Cultural Globalization & Feminism PDF

CULTURAL GLOBALIZATION (Part II) INSTRUCTOR: MS. MINAMI O. IWAYAMA, MA CONTEMPORARY WORLD  FEMINISM and 1st World vs 3rd World Feminism  Cultural Globalization helped in the establishment of Feminism, but it also contributes to the oppression of women (worse, opp...

CULTURAL GLOBALIZATION (Part II) INSTRUCTOR: MS. MINAMI O. IWAYAMA, MA CONTEMPORARY WORLD  FEMINISM and 1st World vs 3rd World Feminism  Cultural Globalization helped in the establishment of Feminism, but it also contributes to the oppression of women (worse, oppression of women by women). FEMINISM  FEMINISM As a theory, Feminism is a wide range of theories and movements that aims to establish rights for women. Generally, it is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. WHAT IS GENDER (IN)EQUALITY?  GENDER EQUALITY - It is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision- making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender. - It is the freedom to develop personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles and prejudices.  Gender equality is the goal, while gender neutrality and gender equity are practices and ways of thinking that help in achieving the goal. GENDER NEUTRALITY -Describes the idea that policies, language, and other social institutions should avoid distinguishing roles according to people's sex or gender, in order to avoid discrimination arising from the impression that there are social roles for which one gender is more suited than another. GENDER EQUITY - Fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs.  GENDER INEQUALITY - Occurs when, from the organization of society, men and women are not only situated differently, but also unequally. TYPES OF FEMINISM  EXPLANATORY THEORIES PERSPECTIVES ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN: BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION = The difference is hormonally determined = Attempts to explain sex-linked behaviors EXAMPLE: Anna is emotional today because she is having her monthly period. INSTITUTIONAL EXPLANATION = Gender roles provide differences between men and women = Division of labor is seen as a major determinant of difference. EXAMPLES: Cultural Feminism, Liberal Feminism, Marxist Feminism… etc.  CULTURAL FEMINISM Women’s social life is different as compared to men, and this is due to culture which dictates gender roles – the difference between men and women. EXAMPLES: – The color Blue is for a boy, while the color Pink is for a girl. – Sports are for men. – Men brings food to the table, while women are in-charge of child-rearing.  LIBERAL FEMINISM Gender inequality results from the patriarchal and sexist division of labor. EXAMPLE: - Soldiers must be men; Secretaries must be women Inequality is not natural; all human beings have certain essential features which can be secured through legal recognition of universal rights, and through state intervention. EXAMPLES: - Magna Carta OF women - State policies that prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender: you cannot reject an applicant by reason of gender alone.  MARXIST FEMINISM – Emerged due to a dissatisfaction with the lack of gender analysis in classic Marxist theory, which was deemed ‘sex-blind’. – Blamed the capitalist mode of production for female subjugation. EXAMPLES: – Woman’s role within the family actually maintains capitalism by providing it with the human relations it cannot provide in the world of men’s work. – If women did enter the wage-earning sphere of work, they still maintained the housekeeping role as well, and so were left with a ‘double load’.  RADICAL FEMINISM – Women are oppressed everywhere since institutions are created for men to dominate women. – Patriarchy is the most fundamental form of oppression. EXAMPLE: Rape, sexual abuse, incest, female infanticide, Chinese foot binding – Women will work with other women to establish sisterhood which can be used for confrontation with patriarchal domination when encountered. EXAMPLE: LESBIAN FEMINISM believes that love for a fellow woman is a form of resistance to patriarchal domination.  INTERSECTIONALITY THEORY – Although women are oppressed on the basis of gender, variations in the intensities of oppression are furthered by age, class, and race which all qualitatively alter the experiences of women. EXAMPLE: First world vs Third world Feminism 1st vs 3rd WORLD FEMINISM 1st vs 3rd WORLD FEMINISM PROBLEMS: - First-world feminism is a form of oppression because of the savior complex that accompanies western feminists, while helping women in developing countries. - Western feminist tend to have their own perspective of how “Third World” women are being oppressed, which is detrimental when it comes to formulating solutions to help “Third World” women. - Since a majority of feminist are white women, this creates a large lack of global perspective in the feminist movement. 1st vs 3rd WORLD FEMINISM EXAMPLE: Third world women are automatically generalized by 1st world feminists as: instead of religious, “not progressive” Instead of family-oriented, “traditional” illiterate and/or “ignorant” domestic and/or “backwards” This creates a power struggle and patriarchal binary in which the First World women take on the role of the oppressing male, and the Third World women are the oppressed who are in need of saving. 1st vs 3rd WORLD FEMINISM POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Do not decide what’s best for 3rd World women without first understanding their history, culture, values and traditions. Do not hold 3rd World women to western standards. Move away from cultural globalization that converts 3rd World ways to Western beliefs. Though some Western feminist work has been beneficial to Third World women, do not generalize that they are all victims who are in need of saving.  In the end… As cultural globalization continues, people argue over whether it is a good thing. On one hand, it gives people more options and spreads what some would call good value. On the other, it can lead to cultural imperialism and the spread of dominant cultures, diminishing the unique cultural practices in various countries and thereby reducing the amount of cultural diversity that exists in the world.  “Now that we’ve entered Globalization 3.0, and it is shrinking the world from size small to size tiny” -Thomas Friedman END