Contemporary Europe and the World - Assignment Example

To what extent were the goals of the feminist movement realized in Twentieth Century Europe? Feminism, as a major branch of the modern philosophy andnew born social paradigm, has become a subject of great attention for the modern socialists and post modern philosophers across the world. A great deal of debate, arguments and counter arguments has been made in this particular stream of social philosophy. Many intellectuals and philosophers since 19th and 20th century have tried their level best to encompass all the aspects of feminism within the scope of their definition. In order to deal with it perfectly, they have attempted to approach the subject from various perspectives but it has not yet been possible to comprehend the total conceptual foundation of Feminism. In this context Rebecca West, once famously remarked, “‘I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is. I only know that people call me feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.’” (West ; Walters, 2005, p. 1) It is clear from her statement that though feminism contains certain basic structure but since last two centuries it has encompassed such a wide range of activism that both perception and approach of common people towards it has changed to a great extent. Apart from its basic elements, feminism as a theory also includes different approaches and outlook of common people towards life. Barbara Smith, in the year 1979, tried to define Feminism as, “…the political theory and practice to free all women; women of color, working-class women, physically challenged women, lesbians, old women, as well as white economically privileged women.” On the one hand, feminism includes racism, sexism, cast differentiation and color discrimination and on the other it encompasses social, political and cultural approaches. Thus, it can be concisely said that racism is a particular philosophical approach, which conveys the theme of women liberty from any forms of social oppression. Different people have separate approaches towards feminism and they also feel in different ways about treatment of women in the society. The European feminist intellectuals may be largely accredited with the realization of the goals of feminism in the twentieth century in Europe. Their standpoint certainly helped the European women to fight to a great extent, against all forms of social oppressions biased towards their sex. Historically, emergence of feminist ideas in Europe occurred quite a long time back. During the French revolution first wave of feminist movement can be perceived as the idea that women are equal to men, both politically and socially, was realized, “The first recorded expression of the idea that women were the political equals of men occurred during the French Revolution (1789), but it was only in the second half of the nineteenth century that emancipation and suffrage groups began to be formed. These grew and coalesced to become, by the end of the century, a widespread movement.” (Lovenduski, 1986, p. 6) Feminism, as a separate branch of socialist movement, was mainly aimed at securing social, political and cultural equality of women with their male counterparts. Though Europe was one of the major domains of cultural and intellectual movements but condition of women was also same in the hands of patriarchy. First wave of the feminist movement, it took shape during the French revolution, conspicuously, but it actually was developing since the 15th century onwards. Finally, it received recognition as a separate branch of social movement, aimed at claiming equal rights for women in every spheres of life during mid 19th century. Feminists actually adopted literature as a major avenue to convey their social ideologies. In this context observation of Bonnie G. Smith seems highly relevant, as she states, “Those who developed a feminist perspective, ideology and politics since the fifteenth century have been so exceptional in European culture that they are best understood as continuing a separate category within women’s history. Reacting against the patriarchal traditions handed down from antiquity, European feminists from as early as the fifteenth century created a dissenting literature.” (Smith, 2005, p. 129) There is a common conception that feminist ideas took a major shape due to the contribution of feminists from England. Actually, in case of realizing the main objectives of feminist movement, contribution of French intellectuals draws our attention first. The very word ‘feminism’ has also been derived from French linguistics. During the 1890s stream of feminist awareness intruded English cultural and philosophical discourse from France and essential feminist aspects of modern existence were also introduced into the socio-cultural perspectives of human life. Those elements were still existent and today’s feminism was recognized during that period of time as ‘womanism’. In philosophy, literature and society, since late 19th century onwards the effect of modernism was growing explicit. During this period of time, emergence of some writers in the field of literature helped to a great extent in establishing the concept of feminism on a stronger foundation. Among the women writers of modernism, Virginia Woolf was perhaps one of the leading figures, who clearly declared her objection against the word feminism. She opined that contemporary social structure grew in such a threatening way that it would be impossible for any single word to convey the total defiance of women in contemporary scenario of social and political turmoil. In support of her observation of the situation she commented, “The nineteenth century women were in fact in advanced guard of your own movement. They were fighting the tyranny of the patriarchal states as you are fighting the tyranny of the Fascist state.” (Woolf, Walters, 2005, p. 2) If Woolf’s observation is analyzed critically, we will find that she has separated 19th century women from the society. In the next sentence she has said that women’s combat against the patriarchal social oppression is parallel to the fight of men against Fascism. Though the hint is implicit but it is clear that she actually has tried to suggest that women’s power is no less than their male counterparts. This approach of Woolf bears the essence of feminism, i.e, to fight against the oppression of patriarchy. “Over the centuries, and in many different countries, women have spoken about their sex, and articulated, in different ways, their complaints, their needs and their hopes.” (Walters, 2005, p. 2) - unfortunately, their aspirations have never received any positive response from majority of the society. Throughout ages women have been considered as commodities, subjects of torture and tools for erotic satisfaction. In this context, feminism is often regarded as a stream of rebellion against the hostile approach of the society towards women. Due to such approaches and new ideas, individualism, received a new boost with feminist traditions - “Individualism’s discourse of rights as dramatized in the French Revolution opened the way for Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Women and thus for modern feminism.” (Fox- Genovese, 1992, p. 131) What we call modern feminism, is the ultimate reflection of female defiance against age long male oppression. Though the evolution of feminism has happened at a unique dimension in the 20th century, it does not mean that situation of the society has changed to any extent for women - “The history of the twentieth century confirms that sexism, instead of receding with the triumph of modernity, has probably become more general and more difficult to locate in any single institution.” (Fox- Genovese, 1992, p. 137) According to the social change, forms of oppression over women have also changed. Standing at the archetype of civilization in the 20th century, it can be said that plight of women has remained unchanged since the inception of human civilization. Individualism or the growing sense of independent existence has drastically increased among women during this period than that of the previous times. 