I broadly agree with the feminist project and think they have done more good than harm. I also have the following criticisms
Feminists too often mistake the complex, dynamic and context-dependent way status/power actually works for an oversimplified “patriarchy” where men as a class oppress women as a class.
This means feminism is much more sensitive to sexism against women and will routinely miss or play down sexism against men. This wouldn’t be a problem except that feminism has sort of universalist aspirations; they’re often more like a special interest group.
Feminism sometimes advocates taking political roles that can be oppressive, in much the same way gender roles can. This is partly why the movement has had trouble embracing transgendered people, BDSM, porn stars, sex workers etc. (And why the views of so-called ‘radical’ feminists still can’t accept these groups)
Despite talking a lot about intersectionality, the core feminist institutions are more like a voice for Western, white, upper middle class women than for women as a whole. (A criticism I feel kind of like a dick making as I am all of those things+ a man, but it’s true).
The movement isn’t a good place for a young man to make his social home because as a woman’s movement the place for men in it is in the background and the primary way the movement relates to men is in their defense of women from men (which is fine, politically, it just is a terrible way for a young man to relate to himself).
The thing is, there isn’t a movement for gender equality. It seems to be very hard to motivate people to work on things without building in a group identity, and the group identity is us vs. them. Or have I spent too much time reading people who work that way, and there are alternatives I haven’t seen?
I’ve wondered whether people have a bias towards bad ideas. Simple good sense isn’t dramatic enough (or possibly doesn’t offer enough opportunities for power seeking) to get attention easily.
Still, there’s some good work being done, and I think of this as an effort to figure out how to live well with other people—something which is surprisingly difficult.
It seems to be very hard to motivate people to work on things without building in a group identity, and the group identity is us vs. them. Or have I spent too much time reading people who work that way, and there are alternatives I haven’t seen?
Well, humans seem to be wired that way, so anyone you’ve met who works differently has done so deliberately and is very strange.
Feminists too often mistake the complex, dynamic and context-dependent way status/power actually works for an oversimplified “patriarchy” where men as a class oppress women as a class.
That sounds like ‘radical feminism’, and it’s not so much a mistake of the ‘feminism’ as it is of the ‘radical’. Marx did the same thing with class.
This means feminism is much more sensitive to sexism against women and will routinely miss or play down sexism against men. This wouldn’t be a problem except that feminism has sort of universalist aspirations; they’re often more like a special interest group.
Feminists actually have a lot of complex, dynamic, and context-dependent reasons for focusing on sexism against women, ranging from being a radical feminist, to thinking sexism against women is the bigger problem that needs to be dealt with, to thinking that’s what ‘feminism’ is about by definition and someone else should have the job of being sensitive to sexism against men. It’s one reason “women’s studies” programs in universities have been slowly converting themselves over to “gender studies”, to drop the female-centric nature as it’s no longer needed.
Despite talking a lot about intersectionality, the core feminist institutions are more like a voice for Western, white, upper middle class women then for women as a whole. (A criticism I feel kind of like a dick making as I am all of those things+ a man, but it’s true).
This has been internally considered a big problem for a long time, and now remains a problem only if you look at Western, white, upper middle class feminist institutions specifically.
The movement isn’t a good place for a young man to make his social home
Indeed. There are a lot of crazies out there. But I’d make the same case for just about any ‘movement’.
Feminists too often mistake the complex, dynamic and context-dependent way status/power actually works for an oversimplified “patriarchy” where men as a class oppress women as a class.
That sounds like ‘radical feminism’, and it’s not so much a mistake of the ‘feminism’ as it is of the ‘radical’. Marx did the same thing with class.
Well, my sense is that the simple view is (a) what the radicals hold and (b) what those who don’t get into the theory end up believing. It’s kind of like how the Catholic church itself doesn’t think God is necessary for morality but this view is common among evangelicals and unstudied Catholics.
Feminists actually have a lot of complex, dynamic, and context-dependent reasons for focusing on sexism against women, ranging from being a radical feminist,
Being a radical feminist isn’t really a reason for doing something, what are the reasons for being a radical feminist? Anyway, my understanding of the radfem position is that there is no such thing as sexism against men, so yes, they’re not going to be paying a lot of attention to sexism against men.
to thinking sexism against women is the bigger problem that needs to be dealt with, to thinking that’s what ‘feminism’ is about by definition and someone else should have the job of being sensitive to sexism against men.
