Analysis #6

May 3, 2011

         Feminism can be classified as a collection of many movements unified with the goal of defining, establishing, and defending equality for all women in the structures of economics, politics, social rights, and equal opportunities.

          The feminist movement was divided into three “waves.” The first-wave of feminist activity was activated during the nineteenth and early twentieth centurys. It promoted “equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights for women" (Freedman, Feminism 3). At the end of the nineteenth century, political power was the focus which included women’s suffrage. It was noted that some feminists did campaigning for economic, reproductive, and sexual rights for women also.

            The second-wave began in the 1960’s and is still in motion today as well as coexisting with the third-wave. The second-wave is mainly concerned with equality issues other than suffrage, such as discrimination.

          The third-wave began in the early 1990’s responding to the failures and “backlash against initiatives and movements created by the second-wave" (4). The focus in this arena is “micro-politics” which challenge the paradigm of the second-wave by using “a post-structuralist interpretation of gender and sexuality" (Smith, Feminism 4).

           According to the liberal feminism view, its aspiration is “to establish individualistic equality of men and women by reforming the political and legal” (Gheytanchi, Feminism 5) arena with no alterations to the social structure. Liberal feminism views the opposition factor of both participants that of sex roles. There are many areas of feminism that can be addressed; however, there is not enough time to indulge.

           “The distinction between sex and gender is that sex is biological (e.g., chromosomal or morphological) while gender is social or cultural (e.g., how societies structure relationships)" (Young, Feminism 9). According to Judith Butler, the concept of perfomativity views the power in society as the “performance of gender, sex, and sexuality" (Butler, Gender Studies 4). She states that the construct of gender and heterosexuality is natural because this is the social image of the male and female sexes; however, this is not her true view of the situation. Butler feels that gender is a kind of imitation where there is no original. To me, this is difficult to do when you leave the womb of your mother taking your first breathe as either male or female unless there is a genetic or birth defect.

           Michel Foucault stated that sex had not been repressed since the seventeenth century, but was talked about all of the time. He further made the comparison of the priest (confession) and the analyst (psychologist). He felt that sex had been structured or controlled: Ars Erotica (East), and Scientio Sexuality (West). Foucault stated, “Modern society is perverse, not in spite of its Puritanism or as if from a backlash provoked by its hypocrisy; it is in actual fact, and directly, perverse" (Foucault, Norton 1520). He stated that the hypothesis that modern industrial societies brought in an age of increased sexual repression should be abandoned because they witnessed a visible explosion of unorthodox sexualities.

           The inequality of woman still exists in a number of ways and the battle rages on to resolve issues especially in the area of spousal abuse. There are a number of women who have been maimed or killed by their husbands. A lot of times it is difficult for a woman to have legal assistance until it is too late. When they try to get away from the husband, he stalks them and eventually performs vicious acts upon them and the children. Some women snap and cannot handle the abuse any longer taking the matter into their own hands. Generally they kill their husband because of years of abuse; however, now their destination is life in prison or death. The video clip included tells it all and one can only hope that someday soon help will come for the abused spouse.

Word Count: 621

Works Cited

“Feminism.” En.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. 3 May 2011.
          Web. 6 May 2011.

“Gender Studies.” En.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. 29 April 2011.

          Web. 6 May 2011.

Leitch, Vincent B., ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.

           New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2010. Print.

“Simone de Beauvoir.” En. Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. 28 April 2011.