FEMINISM
Feminism theory states that men and
women should be equal politically, socially and economically. It results from
the recognition and critique of the male dominance and is aimed at changing it.
The goals of feminism are to demonstrate the importance of women and how
history has often made them to be subordinate to men. This analysis is what is
needed according to the feminists to bring about gender equality. Feminist
theory offers a perspective for understanding human behavior in the social
environment by centering women and issues that women face in contemporary
society. Feminism reflects “a world view that values women and that confronts
systematic injustices based on gender” (Chinn & Wheeler, 1985, 74-77). A
feminist lens asks us to see individuals, groups, family, and organizations in
their social, political, economic, ethnic, and cultural contexts.
Feminists all hold it that the
inequalities that exist between the different sexes should not be accepted in
the society. Understanding of the inequalities should be enhanced so that they
can be reduced in the short run and ultimately done away with. Women have
sometimes used the legal system to help them assert the fact that they are
equal to men (Okin and Mansbridge, 1994). Okin and Mansbridge further state that the view that women are subordinate
to men was first brought into the political discourse by Aristotle who
maintained that god created both plants and animals for man’s subsistence.
According to them, Aristotle went further to argue that man in the head of the
family hierarchy just as in the Greek family and this is the most natural of
associations. A further argument by Aristotle that man is the only animal that
holds reason among all the animals and that man’s main concern is his happiness
thus the happiness of all the others are in the periphery of his thinking. The
paper seeks to expound on the theory of feminism in family life education. Later
in the paper, the application of the theory in practice will be dealt with and
examples of articles of feminism in practice facilities in family life
education, the complications of applying the feminist theory in practice in
life education. At the tail end of the essay, an opinion will be given on the
different ways to prevent the feminist issue in practice facilities.
The feminism theory was started as a
platform to demand for the complete equal treatment of the sexes. Its main aim
was for the emancipation of the women folk from the perceived injustices and
inequalities that were being perpetrated against them. The early women feminists
initially intended to accomplish the goal of equality by the use of “sex
antagonism”. However, opponents of the theory stated that the equal treatment
of men and women could not be the solution to the sex problem; they viewed the
acts of the feminists as those aimed at fueling the evil that they purported to
fight against (Moyan, 1912). The first group of women to speak out about the
discrimination against them did so in their religious gatherings. This arose as
a result of the practice where parents would send daughters whom they thought
had dishonored the family to the convent. To the women, this was a form of
imprisonment. According to Walters (2005), by the 16th century, more
women had joined into the fray but were still using religion as a platform to
voice their concerns
There are different types of
feminism. The first is cultural feminism which states that women have special
differences fro m men and as such the women should be celebrated. This has been
the reasoning behind such arguments that women should be given leadership
positions because they are gentle and would solve most of the world problems
without any attempts at war. Secondly, ecofeminism which believes that the
man’s rule that stresses the need to control women and the environment is bad
for both as it can lead to environmental degradation. Finally, there is gender
feminism that argues that for the equality between the sexes to be achieved,
the women must be given some special privileges (Colker, 1991).
Feminists have been at the heart of
the call for the expansion of the definition of the family so that teachings
about the family become more tolerant and inclusive of the different changes
that the sexes have undergone. The major changes in the family such as the new
marriage arrangements, the changing face of intimate relationships, increased
gender equality, economic emancipation and the freedom of reproduction by women
have all been at the center of the feminists concerns due to the ongoing
economic and social changes in the family, mostly the changing status of women (Walters,
2005). Feminists have argued that the traditional roles of women coupled with
the economic exploitation that the women were exposed to have a very dangerous
effect on the health and the well being of the women.
A feminists approach to family life
education provides a framework through which the structure and the processes of
the contemporary life can be investigated. There is increased exposure of the
tensions that exist in the family for instance those resulting from oppressions
as a result of the gender, class, age and sexual orientation of a person.
Feminism views the women in the course of family education as activists in the
change process. Increased understanding of women and their experiences thus
invalidating the notion that the women’s life is inextricably connected with
the family’s. Feminism analyses the existing gender imbalances and how change
can be brought about
The feminists view the teaching of
family life as a political process, thus they challenge the educators to be as
objective as practically possible in the course of doing their work. The
environment where the teaching takes place should be neutral since the learners
are like blank books that are there to be filled with information. Feminism
theory has attempted to tackle this seemingly harmless issue in its quest to
achieve the goals of equality between men and women.
Allen (1992) states that feminism
theory calls for a paradigm shift in the thought about families. They stress
that the view about the family should reflect the contemporary issues in the
family for instance families that are headed by single mothers. The notion of
the traditional nuclear family, they argue seems to ignore the differences in
power between men and women and that its aim is to reinforce the long held
position of male dominance. A shift in people’s thinking is the only way of laying
foundation for healthy, nurturing and stable family interactions in the current
century.
The death of the traditional family has
also featured greatly in the feminism education of the life in the family.
During the postindustrial years, changes such as rapidly increasing inflation
rates, shrinking idle class, increasing cost of home ownership and the rising
unemployment rates have all dealt a blow to the traditional family. The family
structure that has emerged has drawn largely on the array of cultural, economic
and political ideologies to keep up with the new generational challenges,
burdens and opportunities. There has been an increase in adult sexual
relationships without necessarily marriage (Allen, 1992). This new framework,
does not give any family framework priority over another form. There should be
equal recognition of lesbian couple who get a child through insemination just
as couples who cohabitate should be given the same rights and recognition.
