Thanks for writing something on this fraught subject. We've come to loggerheads before on the claim that feminism was ever about equality or even universal suffrage. I'm not going to reopen that subject. My take on the internal strife now afflicting the feminist movement is that it's a necessary stepping stone on the way to a more balanced view of the sexes. Until recent ruptures in notions of gender equality, feminist literature could not be read critically. Now feminism is pressed to look at itself, which is a first step toward positive inner development. Once the bickering is on display, folks are driven to think about where they stand and why. This is one of the magic elements of literature: it can provide a mirror to a culture, a way of becoming self aware. Unfortunately, this positive side of the conflict is being undermined by social media, which has its own magical way of destroying self awareness as one is too easily enticed into losing oneself in tribal affiliations.
Great comment, Asa, thank you. And yes, I have not forgotten our disagreements about interpreting the history in this regard, which to some extent was a spur to my decision to go here in this piece. Of course, much time has passed since that conversation between us, but the seeds for thought germinate slowly in the garden of my mind. 😁
I entirely agree that feminism is now forced to confront itself critically - and this is a fascinating development, although I suspect some feminists I know would argue it was already engaged in this process, for all that it rather lurked in the background. I also concur that social media has been more than problematic with respect to contemporary feminist politics. I might touch upon this in one of the pieces planned for December, actually.
It occasionally feels that we might be close to a breakthrough on some of these issues. Sometimes you have to truly break something before you can fix it.
Thanks for writing something on this fraught subject. We've come to loggerheads before on the claim that feminism was ever about equality or even universal suffrage. I'm not going to reopen that subject. My take on the internal strife now afflicting the feminist movement is that it's a necessary stepping stone on the way to a more balanced view of the sexes. Until recent ruptures in notions of gender equality, feminist literature could not be read critically. Now feminism is pressed to look at itself, which is a first step toward positive inner development. Once the bickering is on display, folks are driven to think about where they stand and why. This is one of the magic elements of literature: it can provide a mirror to a culture, a way of becoming self aware. Unfortunately, this positive side of the conflict is being undermined by social media, which has its own magical way of destroying self awareness as one is too easily enticed into losing oneself in tribal affiliations.
Great comment, Asa, thank you. And yes, I have not forgotten our disagreements about interpreting the history in this regard, which to some extent was a spur to my decision to go here in this piece. Of course, much time has passed since that conversation between us, but the seeds for thought germinate slowly in the garden of my mind. 😁
I entirely agree that feminism is now forced to confront itself critically - and this is a fascinating development, although I suspect some feminists I know would argue it was already engaged in this process, for all that it rather lurked in the background. I also concur that social media has been more than problematic with respect to contemporary feminist politics. I might touch upon this in one of the pieces planned for December, actually.
It occasionally feels that we might be close to a breakthrough on some of these issues. Sometimes you have to truly break something before you can fix it.
With unlimited love,
Chris.