These reasons I’m pretty much fine with (and mostly agree with), which is why the problem isn’t that they aren’t good at noticing sexism against men but that they’re aren’t good at noticing sexism and take themselves to be giving a universal and unbiased perspective on gender issues. Feminism has problems being both the major vehicle for gender egalitarianism and the major vehicle for empowering women. The contradictions here were extremely minimal when feminism started out, but of course the more success feminism has the more this contradiction will come into play.
This has been internally considered a big problem for a long time, and now remains a problem only if you look at Western, white, upper middle class feminist institutions specifically.
I agree that it has been a problem internally. And maybe I need to make this more clear: I basically have one foot in the camp and one foot outside it, so some (maybe even most) of my criticisms are things that feminists have said themselves. I’m not sure I know what you mean by “remains a problem only if you look at …”. I don’t think there are many feminist institutions that identify themselves as Western, white and upper middle class. If you mean the institutions that are made up of mostly Western, white and upper class women then I suppose I agree with you except that these are the best funded, most influential and, for the rest of the culture, defining institutions for feminism. My experience reading non-white, poor and non-Western women on this subject suggests they still perceive many of the same problems that spurred the initial intersectionality critique.
Indeed. There are a lot of crazies out there. But I’d make the same case for just about any ‘movement’.
I think my original comment made it clear why I think feminism is particularly problematic in this regard but if it didn’t let me know and I’ll clarify.
Well, my sense is that the simple view is (a) what the radicals hold and (b) what those who don’t get into the theory end up believing. It’s kind of like how the Catholic church itself doesn’t think God is necessary for morality but this view is common among evangelicals and unstudied Catholics.
Yes, I’d have to grant you that, and I think the rest follows.
Feminism has problems being both the major vehicle for gender egalitarianism and the major vehicle for empowering women. The contradictions here were extremely minimal when feminism started out, but of course the more success feminism has the more this contradiction will come into play.
I get the impression it’s moving in the opposite direction. The shrill radical sorts are being de-emphasized (not least since everyone noticed political correctness is silly), and as I noted “women’s studies” is slowly transforming into “gender studies”.
The major battlegrounds now, as I see them, are on exactly these sorts of questions. Is gender egalitarianism possible? Is it valuable? Are there factors which explain things like income disparity, and what, if anything, should we do about them?
But then, I haven’t really been following the literature for a couple of years.
I get the impression it’s moving in the opposite direction. The shrill radical sorts are being de-emphasized (not least since everyone noticed political correctness is silly), and as I noted “women’s studies” is slowly transforming into “gender studies”.
I see what you mean here. I think it’s part of the same process. Equating gender egalitarianism with empowering women doesn’t make quite as much sense as it once did. And for this reason radical feminists are losing influence, their message doesn’t resonate like it used to. But at the same time aspects of the radical view haven been embedded in a lot of feminist 101 stuff (just think, for example, about the concept of the patriarchy) and mainstream/liberal feminism is having a really hard time getting away from that.
Personally my general reaction to feminism is negative but it appears to encompass a sufficiently diverse range of viewpoints that I find myself agreeing with some subset of those viewpoints. My impression is that rationality is not a strong feature of feminist thought but I recognize that I have probably been mostly exposed to the worst advocates.
The most convincing advocate of feminist ideas I have encountered is Kerry Howley. I think I can probably stomach feminist ideas she espouses because they are sugar coated in a libertarian wrapper. I’m not even sure that she would self-describe as a feminist but I feel that what sympathy I have for feminist ideas can in large part be credited to her writing.
I like Kerry Howley too. She does self-describe as a feminist. She’s in the tradition of Voltairine de Cleyre.
I grew discouraged by feminism as represented by, say, the writers at feministe. There was a great deal of opposition to thinking the wrong thoughts. But you’re right, it’s an extraordinarily broad area, to the point of (almost) not being a useful term.
I think there is a parallel to the complaints about the PUA discussions here. I’ve often seen feminist ideas presented in a tone of hostility and misandry and embedded in a whole heap of background assumptions and beliefs that I do not share. I can read some of the same ideas from someone like Kerry Howley and appreciate that they are actually quite reasonable and compatible with my own views because I am not immediately on the defensive and looking for disagreement.
I also feel this way about criticisms of feminism. A lot of it comes from this entitled, resentful and misogynist place which aggravates me. I find that even among the most reasonable critics of feminism this attitude has a tendency to come out from time to time.
Is there anything in particular of Kerry Howley’s that you recommend?
