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September 11, 2015 at 2:41 pm #4454JCAECKeymaster
Do you think that men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality; if so, what?
October 10, 2015 at 8:41 pm #4607ajk5802ParticipantDonald Woodman makes an excellent point that men are not involved enough in the fight to create end oppression and end sexism against women’s issues. Women are constantly pictured as being involved in issues such as the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement. However these are considered universal issues that effect all sexes. Issues such as voting, abortion, and ending sexual violence, are nearly all women fighting for change. Men are not as commonly interested in changing the injustices that aren’t effecting them. Yet, they accept women’s help when they need it for their fights. They do not reciprocate this support system. How is this fair? Men should be more concerned with fighting to end these injustices, and supporting their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. Instead of looking at these injustices as just a “women’s problem,” they need to also be considered universal issues, supported just as equally as other movements.
October 10, 2015 at 9:05 pm #4608karaduriez13Participant1.Do you think that men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality; if so, what?
If you look at America, roughly fifty percent of the population are women. But that leaves the other fifty percent (roughly) to be men. However this isn’t even accounting for those who do not identify in either gender. And then looking outside of America (because feminism is not just an American belief) there needs to be move involvement of men in the issue of women’s equality. I think they have a role in the struggle for women’s equality because they are the patriarchy: a dominate white male society that women and the “others,” those who do not fit into a specific category, are forced to revolve around. The men that refuse to accept the fact that women deserve equality are the ones who have a role in our struggles.
Overwhelmingly, the role of men in women’s equality is a negative one. These men are obsessed with their power, and from that forms greed, from which they live their lives determined to not let anyone beat them or challenge them in any way. The minority of men who are in a positive role of women’s equality, the ones who advocate for simple human rights and the idea that women are people too (which to most men is shocking) are viewed as “gay” or too feminine, and not the ideal representation of the masculine man that strives to be better than all which is below him. Overall men’s role in women’s equality is a negative one. And because of this, as feminists try to change this view, feminism becomes associated with man-hating. Feminists should not be known as man-haters, but rather women (and men!) who seek to change the patriarchal society in which we live that revolves around one being as the alpha and the rest to tend to the alpha’s needs.October 11, 2015 at 11:18 am #4610elieliParticipantI think that men do have a part in the struggle for women’s equality. Since this is still partially a male dominated country, we need them to show that women’s equality is important. It’s like, even though the equality for women isn’t “their problem” per say, they can shine some light on this issue. It can almost be compared to straight people being actively supportive about gay marriage; It shows unity and understanding. Even though there are strong women out there and can be heard, men are louder. If men actively support women’s equality, it wouldn’t seem like we’re forcing it on anyone, it would be one big understanding.
October 11, 2015 at 1:29 pm #4613jrsellittoParticipantMen’s role in women’s equality is just as important as women’s role. While it is easy to say that men are just as important, it is hard concept to actually grasp onto. Without men, women’s organizations are constantly asked, “If you are working on gender, where are the men?” This led to increased pressure of feminist organizations to include men in the struggle for women’s equality. The relationship between men’s organizations for gender equality and feminist organizations is an uneasy one. Should women embrace men as an ally or should they keep a safe distance? Through history, men have been the dominant factor in society, embracing patriarchal roles and hegemenous relationships.
I believe that having multiple perspectives in life leads to better and more effective decision making and actions. Since men have acquired this powerful, superior role in society, maybe it is necessary to have someone of authority to help in the struggle for women’s equality. It is also important to understand that it is extremely difficult to be a man in our society and speak out about the dominant culture. The dominant culture promises rewards so if a man is willing to give up the rewards and benefits of this culture, women should embrace the help of men in the struggle for women’s equality.
October 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm #4614rosemaryohalloranParticipantMen are a crucial tool to feminism, but are often overlooked. In this patriarchal society, it is pertinent to the feminist movement that men become supporters. At this point in time, there are many men out there that support the advancement of women equality, but many is not enough. We need all men to support this idealistic approach so that we can find better ways to improve the quality of treatment women deserve. The role men currently play is minimal due to the fact that patriarchy is not dead. A person who holds power will never easily give it up to someone else. Thus the reason why it has taken women so long to achieve what we have today. A majority of the people who support feminism consists of women, not men. Some feminists may claim that by allowing men to support the feminist movement, we are giving up our power to them. I believe this is not the case. If men wish to support the movement whole heartedly, we should embrace them. They are the ones with whom we will be sharing our power with when we achieve the totality of it. Equality is the being the same in quantity, size, degree or value. We are all equal in value. It is time for all men to realize this, and when they do their role in the struggle for women’s equality will grow rapidly. For now, there role has remained minimal.
October 11, 2015 at 1:34 pm #4616jrsellittoParticipantMen’s role in women’s equality is just as important as women’s role. While it is easy to say that men are just as important, it is hard concept to actually grasp onto. Without men, women’s organizations are constantly asked, “If you are working on gender, where are the men?” This led to increased pressure of feminist organizations to include men in the struggle for women’s equality. The relationship between men’s organizations for gender equality and feminist organizations is an uneasy one. Should women embrace men as an ally or should they keep a safe distance? Through history, men have been the dominant factor in society, embracing patriarchal roles and hegemenous relationships.