The traditional marriage according
to the feminists exposes women to some unrealistic expectations. The women are
viewed as care givers and they should always strive to appease the men and that
the work of the man takes precedence over everything else. This view about
women can sometimes lead women to abandon their careers to be good wives, but
against their will. They women can not make substantial decisions about
critical issues that affect their lives (Allen, 1992)
Feminism also commits to new
professional accountability standard for the family life educators. The
information that the educators give should not be outdated but instead be as
valid and comprehensive as possible. The gap in understanding the world should
be bridged by the use of both qualitative and quantitative research and also
the use of learner’s experiences to decipher the new knowledge that is being
presented to them. The theory and practice is often integrated by feminists to
enable them understand and makes important decisions about the data that they
have been presented with. The feminists are always practical in their teaching
about family life. By not only focusing on the talking and reading, the
learners get to understand more since they see the process. This can be achieved
by increasing the learner’s sense of consciousness to the issues that makes
part of the society to be disadvantaged. This is an important step towards the
empowerment of that group of people (Okin, 1989)
According to Colker (1991), Feminism
stresses personal authenticity since it promotes personal and institutional
change through lobbies for change in both the existing social and political
order. There is increased exposure of people to the politics of gender by
bringing to the fore those inequalities that are brought about by marriage.
Okin (1989) further argues that the purpose of this is to address the
limitations imposed against women and to bring about meaningful change.
Control of the number of children
that a woman can have is also one of the areas where feminists have a great
concern. The argument that for a woman, the
number of children they have can either allow them to pursue other
carriers or completely immobilize them and make them permanently stay at home
to take care of the children. Women have often resorted to delaying their first
child births and also having fewer numbers of children. Some women even end
their reproductive years as they pursue their careers and other commitments.
Complete sexual education therefore helps in laying the foundation for gender
equality.
Finally, the feminists advocate for educational
involvement of learners. Here, the students are given chances to participate in
programs which are related to family. The students can also engage in
internships so that they can experience feminism first hand. The students can also
work with teachers in solving problems that affect the society and attempt to
solve the problems.
However, there are complications in
the application of the feminist theory in practice in family life education.
First, there is the almost universal acceptance of the family as it currently
exists. The attempts by the theorists to make people accept other family
structures such as lesbian unions, mother only as normal will take a great deal
of time to be fully conceptualized. Another issue is that some of the women
have come to accept their subordination to men. The contention with the women
place in the society has negated the fight for equality of the sexes. There is
also the acceptance by women of lower pay as compared to their male
counterparts. Women workers are paid about 70% of the salary of men in America
on average. There is also the general acceptance by members of the family that
the father is the head and such he is the supreme in the family.
Women’s economic dependency has
always led to them to be victims of abuse by their husbands or other male
partners (Global Fund for Women Report, 1992). The man can sexually assault the
wife, but the wife can not do anything about it because of complete or high
dependence on the man for their daily subsistence. There are also biases in the
gender hierarchy. According to Okin, the family is the core of gender
injustice.
Finally, religion has played a great
role in complicating the use of feminist theory in family life education.
According to the Bible, Eve was created as a subordinate to Adam. The
historical happenings in the bible also are in the support of male dominance.
As in the case with the Paul’s epistle to Corinthians, where he urged the men
not to allow the women to come to the places of worship. Since then the women
have been put on the sidelines of major happenings in the life of Christians.
To prevent the feminist issue in
practice facilities, a number of issues can be taken into consideration. The use
of sex as a bargaining tool should be scrapped from use as it amounts to
intimidation and can lead to such happenings as divorce which can shake the
very tenets of family life. The notion that all men take advantage of women is
misplaced. Some men have always come out to support the women in their quest to
be equal with the women. The feminist’s treatment of sex and family has not
gelled well with the people who trust the traditional setting of the family
where there is the mother, father and the children. Instead the advocates for
the theory should concentrate their energies in tackling the societal conditions
which created the problem of inequality.
In conclusion, feminism is essential
in enacting change in family life education. The diversity that has been seen
in the contemporary family is a sharp contrast to the traditional family
composition and structure. Family life education using the theories of feminism
can help strengthen the contemporary family life. The theory helps in
inculcating the virtues such as equality and the full participation of both
women and men in the activities of the society. People who are involved in
family life education should renew their commitments to the ideals and beliefs
that they set out for. There is also the need for both the educators and their
students to embrace political activities that brings real change in terms of
the equality of the sexes in the family.
References
Allen, K.R. (1992). Starting a revolution in family life education: a feminist’s vision.
Family Relations, vol. 41,378-384
Chinn, P.L., & Wheeler, C.E. (1985). Feminism and nursing: Can nursing afford
to remain aloof from the women’s movement? Nursing Outlook, 33(2), 74-77.
Colker,
R (1991). Feminism, sexuality and
authenticity. New York: Routledge.
Global Fund for Women Report (1992) .Ending Violence Against Women: A
Resource Guide, Menlo Park, CA: Shaler Adams Foundation.
Moyan, W. C. (1912). Feminism. Classic Reprint Series. Sturgis and Walton co. Retrieved on 4th august 2011 from
www.forgottenbooks.org.
Okin,
S.M. (1989). Justice, Gender and the
Family. New York basic
Okin, S. M. & Mansbridge, J. J. (1994) .Feminism. Aldershot, England;
Brookfield, Vt., USA: E. Elgar.
Walters, M. (2005). Feminism: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University
Press Inc.
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