Has Feminism Benefited The American Society? Essay

Feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. The first wave of feminism came in the Western world in the 19th century and this involved women asking for their suffrage, the right to own property, the right to get a divorce, to make individual decisions regarding pregnancy and to get an equal pay. Barbara Epstein in the article “successes and failures of feminism” highlights several milestones the feminist movement has achieved for their gender in America. Kate O’Brien on the other hand in “Women who make World Worse” signifies the movement with pushing agenda that majority of women don’t support so she believes that feminism hasn’t benefitted the American society at all.
According to Barba Epstein (2002), this movement brought about a lot of changes in the Western society. It not only gave the women awareness regarding their rights but also set the basis for a complete new society. The traditional and the age old patriarchal norms were challenged and women now wanted a balance of power at their homes and at their work places. They did not want politics to just end at their doorsteps because they believed that that is where the oppression began. The Western societies, over a period of time, have seen a shift from private patriarchy to a more public one and women have raised their voices against the unfair system.
The first movement, however, was started by the women of the privileged class. They had the time and the energy to work towards such a goal. There were more aware of their surroundings and the kind of system that had been established. Hence, they dedicated their time to work for the benefit of the women. Hence, all the initial developments only benefited the middle and upper classes.
Barbara believes that feminist movement in America has tried to create equality for women in all the spheres of life. Women have now started to contribute to the household income by working; something which was considered a taboo prior to the movement. They have inspired social scientists and biologists to challenge the traditional explanations of gender. Women are now able to express themselves socially and through vocations such as art and literature. It has allowed women to acquire an emotional platform in a relationship through which they can express themselves equally; something which was previously dominated by men. Their sexuality is not questioned as it once was and several laws have been designed to ensure their safety in the society.
Kate O’Brien (Sentinel, 2006) disagrees and believes the freedom women acquired through feminism has transformed a small group of women in American society to a point where they have alienated themselves it by rejecting any male involvement in their lives. By doing this, they often end up damaging themselves emotionally and socially. Being able to overcome the social differences that existed between men and women has led some women to dismiss even the physical and psychological differences between men and women. They disregard studies showing that married people are actually quite happy than those who are not. Due to feminist movements, women are now more comfortable in dissolving their marital contracts and rejecting the idea of a family altogether, which has consequently effected the social landscape of the society.
We are living in a society shaped by our ancestors. We adjust to the social norms and have a collective unconscious which is shaped while we are growing up and it has a major impact on our lives. The end solution is quite idealistic because we are living in a world that is following the realist paradigm and if inequality goes in favor of it, then that is how the system will govern. If these differences make it easier for the governing elites to exploit the majority, then that is how the outlook of the world will be shaped.

References

Epstein, B. (2002). The Successes and Failures of Feminism. Journal Of Women's History, 14(2), 118-125. doi:10.1353/jowh.2002.0040
O’Brien, K. (2006). Women who make the World Worse. Sentinel.
Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.sociology.org.uk/as4i4c4a.pdf