Liderazgo educativo (tipos)

Feminism is a cross cutting theory in contemporary scholarship. It is intertwined with the question of woman. Feminism began in Europe and America in the nineteenth century when women became conscious of their oppression and marginalization, and took steps to redress these forms of treatment. At present, feminism has spread all over the world although in many countries it has become tagged with different labels. Feminist ideas constitute aspects of current global thinking. As Maggie Humm (1992:1) asserts, while most writers agree that feminism as a group of political and social movements probably dates from the seventeenth century, feminism as a body of answers to the 'question‟ of woman^‟ has a more diffuse and considerably long-standing existence.

Feminism is a historically diverse and culturally varied international movement that probes the

"question of woman". It has been variously defined and described by many critics. Since feminism means various things to different people, it becomes difficult to have a concise universal definition of the term. While recognising the implications of a sweeping definition, the following definitions throw light on the concept of feminism.

According to Barrow and Milburn (1990:128), “Feminism is a label for a commitment or movement to achieve equality for women." J. A. Cuddon (1991:338) also defines feminism as

"an attempt to describe and interpret (or reinterpret) women‟s experiences as depicted in various kinds of literature/‟‟ Maggie Humm (1992:1) asserts that “the word feminism can stand for a commitment to transform society.”

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Essentially, feminism is a theory which seeks that men and women be equal politically, economically and socially. This is the core of all feminism theories. Sometimes this definition is also referred to as "core feminism" or "core feminist theory."

Notice that this theory does not subscribe to differences between men and women or similarities between men and women, nor does it refer to excluding men or only furthering women's causes.

(https://www.mheducation.co.uk/openup/chapters/0335204155.pdf )

Ruth Sheila (1980:4) observes that feminists do not agree among themselves on one all-inclusive and universally acceptable definition of the term. According to her, what feminism means to various people depends on one's political leanings or observations and goals, one's understanding or interpretation of the word 'woman' and several other factors. Feminism, she emphasizes, may be a perspective, a world-view, a political theory, or a kind of activism.

Feminism originates from the Latin word 'femina'. Femina is a term which describes women's issues. It is clear from the above definitions that whatever feminism means to different people, it revolves primarily around the female experience! Feminism is concerned with females not just as a biological category, but the female gender as a social category.

Feminists share the view that women‟s oppression is tied to their sexuality. This is so because the biological differences between women and men are reflected in the organization of the society. Based on these differences, women are treated as inferior to men. Whether as a theory, a social movement or a political movement, feminism focuses on women's experiences and highlights various forms of oppression which the female gender is subjected to in the society.

In what appears to be a manifesto for feminism, Ruth Sheila (1980:4-5) expresses some beliefs, values and attitudes which constitute some of the aims and aspirations of feminism as a theory and socio - political movement. According to her:

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i. Feminists value woman in and of themselves and for themselves not in the hypocritical fashion of male dominated cultures.

ii. Feminists value and prize the act of being women as much as being human. They see themselves as strong, capable, intelligent and successful ethical human beings.

iii. Feminists value autonomy for themselves as individuals and for women as a group who are developing their own political, social, economic and personal destinies.

iv. Feminists reject separation of human qualities into two categories - one for men and one for women and the valuing of one of those categories better than the other. For instance male characteristics of aggression, power and competition is celebrated while female characteristics of compassion, tenderness and compromise is termed weak and ridiculed.

v. Feminist recognise that attitudes regarding women in many cultures are false and wrong-headed based on myth, ignorance and fear. Thus, they believe in the necessity of replacing these myths with reality and ignorance with knowledge created by women, first for women and finally for all people.

vi. Feminists point out the denial of their rights as humans for centuries. Rights such as voting, earning a substantive living commensurate with their work, freedom to determine whether to bear children etc.

vii. Finally, feminists recognise women's strength in the true face of oppression and are optimistic about the possibilities of a change.

Since feminists are of the view that male domination is found in virtually all important aspects of life, this male domination is seen as the source of social inequalities and injustice which affect

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the lives of women. Feminists, therefore, seek to eliminate all the barriers to equal social, political and economic opportunities for women. They object to the notion that a woman‟s worth is determined principally by her gender and that women are inherently inferior, subservient or less intelligent than men. Feminist scholarship is aimed at 'deconstructing' the predominant male paradigms and constructing a female perspective which foregrounds the female experience.

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Unit 2