Feminism
What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which
women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and
economical equality for women. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men,
women, girl or boys. Feminism can also be described as a movement. A revolution
that includes women and men who wish the world to be equal without boundaries.
These boundaries or blockades are better known as discrimination and biases
against gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status and economic status.
Everyone views the world with his or her own sense of gender and equality.
Feminists view the world as being unequal. They wish to see the gender gap and
the idea that men are superior to women decreased or even abolished. Carol
Gilligan is one woman who has contributed much time and effort to the feminist
theory. Her beliefs and ideas are based upon difference feminism. In this essay
I will tie the ideas and beliefs of Carol Gilligan with information from our
text, the packet read in class and the book, Faces of Feminism. Carol Gilligan
is a lecturer and assistant professor at Harvard University as well as a
psychologist. She has many theories that deal with moral reasoning and
development. In her influential book In a Different Voice, she sets forth the
idea that women make decisions “according to a criteria of ethics of care and
that men make decisions according to an ethic of rights.”(3)
In her book, Carol
Gilligan also disagrees with Lawrence Kohlbergs' theory, which suggests that
“Few people matured fully in their moral reasoning...but women hardly ever
did.”(2) In her opposition Gilligan stated that “women make moral decisions
according to different but equally mature and morally upright reasoning.”(2) She
feels that women are different because they posses a different hereditary set of
values and beliefs. This opposition to Kohlberg's theory was backed by research.
Even though there was research done to support Gilligan, it seemed to have
experimenter bias. It was not an open or strong experiment and it only observed
the actions of the white middle class. This did not give a clear or objective
view on the separate criteria of women and men. The views and ideas on moral
reasoning and development set forth by Carol Gilligan are those of many
difference feminists. Difference feminism is just one type of feminism. It gives
a concept that “women should go back to traditional roles”(3) set by society.
It
also states that gender is natural and is not learned by the society in which
one lives. Not all Feminists agree with this theory but there are many
feminists, such as Carol Gilligan who agree with this idea that even though men
and women are different, they each have their own separate place in society.
Difference feminism is “successful because it tells people what they want to
hear: women really are different in just the ways that we always thought. ...
And men have power, wealth and control of social resources because women do not
really want them.”(3) This idea of difference feminism sets forth a number of
stereotypes. They give feminists and the general public a skewed view of the
theory behind the philosophy. In the book Faces of Feminism, feminist theorists
were asked, “Do women have to be the same as men to be equal?”(1) The majority
of responses were yes. It is believed that in order for women and men to become
equal, society must “unlearn and uncondition”(1) the gender roles and standards
it has established throughout history. Society and the people in it have set up
the basis for gender difference and now many feminists are breaking down those
barriers. Carol Gilligans’ position on moral development and her views as a
feminist, suggest that “women’s nature is not something to be replaced, but
something to be maintained, indeed celebrated, for the sake both of women and
society.”(1) This view is tied in with the general definition of feminism, that
women should be valued for their accomplishments. Womanhood is important and
should be celebrated and praised. On that same note, maleness must also be
celebrated and praised. Throughout history men have dominated our culture and
now through the work of feminists such as Carol Gilligan, the roles are
beginning to shift. There are more women in the workplace and more men staying
at home. This idea of gender reversal goes against parts of the difference
feminist theory.
Bibliography
Tobias, Shelia. Faces of Feminism. Westview Press, Colo 1997. Katha Pollitt.
'Are women morally superior to men?” 1992.
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