Feminism

Feminism

Throughout time there have been three ‘stages’ of feminism;

First wave mid-19^th- early 20^th century -->

This movement was concerned with having political equality between the sexes and fighting for the right to vote for women. The suffragette movement directly took action to gain equal rights for women. They did this by protesting, invading parliament and going on hunger strikes whilst in prison.

Second wave 1960’s and 1970’s -->

This movement was concerned with a woman’s role within society, the work place and the home. They were mainly focused on the unequal ad unfair balance of wealth and power within society. Second wave feminism also drew attention to domestic violence and marital rape issues. These women would strike for equality; for example ‘women’s strike for equality’ in America in 1970.

Third wave 1980’s – present -->

This movement is concerned with the pressures that are placed on women by society and the media. They look at how women as supposed to conform to an unachievable standard of beauty, and how women’s bodies are used as a commodity.

Laura Mulvey: ‘visual pleasure and narrative cinema’ -->

Mulvey looms at what she calls the ‘male gaze’ in film. In Hollywood cinema (mainly in the 1940’s-60’s) was a huge institution that maintained patriarchal control. In more simple terms she says that men do the watching ad the women are watched.

The male gaze is seen as determining and female figures appear with male fantasies. Hollywood female actors of this time period were coded with ‘to be looked at-ness’. She suggests that there were two obvious modes of the male gaze in this era, these are ‘voyeuristic’ which is seeing women as whores and ‘fetishistic’ which is seeing women as Madonna’s .

Due to men owning the film industry/fantasy at his specific period of time, they gain power by representing the view of the watcher. The audience identifies with the main male character and therefore participates in objectifying female characters.

Naomi Wolf: ‘The beauty myth’ -->

Wolf argues that beauty is the ‘last, best belief system that keeps male dominance intact’. Wolf argues that normative standards of beauty are a patriarchal construct which controls and limits women. She states that the beauty standard has taken over the work of social coercion formerly left to myths about motherhood, domesticity, chastity and passivity, all of which were used to keep women powerless.

Wolf suggests that we might actually be worse off than our grandmothers because we are now kept unequal through subtle methods of control. Women now buy stuff they don’t need so that they fit in with wider the wider social values. This leaves physically damaging consequences such as eating disorders and cosmetic surgery. However, Wolf contends that the beauty myth is really not about women, it is about men’s institutions and power. Beauty is about behaviour and not appearance. The labels of beauty given to a woman are no more than symbols of female behaviour considered desirable at the time.

The princess culture -->

Peggy Orenstein explores the range of products marketed at girls and their influence on the next generation. She sees evidence of the limited range of choices offered to girls can inhibit their ambition and encourage them to base their self-worth on their appearance. For example bratz, Barbie and Polly pocket. She question whether these factors quickly impose the sexualisation of young girls.