Thursday, April 13, 2017
Week Twelve: Response 12.2
How is choice feminism defined? In critiquing choice feminism, Zeilser
states, “The use of ‘choice’ to rationalize individual choices – and, perhaps,
more important, to signify that criticizing those choices is unfeminist – isn’t unethical or amoral so much as it is
underachieving.” Do you think
postfeminism and the emphasis on choice has lowered the bar for feminist action?
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Choice feminism is defined as post feminists who reap the benefits of the second wave’s labor in which they have the power to decided how they want to represent themselves. I think post feminism and the emphasis on choice has lowered the bar for feminist action because even though choice is a positive aspect of the feminist movement, it takes away the attention of the movement itself and focuses on individuality. Choice feminism basically says that if I want to dress a certain way or behave a certain way, I can because it’s my choice and it is still considered feminist. While this idea is great in creating ways women can feel empowered, it takes away from feminist action in which legislations are changed. Things like the pay gap, violence against women, and abortion rights are either ignored or not focused on in the movement.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Zeilser when she states “….to signify that criticizing those choices is unfeminist – isn’t unethical or amoral so much as it is underachieving.” When there is choice feminism, there are going to be people policing other people about how they behave or represent themselves--critiquing that they are unfeminist for those actions. The other side supporting choice can argue that telling them what is feminist or not feminist is unfeminist. Arguments like these turn the spotlight away from the movement itself and focuses on individuals in the group. This leads to decreasing amounts of feminist action and increasing amounts of problems in the group.
Choice feminism can also lead to market place feminism where they are now able to choose what companies to support because of their “feminist” marketing tactics. Market place feminism leads to society deeming feminism as “cool” which turns the movement into a brand. This leads the conversation of celebrities identifying as feminism or not; while it is great that feminism gets more awareness, it depoliticizes feminism as movement and decreases the movements legislative gain.
Christine N.
Choice feminism is defined as any choice a feminist, even if you’re only claiming the label for a moment, makes is a feminist choice. This mean that as long as you are claiming the title of feminism, any choice you make is defined as a feminist choice. This is problematic for a number of reason but my top two issues with it are the total lack of feminist politic in the definition, and the ties it has to neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a political ideology believes in that deregulation of the economic private sector, puts emphasis on the individual and isolation, is entirely profit driven, and the commodification of everything. With “Choice Feminism” boiling feminism down to whatever make you, the individual, happy or “empowered” you are eliminating all the parts of feminism that make it a political movement. Choice feminism is a direct product of “post-feminism” which is a, supposed, branch of feminism that believes there is no longer any need for feminism. By pushing the concept of choice being the only thing to define you as a feminist it produces a narrative of there being no need for political action because all that really matters is how I chose to live my life, and the rest will just fall into place. I believe that post-feminism and its emphasis on choice has most definitely lowered the bar for what it takes to be considered a feminist. If you are going to label yourself as a feminist you must truly believe in the equal rights of ALL femmes; transwomen, disabled women, women of color all included. To be a feminist you have to believe that any form of oppression, whether it be racism, sexism, classism or any other kind, is wrong and should not continue. To be a feminist you have to have more of a political stance than simply saying; “I don’t wear makeup because I feel empowered by having a bare face. Fuck the patriarchy right?” Although, I might be giving choice feminists too much credit for them to understand the concept of the patriarchy, which goes hand in hand with capitalism, is the ultimate oppressor and evil.
ReplyDelete-Maddie R.
Choice feminism is defined as the claiming of feminism simply through ones every day choices. Before choice feminism, political action was at the forefront of the priorities of most self-proclaimed feminists. The emphasis on choice and individuality that is popular among self proclaimed feminists today takes focus away from politics and brings feminism into a more materialistic and capitalistic realm. Many women who have fallen into the ideals of choice feminism believe in feminist values but don't do much to push the feminist agenda politically. This is largely due to the fact that choice feminism sends a message that individual choices matter more than collective action, which in turn creates a culture that accepts anyone as a feminist simply if they choose to claim the label. Individuals can make choices and call the choices feminist, but their actions do little to create any actual change. Furthermore, criticism to their actions is brushed off because their choice is automatically justified under the choice feminists defense. Rather than saying anything we do is feminist, we should continue to be self critical and aim to make better choices for women and society as a whole. Political action has taken a back seat for the feminist movement and it has become more of a brand rather than a push for change. Topics of conversation about feminism in the mainstream usually revolve around celebrities, clothes, and the self expression of different individuals. The word has become much less taboo due to the claiming of feminism by celebrities, which is helpful in some ways yet harmful in others. Those who may have been afraid to approach the topic previously might venture into the world of feminism and explore beyond just the choice feminist ideas they first stumble upon. Choice feminism has definitely opened doors for those who may not have had exposure to the movement or felt uncomfortable with the word. However, many people have become self proclaimed feminists who aren't motivated to do anything beyond throwing on a feminist-branded t-shirt every once in awhile. Choice feminism has some positive aspects, but in practice it is clear that choice feminism alone is not enough.
ReplyDelete-Sara D.