Common Speaking, November 1981, volume 1 number 1

vol. 1, no. 1 NOV 6

Rethinking Feminism

eakin

MORE COLLFE

1981

the newsletter of the

Alice Feul

Women's Center

PERIODICAL |



In recent years, feminist theory has been increasingly integrated
into mainstream American culture. However, hostile attitudes toward
the feminist movement and toward feminists themselves have
continued to exist, even in the Swarthmore community. Feminists are
stereotyped as hysterical man-hating fanatics, yet in reality it would
be difficult to find any feminist who fits this description. The issues which
feminism forces us to confront on both:a political and personal level
are so sensitive that many people instinctively attempt to dismiss the
women’s movement by invoking this popular stereotype. Many of
the original reasons why feminism is important and many of the
important values which feminism represents have been forgotten in
the controversy which surrounds the issue.

Most people understand why feminism was needed in the past
although there is continuing controversy about its validity in the
present. Few people would argue that society should take away
women’s suffrage or prevent women from being educated, yet in the
not-too-distant past these issues were extremely controversial. We
now look back on these days with great indulgence toward their
blindness; however, today we remain just as blind to many modern-
day inequities. Despite affirmative action, women are still
systematically excluded from powerful and influential positions. On
the average, women who work full time still only earn 59¢ for every
dollar a man makes; in fact, female college graduates statistically
earn less than males with only an eighth-grade education. Outside of
the economic sphere, our society is still plagued by the mistreatment
of women such as wife abuse, incest, and rape. The odds are
frightening; one in four women can expect to be raped and virtually
all women will be subjected to sexual harrassment. These are but a
few of the battles which have yet to be won.

Feminism is not just a movement for the liberation of women, but a
broad social movement striving for the equality of each individual.
Feminism emphasizes the importance of such values as co-operation,
tolerance, nurturance, and the freedom for each person to achieve
her or his potential. Feminists are not against men as individuals. What
they are against is the oppressive and outdated social structure which
forces both men and women into positions which are false and
antagonistic. Thus, everyone has an important role to play in the
feminist movement. It is ironic that feminism has been characterized
as anti-male, when in fact it seeks to liberate men from macho
stereotypic roles such as the need to suppress feelings, act
aggressively, and be deprived of contact with children.

Some of the most intense opposition to the women’s movement
comes from women themselves, many of whom feel that feminism
stands for things that they don't want, such as the weakening of the
family unit. But feminists are not opponents of the family: in fact,
feminism seeks to recognize the long-denied fact that women’s
traditional work is as important to society as the traditional work of
men. This does not mean, however, that individual women should be
forced into roles they have not chosen, however valuable these roles
may be. Every individual should be free to integrate achievements at
home and in the workplace in a manner that is personally satisfying,
rather than determined by society.

Mad EY /

Feminism affects everybody; it is an issue on which it is impossible
not to take a stand. Most of the hostility toward feminism comes from
misunderstanding of feminist values and from fear of change. It is our
hope that people will take the time to recognize how the women’s
movement has changed their lives and to re-think their position on
feminism.

We hope that COMMON SPEAKING will stimulate this re-thinking of
feminism. In succeeding issues, we will be printing a series of
Perspectives on Feminism; contributions are welcome from all

members of the community.

Events

Thursday, October 29: Women’s
International League for Peace
and Freedom Swarthmore
Branch October Membership
Meeting.Dupont Science Building,
8:00 p.m. Swarthmore WILPF and
Swarthmore College Young
Friends will co-sponsor “Dr. Helen
Caldicott Speaks’ —a videotape
of a speech which Dr. Caldicott
gave at. the Delaware County
Women's Conference in May,
1981. Discussion will follow.

Friday, October 30: Meg
Christian: A ConcertAt the
Scottish Rite Cathedral, 150 N.
Broad St., Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Tickets available for $7 af
Giovanni's Room, 12th and Pine
streets in Philadelphia.

Saturday, October 31: Confer-
ence on Midlife and Older
Women. Martin Luther King High
School, 122 Amsterdam Ave,
New York City. Contact: Zan
Taber, NOW, 85 Fifth Ave., New
York, NY 10011. (212) 5303-
0996.

“Right to Know How To”
Conference. Sponsored by POSH
and PILCOP of Philadelphia, 8:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m. AFSCME Center,
3301 Walnut St., Philadelphia. For
information, call 735-7200.

Tuesday, November 3: Demon-
stration against Jerry Falwell,
head of the Moral Majority, Inc.
Marriott Hotel, 6:00 p.m.
Assemble on City Line near
Monument Ave. For more
information, contact Donna at
x7376.

Thursday, November 12: Swarth-
more Branch WILPF Board
Meeting. 3:30 p.m. at the home
of Adele Silverman, 1215
Wildman Arms Apts., Swarthmore.

Friday, November 13: SANE
Peace Award Dinner. Honoring
Dr. Helen Caldicott. Special
guests: Paul Warnke, chief SALT II
negotiator, Willian Wimipisinger,
Fresident of the Internatioal
Association of Machinists,
Congressmen Bob Edgar and Bill
Gray. Tickets available at
$25/person by calling SANE (564-
6244). The dinner will be held at
the Holiday Inn, City Line Avenue.