Feminism Ideology: Advocating For Womens Rights Based On Sex Equality (Essay Sample)

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Introduction
Feminism focuses on advocating for women’s rights based on sex equality. Egalitarianism on the other hand, stresses that everyone is equal on earth, which means they deserve equal treatment and opportunities, irrespective of their sexes. Egalitarianism fights for the rights of human beings in general, but feminism focuses particularly on the rights of women. In book five of Plato’s Republic, studies argue that, in the ideal city of Kallipolis, both men and women serve as guardians and auxiliaries. Consequently, Plato appears to endorse feminist ideologies. However, I will argue that Plato is only a feminist under the proto-traditional clarity of feminism. He does not fit in the modern classification of feminism, as it is reliant on equality and equity. Fraser, (2013, P. 51) argued that most individuals feel that all human beings are the same and deserve equal treatment.
At times one might feel that feminism ideology over empowers women beyond necessary. This is not the case because in other democratic countries, women are empowered by the law and are considered to have a formal share of equality in subsections like employment, how they should be paid and the vulnerability of their body. These should not drive the assumption that they are trying to dominate. Emancipation of women has been seen as a liberal coup which instead should be viewed as a way of modernizing restrictive cultures within the society. However, the perception of how positive liberal reforms protect women’s interests is historically negated. It is believed that the move that excluded women from competing politically from the liberal point of view was the beginning of a war. Violence culminated and led to the First World War and revolutionary cataclysms.
Egalitarianism and feminism have distinguished goals where the former fights for equality of both sexes. Feminism fights for the rights of women because they feel that women are the neglected and weaker gender within the society. Several ethical studies relating to the aspect of gender raise a number of questions on whether women are more ethical than men, or otherwise. These questions seek to determine whether women have different ethical standards when compared to men, which means that the existing gender differences, as well as the inequality existing between men and women, have led to a gendered society. For this reason, it seems plausible to argue that the ethical reasoning between the two genders is presumably different (Mohanty, 89). The author supports this argument by stating that the dissimilar ethical perspectives in relation to the aspect of gender follow different but comparable paths towards moral development. These paths lead people to make some of their ethical choices based on dissimilar ethical criteria. This paper looks at the feminist philosophical view in the determination of some discriminating concepts.
Feminism illustrates a struggle to liberate women against the various forms of dominations within any community. Feminism requires the understanding of patriarchal domination where males hold nearly all leadership roles, power and property ownership Fraser, (2013, P. 31). Patriarchal domination relates to racism, threats and forms of oppression. A system that does not support females would not eradicate dominance in the society. Dominance knowledge becomes essential towards implementation of feminism. However, it’s meaningless to assume that feminism destroys dominance systems, yet the discourse of feminism has become almost impossible to define.
Feminism focuses on the liberation of women from a male dominated society. The report decried that women require to get liberated without eliminating the dominance in the society. Ethical egoism is another theory incorporated in the issue of women’s equality. According to this theory, it is imperative for actions taken to bear moral values for the purpose of self-interest. This means that for the woman in her struggle to become equal to a man, she ought to take ethically upright actions that are aimed at not only developing herself but the female community in general (Morrison, 2008, 64). There are times that women carry out demonstrations against the amount of discrimination that they go through from men. Such demonstrations are not supported by this theory and this is because they jeopardize the moral characteristics of these women. Emotivism is another theory that exists in the field of women and their struggle for equality. According to this theory, ethical statements do not actually show the emotions of the particular person offering them.
This is well applied in the case of women for many are times that women are mistaken from the various statements that they offer with regard to equality. These women offer strong statements that are often mistaken for their emotional point of view. An example is when a woman is talking in a conference and offers a speech bearing a large magnitude of passion. Mostly men commonly mistake this for desperation, which is actually not the actual case. These women talk this way owing to their ambition and not their emotions. It is possible to eliminate some of the problems that women face so to make their lives more bearable without eradicating the social status and hierarchy within the society. Perception of Women A book, the work of celebrated author Toni Morrison is vital to review. In the book, the author focuses on the issue of women with relation to motherhood and racism. He states that many at times, women fail to continue in their careers because they become pregnant and get children.
The author also emphasizes that this is no reason for one to quit their careers and that they have the ability to multitask in such a manner that they can raise their children and carry out other activities. This is a point made to oppose the existing notion that once a woman gets a child she ought to settle down and concentrate on raising the family. This is challenging and specifically so for a working woman, going through a book that focuses on the economical perspective on this, which is integral. He discusses the issue of feminism critically where he identifies the fact that women in society are less appreciated and given shoddy jobs as compared to the men. The consequences of this are having the women making less money as compared to the men and this has a great impact on their lives and that of loved ones. Another critical issue that the author discusses with regard to feminism is the issue of taxation.
Morrison identifies that despite the manner in which society seeks to make both genders appear fair in an economic perspective, the alternate is actually true. It may appear fair that gender does not determine taxation, but critically reviewing the issue shows that most of the taxes that politicians claim not to increase are those that affect the female gender and eventually these politicians increase the taxes on these commodities and services (Kandiyoti, 1996, 24). With the increase in costs, women suffer and the sporting environment is another one that goes through these cost challenges The author further focuses on the high costs that women had to pay so as to enter in certain sporting activities just to prove their worth (Morrison, 2008, 89). Moreover, the author seeks to identify the challenges and stereotypes that women have faced in the sporting arena before the Title IX passed in 1972. In the book, the author focuses on the many changes that sports have had regarding the female gender.
There is an analysis of some of the sporting events that women initially did not have permission to participate in comparing them to the ones that they currently participate (Hooks, 1984, 67). The author has a passion for these changes and gives a detailed review of the changes. Through this, one identifies the changes in the sporting environment and gives one an idea of the changes that ought to happen to ensure equality in the field of sports and economy as well. Arguably, how can one assume that all these restrictions can be upheld without being reformed? Worse even women in poor groups and low income classes, especially blacks found it impossible to believe that liberation aimed at enhancing social equality. This is because they were reminded daily that not even all women shared a common social prominence. Therefore, it is not true that women wanted to dominate but were just advocating for change on ideas that infringed their wellbeing.
Gender and sex must get rooted in creating equal opportunities, but letting men remain at the top. Feminism ought to deal with the problem of men oppressing women using institutions. Jobs and opportunities must be availed equally to women just like men (ORTIZ, 2000, 32). Male dominance can remain in the society, but focusing on creating opportunities for females.Most cultures argued that males must hold positions within the society above women. Social, political and economic powers bestowed on males as exhibited in most scenarios. Females hold junior positions because they are naturally expected to second men. It is assumed that males sought the powers and positions because they dislike women to lead in those positions (Brown 2003, 16). Patriarchies occurred in the past and would reign in the future. Patriarchies happens in the developed and the developing nations because the cultures in the past had men on top. However, the developed nations offer the female counterparts almost an equal opportunity.Civilization appears to be working towards feminism.
Feminism works towards reducing or eliminating patriarchies in the society. However, the consequences of eliminating Patriarchies might become catastrophic than one imagined (SHAVER, 1999, 13). Patriarchy must remain within a typical society to succeed even th...