How do you reconcile Femininity with Feminism?

1. 68

   helendangerposted 15 years ago

   How do you reconcile Femininity with Feminism?
   
   Are they two different kinds of power? Are they mutually exclusive? Do you believe in femininity as a performance? I have my own ideas about these things, and I'm super curious about what other people think!  Men and contrarians are welcome!

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2. 59

   Missi Darnellposted 15 years ago

   Wow excellent question and at first I thought it would be an easy answer, be both. I consider myself both. But as I read more of your question(s) hmmm... Two kinds of power? YES. Feminism is the power of independence in my mind, independence from men, femininity is the power over men. Wow that will probably create some controversy, but true in my opinion. Femininity as a performance? another interesting question and not easily answered if you really take the time to analyze it. But if I look at my first answer, the power over men then yes in a way it is a performance, do I like being feminine just for men, to be attractive to them, not always, I enjoy being a woman and all of the feminine aspects but I also enjoy the fact that I can take care of myself and do not use my feminity to be dependent on men.

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3. 61

   saharaheveposted 14 years ago

   Quoting from the larger body of Female Supremacy Myths ( http://hubpages.com/hub/Female-Supremacy-Myths ):
   
   "it is important to note a distinction between the call for Female equality and the belief in Female Supremacy. When so-called "Feminists" like Erica Jong write, "I believe that women are the more spiritually advanced sex," you are hearing expressions of Female Supremacy, not of sexual equality.
   
   Feminism can be a starting point in the belief of Female Superiority, but Female Superiority, by literal definition, cannot be supported by Feminism without intellectually tainting the movement. If you are best described as a strong modern (so-called "third wave") Feminist, chances are relatively high you really are a Female Supremacist to one degree or another. With that in mind, I'd invite some Women (and men) to do a little soul searching and come clean with this fact instead of hiding behind the mask of sexual equality."

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4. 82

   Jaynie2000posted 14 years ago

   Love your question and I must admit, I've never even considered the answer before you posed it.
   
   For me, there is no need to reconcile the two. There is no reason that women cannot possess both qualities in equal measure. If we buy into the stereotypical notion of the Feminist, that was born out of the 60s, as being a tree-hugging, hairy-legged, fiery liberal, I think we are selling women short. Women are complex, magical creatures. They can be equally sensual, sexy, and magnificent in their femininity while simultaneously being committed to equal rights and justice for their gender. They can be equally beautiful and intelligent, they needn't aspire to be merely one or the other.
   
   Femininity and Feminism are two different weapons in a woman's arsenal against a male dominated society. Both may have equal effectiveness but are used in very different ways at different times.
   
   I'm not exactly sure what you mean by femininity as a "performance." I think that women are either feminine or they are not. It's the same with men. Some are vastly more masculine than others, but I do not feel that, for the most part, masculinity is a performance. Sure, there are both men and women that strut their stuff and use their sexuality to their advantage. We do it to attract partners of the opposite sex. We do it to achieve the desired outcomes in business, or to win debates, etc. I'm not sure I'd call that "performance," as much as "manipulation," but maybe that's just semantics.

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5. 54

   ADI78posted 14 years ago

   Thanks for welcoming contrarians! I appreciate that.
   
   I see it this way: Feminism uses chivalrous instincts of men to gain social advantages for women - basically gold digging but on a large scale. That makes feminism very feminine if by "femininity" you mean the power that women wield over men.

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