The Feminist Theories

When I watched and took notes on the lecture module for the Feminist Theories, I had no idea there were even more than one. To be honest, I had no idea about any of the theories. I thought that Liberal and the Marxist Feminist theories were the most interesting, while the Radical Feminist Theory was also a very interesting theory. I was really intrigued to the Liberal Feminist Theory because of how women were abused in the working places. I knew all about the sexual harassment cases and such because that appears to be the most reported case, but when I learned about the root of all the problems are from the laws that bar women or don’t protect women from the abuses that come their way; an example of an abuse is a position in the working place that is given to a male who doesn’t have the abilities as such as the female who SHOULD get the role but doesn’t. I had no idea that Marxist Feminism Theory even existed. While I knew who Karl Marx was and what theories he came up with, I didn’t know about the ones that women were able to use. I can remember back when I was in high school, and I was talking about a potential grade level that I wanted to teach when I graduate. Someone (I forgot who but he/she was a teacher) told me that elementary school teachers (K-5 teachers) tend to get paid more than female teachers because of the high demand for male teachers in a grade level that is dominated by women. Just because a male wants to teach at a grade level dominated by women should not automatically grant that person to be paid more. I thought it was rather odd; I decided a few days later that I wanted to teach high school instead.

Radical Feminist Theory caught my eye the most, because when I see the word “radical” I knew that it meant that there will be demands for a dramatic change. This movement dealt with the oppression women faced in a patriarch society, where a male is the dominant figure in almost like a “ruler” or a “king.” Women in this theory want to overthrow this patriarchy and demand equality. The oppression starts with the fact that male and females are biologically different and because of these differences, females are oppressed due to gender or sexuality. An example of this is pornography, where the female is ordered by the male to pleasure the male sexually without denying him. Radical Feminist Theory wants to end this oppression and fight for equality in that aspect. This I think is one of the most powerful theories because it deals with personal equality, where Liberal and Marxist Feminist theories dealt with the working environment. Although there were many more, I felt that these three were the ones that are really important in society.

What is Women's Studies?

As explained in the lecture by my professor, Women's Studies really doesn't have its own definition. For one thing, Women's Studies is the examination of women’s experiences that recognizes women’s achievements and addresses women’s status in society, as shown in the lecture. If one understands what Feminism is, then one can see some of the comparisons between Women's Studies and Feminism. However, I was surprised to see some of the myths about Feminism from my lecture. One of the myths that I found disturbing was that "all feminists are lesbians." For one thing, I don't know why men (or women) would even classify feminists as lesbians in the first place, or even place myths on feminists. For one thing, placing a myth on an individual or an organization, a nation, a race, a gender, or anything else, shows that those people who placed the myths lack the ability to want to understand one another. I was brought up to never judge others or categorize others. When I saw the myths, especially the idea that feminists are lesbians really shows that those who placed the myths don't know that men are also feminists. I always hate when people judge others, and not just when people judge feminists, but judging people in general.