Pitfalls of the Feminist Ideology - Part 1

My good friend Danielle wrote a paper on the Feminist movement, and she has graciously agreed to let me post some of it here on my blog.





Part 1

[The] second feminist wave blurred the line of gender distinction in its attempt to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender. I believe this has resulted in even more tension between the sexes. Now, men are not sure how they should relate to women. Many now second-guess their actions, wondering if the simple act of holding a door open for a woman will be graciously received or viewed as a slight, as though she is incapable of caring for herself.

The more recent tendency for women to take control or “wear the pants” in relationships with men also directly spawns from the second feminist wave. It is now considered acceptable for women to initiate romantic relationships and engage in “one night stands” on a regular basis. This kind of behavior was limited to men before the sexual liberation movement of the 1960s, which attempted to free women from sexual repression by society and exploitation at the hands of men. Unfortunately, while many women feel free to do as they please with their bodies, they have no idea that they are encouraging the very male attitudes they abhor. Before the sexual revolution, women saw themselves as powerless within romantic relationships and felt that men regarded them as sexual objects. They sought power by stepping into a more masculine role within their relationships, seeking out prospective partners on the basis of personal gratification.

As a result, women began leading more promiscuous sex lives, having intercourse more often and with a greater number of partners. Allowing men to enjoy the benefits of a marital relationship apart from commitment has only encouraged men to objectify women. Men cannot be held solely responsible for this attitude, because women have perpetuated it. The only difference between the feminist view of casual sex and prostitution is the monetary reimbursement. This attitude toward casual sex also devalues marriage by making what should be prized and reserved for the marriage bed commonplace.

Interestingly enough, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young Frenchmen who approved of young America’s democratic system, foresaw possible complications of gender consolidation back in the 1830s. In his book, Democracy in America, he wrote “It is easy to see that, in this ambition to make the one sex equal to the other, both are demeaned and that, from this crude mixing of nature’s works, will emerge weak men and immodest women.”

- Danielle Martinez