Feminine feminism

Feminism.

This is a topic that has featured heavily in the news recently with events such as Slutwalk taking place. It is also something that has been on my mind a lot ever since reading 'Living dolls' (see my review in my previous post). It has also become somewhat of a dirty word amongst our generation with many young women taking little or no interest in current feminist activity and movements claiming that 'feminism is over' and exclaiming that women already have equality so 'the feminists' should shut up now. This viewpoint saddens me somewhat and I am keen to do some more research (when time permits!) into how this anti-feminist opinion has arisen within bright young women.


Today I saw a link to an article on Facebook that prompt some more thought on this matter. Apparently today (24th June) is 'World Femininity Day', an interesting title as I am sure you will agree. When I saw this link I had to read more and slightly appalled by what I read. Visit the homepage of this 'day' here: http://www.worldfemininityday.com/index.html. 

The organisers state that World Femininity Day is; 'To acknowledge and celebrate femininity by women, for women, for humanity. We believe it is vitally important as women to be encouraged to feel powerful through our femininity as opposed to matching or competing with masculine ways of being to achieve power in our lives whether that be socially, in relationships, family or career'.


They claim to be 'saying NO to the exploitation of women and children' and are raising awareness of this by asking women to wear a flower in their hair. Interesting tactics.


My feelings on this day are expressed far more articulately by blogger Jess Mccabe. I thouroughly reccommend reading her blog entry which can be found here: http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2011/06/world_femininity_day_ugh


Jess quite rightly reminds readers that ' it's important to stay critical about what is considered feminine and masculine in our particular time and place '.


All of this is food for thought about what constitutes femininity in todays society. When I have slightly more time this is definitely something I will be talking more about.

*Showtime!*

The show went so well last night, I really enjoyed it! Sods law that it didn't go as well on Monday when I had people watching! Typical! But it is an amazing feeling when you are on stage and everything goes well and there's a good audience! It makes all the hard work and long rehearsals worth while. 


I am really looking forward to the show tonight and the rest of the week. I am hoping that it goes as well as it did last night on Saturday when my parents are coming to watch! Fingers crossed! For now, I am relaxing with a hot drink in front of the TV (cheeky bit of Jeremy Kyle on!) before heading to the gym and then getting some chores done before its time to head to the theatre! I am really enjoying having the days to myself and I am making the most of it while I can.


In other news, its Glastonbury Festival time starting today and most of my friends as well as my boyfriend are going. I can't deny that I am very very jealous! Glastonbury 2010 was one of the best experiences of my life and I would love to be going there again this year-especially as it is not on next they have  break every few years to let the farm recover). I Hope they all have a brilliant time though (secretly praying for rain :-p) and I will definitely be getting myself a ticket for 2013!


xxx

The end is nigh...

It is day two of my last week of being a student and I've got the fear! After four years of being a student over the last few weeks I have been eagerly counting down to this week but now that its here I am filled with dread! Sunday is the last performance of Godspell, our end of year musical, and I am anticipating it in much the same way as I suspect Anne Boleyn did the guillotine! 


The 'real world' as it is known by us studenty types is a scary place to venture out into when you have been comfortably within the confines of structures education establishments for almost the entirety of your life. University is safe. You get the freedom of moving away from home with the comfort of a student loan to aid you financially and a ready made friendship group within your college. You also get staff on hand to guide and advise and peer group going through the same struggles as you, on hand with  shoulder to cry on. Compared to this safety blanket of education, leaving college and getting a 'real job' is a terrifying prospect.


I am however looking forward to actually having an income. Student loans don't go very far in London with high rent prices, travel cards, and a generally higher cost of living. hopefully I will soon be earning enough money to a) survive, b) save, and c) have some extra cash for actually having a social life of some description.
This would be ideal as whilst I can survive and socialise on my current budget there is no margin for saving towards my impending wedding!! 


The other big worry is 'What if I never see anyone again?' But after some consideration, there are a limited number of people that I would actively make an effort to keep in touch with myself. I guess this is another one of those points in your life when you realise who is truly a friend and who was just a passing acquaintance. It happened at the end of school, it happened when I moved away from Plymouth, and I am sure it will happen again now. However, real true friends will always be there no matter how little you see each other, and those are the friendships that really count. So it is a very silly worry to have!


The dread is accompanied by excitement, and you never know what life is going to throw at you next so you might as well just go with it and enjoy it while you can. So here is to my last week of student life! I will be making the most of it!

Living Dolls

Here is a review I recently wrote about the book Living Dolls by Natasha Walters;

Natasha Walter’s book Living Dolls-the return of sexism, talks about the return of sexism to society and the use of gender stereotyping to enforce and often explain this sexism. The book is divided into two sections; The New Sexism and The New Determinism.

I found the first section to be a wholly compelling read, one that I could not put down and which had me nodding my head in agreement on every page. Walter’s sentiments during this first half of the book very often echo the opinions of fellow writer and Feminist, Levy, author of Female Chauvinist Pigs. Both agree that the current ‘raunch culture’ which appears to be engulfing all aspects of popular culture, from pop music to advertising, is casting women as little more than sexual objects. Young boys are growing up with little or no respect for women-viewing them merely as flesh to be admired for their own pleasure and judging women on their appearances and figures rather than their intellect and personalities. Walter’s notes that this hyper sexualising of women in society is often dismissed as a free choice or passed over as empowering and part of women’s liberation. Walter’s question’s this and urges us to consider whether or not this so called empowering behaviour might actually be degrading. We are also encouraged to ask how free these ‘free choices’ actually are, especially when the people making these choice are often ill-informed about the consequences of their decisions.

It was in the second section of the book the argument became less convincing. Where the first half of the book was thought-provoking, the second was weak with the writing often becoming repetitive with what some might consider to be a too-strong focus on stereotypes. Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that men and women should not be caged into gender specific boxes, at times I felt that Walter’s was overly dismissive of those whose interests naturally fell within the confines of gender stereotyping and did not consider that their could be any freedom of choice in this but that it must have been pressed onto people from childhood. Personally, my hobbies include sewing, knitting and baking-tasks traditionally considered feminine. These hobbies were never imposed on me by anyone but were things that I found a passion for in my early twenties. I felt that at times Walter implied that by enjoying these things I am less entitled to call myself a feminist or that I was buying into what society expected of me. This is completely in contrast to my personal experience. I have found that in general other people (men and women) have found it strange that I am interested in these things rather than expecting me to be because I am female. I am therefore inclined to disagree with not all, but many of the points made in this section of the book.

The book concludes by both marking and celebrating changes currently being made in society to close the gender gap. This section was the perfect ending to a thought provoking book which left me feeling good about all that women have achieved so far and optimistic for the future,. I hope that our generation and the next will not sit back complacently and take for granted all that feminists have achieved, but strive ever onwards in the quest for equality, not just here in the UK but also in developing countries where the women are not as fortunate as us.

Living Dolls certainly gave me food for thought and it is definitely worth a read for anyone on either side of the equality/stereotype debate.