This might be interesting—it’s an analysis of the similarities between feminist descriptions of the patriarchy and libertarian descriptions of the state, with the suggestion that libertarians and feminists could learn quite a bit from each other.
This might be interesting—it’s an analysis of the similarities between feminist descriptions of the patriarchy and libertarian descriptions of the state
Thanks for the link, it’s an interesting article. I don’t find much to take issue with there—I generally agree with their analysis. Unfortunately I see little evidence of any progress towards reconciliation.
I find the focus on radicalism as a common trait interesting. I see parallels with coverage of the financial crisis where I basically agree with much of the analysis of people like Matt Taibbi or Simon Johnson and James Kwak on the root causes of the financial crisis but have a rather different idea of what needs to be done to fix the problem. The ideas of a feminist-libertarian alliance and a left-libertarian alliance have many commonalities.
I haven’t read the worst advocates. My negative reaction was based on reading material by average or possibly somewhat above average advocates.
I wonder what the common reaction to feminism is here. It’s got at least as wide a range as PUA.
I broadly agree with the feminist project and think they have done more good than harm. I also have the following criticisms
Feminists too often mistake the complex, dynamic and context-dependent way status/power actually works for an oversimplified “patriarchy” where men as a class oppress women as a class.
This means feminism is much more sensitive to sexism against women and will routinely miss or play down sexism against men. This wouldn’t be a problem except that feminism has sort of universalist aspirations; they’re often more like a special interest group.
Feminism sometimes advocates taking political roles that can be oppressive, in much the same way gender roles can. This is partly why the movement has had trouble embracing transgendered people, BDSM, porn stars, sex workers etc. (And why the views of so-called ‘radical’ feminists still can’t accept these groups)
Despite talking a lot about intersectionality, the core feminist institutions are more like a voice for Western, white, upper middle class women than for women as a whole. (A criticism I feel kind of like a dick making as I am all of those things+ a man, but it’s true).
The movement isn’t a good place for a young man to make his social home because as a woman’s movement the place for men in it is in the background and the primary way the movement relates to men is in their defense of women from men (which is fine, politically, it just is a terrible way for a young man to relate to himself).
The thing is, there isn’t a movement for gender equality. It seems to be very hard to motivate people to work on things without building in a group identity, and the group identity is us vs. them. Or have I spent too much time reading people who work that way, and there are alternatives I haven’t seen?
I’ve wondered whether people have a bias towards bad ideas. Simple good sense isn’t dramatic enough (or possibly doesn’t offer enough opportunities for power seeking) to get attention easily.
Still, there’s some good work being done, and I think of this as an effort to figure out how to live well with other people—something which is surprisingly difficult.
Well, humans seem to be wired that way, so anyone you’ve met who works differently has done so deliberately and is very strange.
That sounds like ‘radical feminism’, and it’s not so much a mistake of the ‘feminism’ as it is of the ‘radical’. Marx did the same thing with class.
Feminists actually have a lot of complex, dynamic, and context-dependent reasons for focusing on sexism against women, ranging from being a radical feminist, to thinking sexism against women is the bigger problem that needs to be dealt with, to thinking that’s what ‘feminism’ is about by definition and someone else should have the job of being sensitive to sexism against men. It’s one reason “women’s studies” programs in universities have been slowly converting themselves over to “gender studies”, to drop the female-centric nature as it’s no longer needed.
This has been internally considered a big problem for a long time, and now remains a problem only if you look at Western, white, upper middle class feminist institutions specifically.
Indeed. There are a lot of crazies out there. But I’d make the same case for just about any ‘movement’.
Well, my sense is that the simple view is (a) what the radicals hold and (b) what those who don’t get into the theory end up believing. It’s kind of like how the Catholic church itself doesn’t think God is necessary for morality but this view is common among evangelicals and unstudied Catholics.
Being a radical feminist isn’t really a reason for doing something, what are the reasons for being a radical feminist? Anyway, my understanding of the radfem position is that there is no such thing as sexism against men, so yes, they’re not going to be paying a lot of attention to sexism against men.
These reasons I’m pretty much fine with (and mostly agree with), which is why the problem isn’t that they aren’t good at noticing sexism against men but that they’re aren’t good at noticing sexism and take themselves to be giving a universal and unbiased perspective on gender issues. Feminism has problems being both the major vehicle for gender egalitarianism and the major vehicle for empowering women. The contradictions here were extremely minimal when feminism started out, but of course the more success feminism has the more this contradiction will come into play.
