Feminism and Stereotypes There Are Many Stereotypes

Feminism and Stereotypes

There are many stereotypes associated with feminism and the feminist movement. The movement itself was started as a way to combat the stereotypical view of women's role in society. Even after many years of working for women's civil rights, still it remained that "women were automatically expected to take notes at meetings, make coffee, do all the housework, and often be available as sexual partners for male co-workers." (236) Along with beliefs that women were weaker, less intelligent, and overall unequal to men in many ways, these stereotypes were the target of the women's movement for freedom and equality in America. However, stereotypes have infiltrated and plagued the feminist movement for decades. There are stereotypes held by many feminists regarding other women, stereotypes held by society about feminists, and stereotypes about specific ethnicities, such as Black and Indian feminism.

There are a wide range of stereotypes held by many feminists and others involved in women's liberation.

Many feminists cannot see being a housewife or homemaker to be a viable or honorable option for women. Although some women may find that taking care of the domestic needs of their families to be very rewarding and true expression of themselves, it can be met with a great deal of scrutiny from members of the feminist culture. Feminism often creates a stereotype that the housewife is being oppressed by her husband and that the homemaker is a slave to her family and a disgrace to free women. This stereotype can be traced back to Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique," published in 1963, wherein she described the typical family as a "comfortable concentration camp." Modern feminism took from Friedan's description of the homemaker a stereotype that no healthy woman would chose this life. Other stereotypes that have been noted in the feminist movement include that feminists think poorly of heterosexual women in general, or women that are "effeminate" rather than "butch." The feminist movement is generalized as not being concerned with the problems of other social groups. Some people complain that feminists today raise awareness of the single mother's terrible social situation in our society, but that they stereotype all men as having it easy, even though there are many impoverished men and single fathers suffering from social inequalities as well. Others say that feminists stereotype all men as abusers, and while fighting for the rights of battered women and female rape victims, ignore the plight of battered and abused men and male rape victims.