And discovered this lovely commentary (way at the bottom, I had a lot to say first, whoops) that is technically about Geraldine Ferraro, but really discusses the (more important) growing divide between 2nd wave and 3rd wave feminists.
Nowhere is this divide more evident than in the political debates of non-runners about this year's two most exciting candidates for President. Old-school feminists (ie: 2nd wavers) support HC simply because she is a woman. And I understand the point. They've been forced to act on one-party politics for a long time-- just to be taken seriously in politics at all. They've had to focus their clout very specifically for it to be enough force to enact changes. Important changes. But the latest wave of feminists (ie: 3rd wavers-- may there be many more waves to come, and may my cat's snores not wake the neighbors)... we see things a little differently. It's a bit of a one-world approach. And you can see it beginning to take root in the offerings of many small liberal arts colleges around the country.
You see, we have an interdisciplinary approach. We understand that it isn't just about being female. It's about being black and poor, or female and muslim, or any number of other intersecting (and now interdisciplinary) realities that we AS PEOPLE face every day. We are proud of who we are, and often of where we came from as well. But not everyone sees it that way. What we DO see is that if all underprivileged groups work together in support of a better world for all of us, we'll all win. Not just the women who choose to define themselves (and vote) exclusively by the shape of their genitals. In fact, while respecting greatly the progress and fights and sacrifices that many women before us have made to get us this far... I personally find it every bit as limiting (now) to define myself by my perceived gender as to be defined by it. So I don't. I see that I am a young healthy white woman from a poor farming town with two parents, etc etc etc. All those things intersect to define my personal challenges and my privileges.
I have been privileged to hear many intelligent and self-aware speakers on the subject of race, and how it intersects with other challenges and privileges. One of these speakers explained to me that if we continue to ignore difference (like skin color), we are sending a message to those whose individuality we ignore that these parts of them don't count, or aren't valued. Their cultural background, their family struggles, their special abilities and evident skills... Rather, to be truly anti-racism (or classism or any other ism you think of), we must EMBRACE DIFFERENCE, and find connection in our very uniqueness. We must find ways to bridge the gaps and become a community, without losing the gifts that difference brings. No community could survive by itself if everyone in it were a bricklayer. Who'd bake the bread?
And so I have pasted a small piece of the latest bit of intelligence (I don't always agree, but the site does always make me think about what I think, and why) from feministing.com:
| Geraldine Ferraro |
| Geraldine Ferraro, Democratic politician and champion of reproductive choice, said the following to The Daily Breeze in Torrance, California: If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color), he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept. It strikes me as more fodder for Jessica's awesome argument in The Nation--namely that some older feminist's insistence on making divisive, black vs. white arguments around the presidential election is indicative of a larger intergenerational trend in the women's movement. Younger women want to speak, breathe, and live intersectional feminism--the idea that social change emerges at the crossroads of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability etc. Some older women are stuck in a second-wave conception of feminism as wholly focused on gender and championing women no matter what the context or complexities. We see this divide showing up in women's organizations. We see this divide showing up in media coverage. And we see this divide showing up in the interpersonal, every day struggles between feminists of different generations who want to see one another and do good work together. So I ask you: What do you think? |
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