the “New Oxymoron: Socially Conservative Feminism” (McCarver) it starts to answer the question, what is true feminism? With the country’s current election having a woman running for the highest office in the land you would think all woman would be happy that they have come so far, but that is not the case. In 2008 Sarah Palin was on the ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate with John McCain, this was not the first time a woman was on the ballot but a lot

So why was Palin’s nomination not a cause for celebration? McCarver speaks about there being two kinds of feminists; liberal and conservative. During the 2008 Election there are two liberal examples showing the divide among woman. Gloria Steinem writing an article for the LA times titled “Wrong Woman, Wrong Message” (Steinem) but contrarily Tammy Bruce from the N.O.W. organization endorsed Palin (McCarver). Both known liberal feminists but disagree on Palin. McCarver asks the million dollar question “What do women want?” (McCarver) To answer that question all women’s options must be taken into consideration with the complexity of their different backgrounds and beliefs leading them in, what they believe is best for the feminist movement. In this attempt to seek out common ground amongst woman there is a cause and effect that is starting to show amongst boys and men.

The term “backslide” has been used by Marano to describe the effects of feminism on boys and men. His Psychology Today

So, what is wrong with the patriarchy? Is it because men are at the head? In the poignantly titled book, “Is There Anything Good About Men: How Cultures Flourish by Exploiting Men” Braumeister states, “…The one-sided conventional view had its roots in the feminist critique of society as patriarchy…a conspiracy by men to exploit woman.” (Baumeister) If early feminists felt like there were problems with the patriarchy, how far should the pendulum go before woman are happy? Marano mentions that woman are “Moving towards androgynous roles while men, especially less educated ones, still feel it is a danger to deviate from masculine norms.” (Estroff Marano) He also mentions a study of elementary school boys are resisting regular male socialization. But why? If you put boys together is it surprising when they fight or jump off of things? Could this resistance to regular male socialization be forced upon through new parenting styles trying to change a male’s natural being? Marano states that men who marry, and have a family are more successful in education and jobs. But how can that still be the case when men are no longer the sole bread winners? Is that still the case if their wife makes more money than they do? Even if it does encourage men to live a better life, Marano quotes men in their 20’s and 30’s; ” Men of my age are pulled from all