I believe that having multiple perspectives in life leads to better and more effective decision making and actions. Since men have acquired this powerful, superior role in society, maybe it is necessary to have someone of authority to help in the struggle for women’s equality. It is also important to understand that it is extremely difficult to be a man in our society and speak out about the dominant culture. The dominant culture promises rewards so if a man is willing to give up the rewards and benefits of this culture, women should embrace the help of men in the struggle for women’s equality.
October 11, 2015 at 2:17 pm #4618srf5253Participant1. I think men play a very important role in the struggle for women’s equality. Historically, women would not have an issue with equality if not for the standard set by men who designed the patriarchy. If women want to see a change, they need men’s support, which Donald Woodman talks about when he discusses women’s right to vote. He says that when women fought for what should be their natural right to vote, they had to ask men’s permission and rely on men to give them what they want. In many ways, this is still the case. Men still have control in society, making women’s equality improbable, if not impossible, without male support of the female cause.
2.Donald Woodman discusses the stigma of the word ‘feminism’ as he opens his speech. He renames his presentation “femanism” as a way of incorporating men into the cause. Unfortunately, most men (and some women) feel that feminism is made up of homosexual, man-hating women who want to see men pay for the inequality they have caused women. This inaccurate description of a feminist sets men up to not only fight the feminist cause, but also to want to end it. In actuality, feminism is simply the fight for total equality. If this were the “single story” definition of feminism, feminists may see more support men. Men who are involved in the cause may feel less likely to remain anonymous in fear of people assuming that they are man-hating men.
October 11, 2015 at 3:08 pm #4620MikaelaZimmermanParticipant1. I think men’s roles are just as important as women’s roles when it comes to perpetuating feminism. While women are the headliners for this movement and their role is extremely important, men can play an interesting role in terms of support and leadership for those who are too ignorant and misogynistic to really hear and internalize what women have to say. Men can recognize that, although not each individual man’s fault personally, everybody in society subconsciously contributes to the idea of a patriarchy. Through knowledge, things can continue to change for the better.
2. Different perspectives are important when considering things such as feminism. Different perspectives matter because people have very distinctly different viewpoints and experiences. People of different ethnicities and backgrounds bring unique points of reference that someone else may not have considered before.
October 11, 2015 at 5:56 pm #4622kalynsermanParticipantOf course men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality. Although women don’t want to admit it, we need men’s help. In today’s world, men are more dominate than women. In order for this to change, men need to recognize women as their equal. This means that the sexist joking the degrading needs to stop while the appreciating and accepting needs to begin. These simple things will allow women to be accepted in today’s community, but these simple things need to be done by men (and women who think that these things are funny/not important). That is why I think that men have a role in the the struggle for women’s equality, because they are half of the cause of the struggle.
October 11, 2015 at 7:09 pm #4624gterribiliniParticipantI do believe that men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality. Men have oppressed women for many years. White males have not been subjected to the patriarchy that women have felt. Gender equality should be fought for by both genders for it to be obtainable. Including men in this fight would break down so many gender stereotypes that would make equality one-step closer. A man’s role in equality is to become more informed and respectable. Men and women together need to abandon harsh stereotypes and take part in healthy relationships. Many people believe that women should just fight the fight for women’s equality, but it needs to be an equal effort. Many strong women have stood up for females in the past, but as a group effort the fight can be even stronger.
October 11, 2015 at 7:36 pm #4626mmh5560ParticipantThere is no question men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality. I believe they are part of the reason there is a struggle and at the same time the solution. Women need the help of men, because without them its like half a voice, and as a whole as people, we need an entire voice for success. Men must recognize women are equal and then speak out, women already know know it.
October 11, 2015 at 8:43 pm #4627kty5013ParticipantI definitely believe that men have a role in the struggle for women’s equality. Many men have the view that they deserve respect, or have an entitled sense of status. Just because a male is in a leadership role, does not mean that a woman isn’t just as talented in her field. Women receive opposition a lot of the time because men can feel threated by a woman who can do a job just as well as he can. For example, Donald Trump, a man in a leadership role, does not respect women in general especially if they are running against him and are jeopardizing his potential to be the president of the United States.
October 11, 2015 at 9:28 pm #4629ack5325ParticipantWithin the feminist world, it is important that the women and discriminated people who have been erased under the hegemonic male’s gaze break out of the mold set by society. However, the work should not be piled on only women. Men are just as key to women’s equality. Take the wage gap which still exists between men and women. The inequality between these two genders makes it even more difficult for women to be equal to men. In President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union speech, he addressed this issue. However, one man is not enough to support women and their cause for having equality among all. Men have to be willing to accept the idea of a woman standing in the same spot as themselves. If the Supreme Court Justices were all women, many men would be bewildered at the notion. However, for decades, the supreme court was only made up of men, and no one was perplexed by that. It should not be one extreme or the other, but equal. Men have an important role of being supportive, understanding, and willing to see from another perspective in Women’s Equality.
October 11, 2015 at 10:15 pm #4631lqa5112ParticipantMen absolutely have a role in women’s equality. Since they seem to have the upper-hand right now, women need their support and help to really cause a change. Without them, women promoting equality might be seen as inequality promotion because no men would be involved in the process. To promote equality, all genders need to be a part of the movement. Take a look back at history, and even other current events. Multiple races were involved to cease racism in the United States. Multiple people of different sexualities were (right now especially) involved in promoting gay rights and officially allowing gay marriage in the United States. There needs to be power in numbers, as well as people, regardless of gender, who believe in equality amongst everyone. Men can believe in that just as much as women. They can cause change alongside of us.
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