20th and 21st century women have become more self-aware, educated and right conscious than women in earlier times, but the independence or individualism they have dreamt for long, is still denied to them. Another major issue regarding feminism is “the debate over difference. Women of color, for example, have objected to the inclination of white, middle class feminists to assume they include all women when they speak of “we.” The challenge is to acknowledge women’s diversity while simultaneously describing their oppression as a group.” (LeGates, 2001, p. 2) Historically it has been observed that mainly the middle class feminists have dominated the organized pattern of feminist movement. Development of feminist theories is greatly built upon the fact that women are required to be observed as “oppressed social group.” Once a woman is made aware about her plight and she becomes conscious about her state, she automatically identifies herself and other women as sufferers of the same plight. Simultaneously, she feels urged enough to work towards development of general condition of the womanhood, as she perceives it. The only way to reach this level of perception is via dissociation of women from their “primary ties to men, that is, ties of family, class, race or culture. Rather than looking down or up to other women, they have to perceive themselves “as part of a group composed of women.”” (LeGates, 2001, p. 2) Such observation clearly signifies that feminism also implies unification of women against oppressive social structure and their submission to the system. Gender bias plays a great part in the process of such unification. The social pattern has embedded the conception that women are born only to follow the social order, without exploring any of their individual social identity. This kind of gender bias creates an oppressive psychological pressure over women and they feel insecure to identify themselves as separate entities. It is essential, in this context, for women to identify themselves as separate individuals, and finally, as human beings. In the recent time, feminism is classified into two separate divisions, namely, equal-rights feminism and cultural feminism. Equal-rights feminism emphasizes over the aspect of equality between genders, whereas, cultural feminism stresses over the factor of difference between them. Feminists belonging to the equal-rights feminism group emphasize on the fact that the society must be free from gender discrimination. To fulfill that achievement, they always try to abolish gender discrimination from the society. Men and women both are same and they must be provided with equal level social rights. Feminists belonging to cultural feminist groups believe that the society must be perceived from the perceived from the perspective of a woman. According to them, “female values and culture arising from women’s unique experiences” must receive highest attention. (LeGates, 2001, p. 6) Though Feminism was divided in these two parts but a close observation will disclose that basically both these divisions are trying to attain the goal of feminism that is equality among genders. Since the mid 19th century, European feminist movement did strive to attain social equality. Intellectual movements of the 20th century fused feminist struggle finally claimed equal rights for women in every aspect of life amidst total Western socio-cultural discourse. During the early 19th century and even before, though several authors such as, Aphra Behn, Fanny Burney, Sarah Fielding, Amelia Opie, Elizabeth Inchbald, the Bronte sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Charlotte Yonge, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, were including the elements of feminist discourse in their writing, these aspects did not receive that much of social recognition during the first wave of Feminist movement in Europe, that is, immediately before the Great War I. Apart from England, in other parts of Europe, such as France, Germany and Austria the situation was almost the same. While women authors and philosophers were asserting that the society should recognize their rights as human beings and it should also provide equal importance to women from social, cultural perspective, the society remained strikingly indifferent. Since the early 20th century intellectual enlightenment not only changed the general perception of social outlook but also the aspect of cultural feminism received a great deal of attention from economic, political and legal perspective. However the main theme of such diverse observation was to establish feminism on a stronger foundation in Europe. Consequently, the aspect of women empowerment, as the feminists were emphasizing upon for such a long period of time, received a proper social evolution, “judging their success by the extent to which women have imposed their values on society.” (LeGates, 2001, p. 6) The liberal or equal-rights feminism in Europe focuses over certain facts that would help a woman receive more legal and political power in the society, whereas cultural feminism questions if women have made any progress even after being privileged with this power traditionally. Though these two types of feminist observation were apparently leading feminists to judge the condition of women from two separate approaches, these two simultaneous processes were actually providing a fulfillment to the overall feminist outlook in the society. Both cultural and liberal feminism of Europe were emphasizing over all those aspects that actually aimed at providing the recognition to a woman as a human being. Such was the goal of European feminists. Due to such social recognition of both these aspects of feminist movement, women took a better social standpoint to recognize themselves as integral parts of the society. It is clear from the discussion that 20th century feminism movement in Europe is a particular trend of socialist approach that aims at providing equal rights to women. Women empowerment and attaining equal rights along with their male counterparts were main goals of the European feminists. Through their movement, both from cultural and liberalistic approach, women not only asserted their basic rights as human beings but also they rebelled against every type of social oppression that was directed against them. Though literary and philosophical arguments were main resources in the hands of European feminists but with the second and third wave of feminism exposition of cultural and liberalistic feminism also became conspicuous in the social context. The patriarchal society, despite intellectual enlightenment, is still not ready to observe women playing anything beyond the traditional role that it has imposed on her. One of the main reasons is that patriarchy believes women do not have any existence without it. European feminism has clearly defied such self asserted superiority of patriarchy. Simultaneously it has also shown that women are self sufficient enough to assert their existence as individual human entities in the society. References 1. Fox-Genovese, E., 1992, Feminism Without Illusions: A Critique of Individualism, Edition: 3, North Carolina: UNC Press 2. LeGates, M., 2001, In their time: a history of feminism in Western society, Edition: 1, London: Routledge 3. Lovenduski, J., 1986, Women and European politics: contemporary feminism and public policy, Edition: 1, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press 4. Smith, B.G., 2005, Womens history in global perspective, Volume 3, Edition: 1, Illinois: University of Illinois Press 5. Walters, M., 2005, Feminism: a very short introduction, Edition: 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press Read More