I agree that it has been a problem internally. And maybe I need to make this more clear: I basically have one foot in the camp and one foot outside it, so some (maybe even most) of my criticisms are things that feminists have said themselves. I’m not sure I know what you mean by “remains a problem only if you look at …”. I don’t think there are many feminist institutions that identify themselves as Western, white and upper middle class. If you mean the institutions that are made up of mostly Western, white and upper class women then I suppose I agree with you except that these are the best funded, most influential and, for the rest of the culture, defining institutions for feminism. My experience reading non-white, poor and non-Western women on this subject suggests they still perceive many of the same problems that spurred the initial intersectionality critique.
I think my original comment made it clear why I think feminism is particularly problematic in this regard but if it didn’t let me know and I’ll clarify.
Yes, I’d have to grant you that, and I think the rest follows.
I get the impression it’s moving in the opposite direction. The shrill radical sorts are being de-emphasized (not least since everyone noticed political correctness is silly), and as I noted “women’s studies” is slowly transforming into “gender studies”.
The major battlegrounds now, as I see them, are on exactly these sorts of questions. Is gender egalitarianism possible? Is it valuable? Are there factors which explain things like income disparity, and what, if anything, should we do about them?
But then, I haven’t really been following the literature for a couple of years.
I see what you mean here. I think it’s part of the same process. Equating gender egalitarianism with empowering women doesn’t make quite as much sense as it once did. And for this reason radical feminists are losing influence, their message doesn’t resonate like it used to. But at the same time aspects of the radical view haven been embedded in a lot of feminist 101 stuff (just think, for example, about the concept of the patriarchy) and mainstream/liberal feminism is having a really hard time getting away from that.
Sounds like we’re on roughly the same page.
Personally my general reaction to feminism is negative but it appears to encompass a sufficiently diverse range of viewpoints that I find myself agreeing with some subset of those viewpoints. My impression is that rationality is not a strong feature of feminist thought but I recognize that I have probably been mostly exposed to the worst advocates.
The most convincing advocate of feminist ideas I have encountered is Kerry Howley. I think I can probably stomach feminist ideas she espouses because they are sugar coated in a libertarian wrapper. I’m not even sure that she would self-describe as a feminist but I feel that what sympathy I have for feminist ideas can in large part be credited to her writing.
I like Kerry Howley too. She does self-describe as a feminist. She’s in the tradition of Voltairine de Cleyre.
I grew discouraged by feminism as represented by, say, the writers at feministe. There was a great deal of opposition to thinking the wrong thoughts. But you’re right, it’s an extraordinarily broad area, to the point of (almost) not being a useful term.
I think there is a parallel to the complaints about the PUA discussions here. I’ve often seen feminist ideas presented in a tone of hostility and misandry and embedded in a whole heap of background assumptions and beliefs that I do not share. I can read some of the same ideas from someone like Kerry Howley and appreciate that they are actually quite reasonable and compatible with my own views because I am not immediately on the defensive and looking for disagreement.
I also feel this way about criticisms of feminism. A lot of it comes from this entitled, resentful and misogynist place which aggravates me. I find that even among the most reasonable critics of feminism this attitude has a tendency to come out from time to time.
Is there anything in particular of Kerry Howley’s that you recommend?
This might be interesting—it’s an analysis of the similarities between feminist descriptions of the patriarchy and libertarian descriptions of the state, with the suggestion that libertarians and feminists could learn quite a bit from each other.
Here’s a few on libertarianism/feminism:
Libertarian Feminism versus Monarchist Anarchism
Feminism and Libertarianism Again
Does the Word Feminism Mean Anything
And on reproductive/sexual issues:
Notes on My Life Sentence of Buried Self-Negation
Trying Really Hard to Get Upset About Pornography
Might There Be a Connection Between Slut Shaming and Slut Jailing
The Myth of the Migrant
Thanks for the link, it’s an interesting article. I don’t find much to take issue with there—I generally agree with their analysis. Unfortunately I see little evidence of any progress towards reconciliation.
I find the focus on radicalism as a common trait interesting. I see parallels with coverage of the financial crisis where I basically agree with much of the analysis of people like Matt Taibbi or Simon Johnson and James Kwak on the root causes of the financial crisis but have a rather different idea of what needs to be done to fix the problem. The ideas of a feminist-libertarian alliance and a left-libertarian alliance have many commonalities.