CRJ #11 - Feminist Futures

There are two core principles that define what a feminist is. The first principle is that feminists concern themselves with the equality and justice for all women and seek to eliminate systems of inequality and injustice in all aspects of women’s live. In addition, they strive to celebrate women’s achievements and struggles and to create a positive vision of women. A pro-feminist man seeks to add his voice to the feminist movement and change the way that men feel and act toward women. They want to set women on an equal level in social, political, and institutional levels. I am able to claim that I am a feminist now. I have always been very liberal and strongly believe that everyone should have equal rights. I also think it is a travesty that women in less civilized countries are going through the hardships today that women in our country went through in the past. I think we need to help them learn from what we have seen, so that these women do not have to struggle the same. Without knowing it, I think I actually have always really been a feminist.

My experience in a feminist classroom has had an impact on me. Being an engineering major, this class is much different than any that I have experienced before. It made me leave much of my analytical thinking behind, and allowed me to think about how I really feel about society. Before taking the class, I really had the same stereotypical view of a feminist as most people in society do. I never would have wanted to be labeled a feminist. I am a very liberal person though, and after reading that feminist ideals basically come down to trying to gain equal rights for everyone I believed I might already be a feminist. The readings completed changed the views I have on feminists and after understanding what a feminist really is I would not be afraid to claim that I am one. I now see feminists in a very positive aspect and agree that these people are very necessary in our society today.

Before taking this class, I didn’t really realize how much of a struggle women still face today. I read about so many women that still today are fighting for their rights in the U.S. and especially abroad. After seeing this enthusiasm and drive from women still today, I think this will help me continue the drive to fight for my rights and women’s rights in the future. Also, I have from some of the modules I saw that I have some prejudices that I never realized before, such as against larger people. Now that I know this, I am able to work on facing this prejudice and hopefully I will be a better person in the future. I think the topic that relates to my future career the most is the section on women in the workplace. I think engineering is a huge field where women find they have a glass ceiling above them. Women have not been in the field very long, so I think their work is not respected the same as men’s yet. I think it is important that women with the same feministic ideals as I have continue to join the field and fight for women’s equality.