Women’s Studies 2000: Introduction to Women’s Studies via the World Wide Web and Memorial University of Newfoundland

Summer 2004

Jessica Kean

Response Paper #1

                  Throughout the required readings from our Listen Up text, the theme of hostility and

resistance to feminism has come up a number of times. Women who stand up for what they

believe in can often be labelled as outsiders by both men and women in their own

 neighbourhood, culture and society. These women face many challenges and backlash from

 mainstream society because feminists are often considered to be extremists, radicals and men

 haters. Due to these obstacles, many women throughout history have remained silent against

 feminist issues so they would not be ridiculed, criticised and banished from their own families.

      In unit one, the required readings focus on the labels identified with people who consider

themselves to be feminists. Feminists are often seem as bra-burning, men-hating women who are

 in the opposite side of the spectrum. Both author’s in this unit encounter many consequences for

 having the beliefs they do. Lisa Bowleg is considered an outsider, while Sarah McCarry

discovers the differences between gender equality in the workplace. McCarry finds herself being

judged by both men and women and society as a whole for her beliefs that men and women

should be treated as equals when occupying the same position at a job.

     In unit two, the required readings begin to focus on the issues related to liberal feminism.

Liberal feminism focuses simply on equality. This type of feminism is the most common form

found in our society today. Both author’s in this case seem to find resistance in their attempt’s to

forward the women’s movement. Levin struggles with founding a feminist club in her school,

while Neuborne discusses the common problem of backlash against feminist issues. Neuborne

states that even though women’s issues in areas of work, education, politics and business have

advanced so far over time, there are always people trying to hold women back in exploitative

roles throughout society.

     After reading and analysing the material covered in this course so far, it is easy to see how in

depth women’s studies really goes. Many ideas related to feminism discussed in this course,

actually changed the ways in which I think about it. I was always one of those people who would

never say, “I am a feminist”. I always felt that those people had extreme values, such as burning

bra’s and hating men. I never would want anyone to think I hate men or are against men, but I do

believe in equal rights. So in some respects I can now consider myself to be a feminist. What I

have definitely learnt from this course so far is that we have to set our own limits on what we

think is right for ourselves. There are people out there who do believe women are better than

men. For me it is easy to see and relate to the equality in everything. There is balance in

everything and I feel feminism is the balance between equal rights for both men and women.