feminismsubtitled: what is feminism?Feminism is a lot of different things to different people. To me, it is a way of thinking and living your life. It is an awareness of the differences and needs of people other than yourself. It is the realization that there is no such thing as an 'other,' that there is nothing fundamentally different about any other person on this earth, and all people are entitled to the same rights and opportunities. At the same time, it is the valuation of the differences that do exist and the richness that this adds to human existance. Feminism is also about an awareness of privlege, often easily overlooked by those who have recieved it by birthright. Feminism is not about hatred. It is not about bringing men down. It is not about becoming men. It is not about inverting the status quo. It is about creating a new societal consciousness. At the same time, it is about bringing about real changes now, small as these changes might be. These can be legislative changes, or changes that effect one woman's life. I think that, as a society, we are too focused on duality: male/female, right/wrong, white/black. Setting up two groups in opposition ignores the shades of grey in between and creates an antagonism that may not exist otherwise. A person, group, or idea can be partially correct, and partially incorrect. There are no absolutes. When these ideas are placed into our thought patterns at a young age, it can be nearly impossible to create new thought patterns. Feminism is a new thought pattern.
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