Thursday, May 20, 2010

Why "Choice Feminism" is not really feminism

According to Linda Hirshman's theory of "Choice Feminism," "a woman could work, stay home, have 10 children or one, marry or stay single." To Choice feminists, females should be able to choose to stay at home and take care of the kids if they are alright with that.

However, I find it rather ironic that females who choose to conform with sexist ideologies are still considered types of feminists. How often do you hear of African-American "Choice Civil Rights Activists" who believe that African-Americans should be able to drink out of the "colored" fountain if they wish to? Those African-Americans were given a far less flattering title--"Uncle Tom."

To me, the main criterion for a feminist is that he/she must believe in and work towards the maximisation of gender equality, including in the area of attitudes towards females, which Choice feminists do not meet. This is because women can never achieve true equality in the workplace if they are still perceived as belonging in the home. Thus, by choosing to stay at home, these "Choice feminists" impede on the ability of true feminists to successfully assimilate into the workplace. Hypothetically, if all other females decided to pursue the "Choice feminism" route and I worked as an engineer, I would be perceived as ill-fitting of my workplace and therefore would have to overcome more problems with discrimination and sexual harassment than I would if females in my workplace were commonplace.

The argument that women would be more beneficial to their children if they chose to stay at home is definitely not one that I believe, either. My mother worked full-time as a software programmer. While she did not make my afternoon snacks or style my hair for school picture day like what a stereotypical "stay-at-home" mother would do, she was no less valuable for me. She served as a living example of a strong, intelligent woman who could succeed in a male-dominated field, inspiring me to pursue my dreams despite popular belief that I was subpar in some areas because of my gender. Parents should provide encouragement to their children and the best way to do so is to lead by example. A five-year-old should learn how to make his/her own snacks anyway.

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