Defining feminism in the digital age

[Night FM]

On social media, the word "feminism" gets thrown around a lot, often, to my knowledge, without subscribing to much of an academic definition. My perception is that it has almost become a "dirty word" on social media, and often just refers to anything a person happens to dislike (e.x. associating the term with misandry or dysfunctional "whiny" individuals rather than more historical or academic uses. As an example, if a person types "feminist" into Youtube search results, many of the search terms lead to videos of individuals behaving obnoxiously similar to what you would find if you searched for "Karen" videos or for other politically charged terms such as "SJWs").

Some issues that people have negatively ascribed "feminism" to include the tendency of courts to favor women in child custody disputes or to award large alimony payments to women, when in reality, this has little to do with "feminism" and derives more from "traditional" attitudes which assumed that women were more likely to dependent on men's income or that women were more "natural" caregivers. (Some self-described "men's rights activist, for example, seem to have associated this with "feminism" due to a nonsensical usage of the term).

So other than a very broad use of the term "feminism" to refer to achievement of equal rights for women, I'd be curious if others would attempt to define it. Likewise, culture will likely play an impact on how people define it (e.x. all of the developed Western world would be considered "feminist" compared to the cultural and legal status of women in Saudi Arabia or Iran).

Edited October 13 by Night FM

[swansont]

18 hours ago, Night FM said:

On social media, the word "feminism" gets thrown around a lot, often, to my knowledge, without subscribing to much of an academic definition

Is this a surprise? Social media is not academia.

It seems to me you are leaning heavily on social media as your source here, and citing opinion rather than fact. People on social media have warped definitions for e.g. socialism, too. they want to use a hot-button word to evoke a response. That has more to do with people who like trolling than anything else. 

So what is it you want to discuss? Trolling on social media, or actual feminism? If it’s the latter, don’t be citing the former.

[exchemist]

19 hours ago, Night FM said:

On social media, the word "feminism" gets thrown around a lot, often, to my knowledge, without subscribing to much of an academic definition. My perception is that it has almost become a "dirty word" on social media, and often just refers to anything a person happens to dislike (e.x. associating the term with misandry or dysfunctional "whiny" individuals rather than more historical or academic uses. As an example, if a person types "feminist" into Youtube search results, many of the search terms lead to videos of individuals behaving obnoxiously similar to what you would find if you searched for "Karen" videos or for other politically charged terms such as "SJWs").

Some issues that people have negatively ascribed "feminism" to include the tendency of courts to favor women in child custody disputes or to award large alimony payments to women, when in reality, this has little to do with "feminism" and derives more from "traditional" attitudes which assumed that women were more likely to dependent on men's income or that women were more "natural" caregivers. (Some self-described "men's rights activist, for example, seem to have associated this with "feminism" due to a nonsensical usage of the term).

So other than a very broad use of the term "feminism" to refer to achievement of equal rights for women, I'd be curious if others would attempt to define it. Likewise, culture will likely play an impact on how people define it (e.x. all of the developed Western world would be considered "feminist" compared to the cultural and legal status of women in Saudi Arabia or Iran).

Traditionally, in say the 1960s and 1970s, feminism meant support for the concept of treating women equally with men in society, without preconceptions as to what roles may be appropriate for women to fulfil. As a male student at university in the early 70s, I used to describe myself as a feminist. 

I am not sure what further nuances the term may have acquired today, but I still regard myself as a feminist.  Having worked in the Arabian Gulf, I feel sure that feminists in those societies aspire to exactly the same ideal. They are just further from achieving it.

I do not really see that having entered the "digital age" changes anything.

 

(P.S. This is now I think the 4th thread you have started about the sexes.)  

Edited October 13 by exchemist

[MigL]

I don't see how a digital, or analog, definition makes any difference.

( dumb questions beget dumb answers )

[swansont]

42 minutes ago, exchemist said:

Traditionally, in say the 1960s and 1970s, feminism meant support for the concept of treating women equally with men in society, without preconceptions as to what roles may be appropriate for women to fulfil.

To fend off the issue we saw in a recent thread, this does not mean treating women exactly the same as men. The issue here is also about equity, which not really the same as equality. Equal opportunities and equal outcomes, which don’t always happen by treating everyone exactly the same

https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/equity-vs-equality/

[exchemist]

9 hours ago, swansont said:

To fend off the issue we saw in a recent thread, this does not mean treating women exactly the same as men. The issue here is also about equity, which not really the same as equality. Equal opportunities and equal outcomes, which don’t always happen by treating everyone exactly the same

https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/equity-vs-equality/

Yes, nice point.