Fourth Wave Feminism

[das_nut]

The first wave of feminism was very narrow. It focused only on overcoming legal obstacles to equality, such as gaining women the right to vote. It didn’t do much for social issues with inequality and sexism. It focused on rich, white women living in the first world.

The second wave attempted to correct this, widening its scope. However, it was rather sex-negative. It was seen of excluding women of different ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures. It was seen as excluding women of different nationalities.

The third wave attempted to correct this, widening its scope. However, whilst it was sure to include cis women world-wide, it continued to exclude trans-women. In addition, its black-and-white, man-vs-woman theories of patriarchy excluded those who did not identify as either man or woman… not to mention excluding men, both cis and trans. There is a growing realisation that men, too, suffer under the patriarchy, and have every incentive to bring it down. The idea is rising that feminism would be a lot more successful if it didn’t close the door on half of the population.

The fourth wave is attempting to correct this. We will widen the scope. We’re less about saving cis women from the cis men, and more about bringing down the gender binary on behalf of everybody. This is a feminism for all races, religions, cultures, nationalities, classes, sexualities and genders. We are holding the doors wide open.

- More here.

I'm not sure if fourth wave feminism's definition is commonly accepted yet (or if it's even accepted that we're into a fourth wave yet). But I do like this, even if it does seem to be moving into the territory of Egalitarianism.

 

[Second Summer]

Is "feminism" still the best name for this movement though? As a man, I feel like the name is excluding me. Help, help, I'm being oppressed!

 

[das_nut]

Is "feminism" still the best name for this movement though? As a man, I feel like the name is excluding me. Help, help, I'm being oppressed!

You can always use Egalitarianism. It overlaps.

 

[Clueless Git]

'Fem-men-ism', perhaps?

 

[Mischief]

The piece is a pretty simplistic analysis of the history of feminism (if "analysis" is even the right word for something so simplistic), and full of the "we are so much better at this than anyone prior to us" mentality that every generation seems to fall prey to, to a greater or lesser extent.

 

[FortyTwo]

You can always use Egalitarianism. It overlaps.

I can understand the sentiment behind trying to get Egalitarianism to be a thing, but it's just missing the point.

 

[das_nut]

I can understand the sentiment behind trying to get Egalitarianism to be a thing, but it's just missing the point.

What's the point?

 

[ledboots]

I hate the word cis.

 

[FortyTwo]

I hate the word cis.

Because it's a made-up word? Because you don't identify with it?

Some other reason?

It's a great word. It's a word that has existed for literally hundreds of years.

 

[das_nut]

"Cishet" is better.

 

[FortyTwo]

"Cishet" is better.

If someone is cisgender and heterosexual, yes.

I can't even believe this discussion is happening.

"Cis" is literally the opposite of "trans." This is Latin. Old language. There are trans fats and there are cis fats in biochem. Because they are words. That mean opposite things.

 

[Freesia]

I dont really like the word Cis that much either. But it is kind of referring to a person who fits into the average part of the gender thingy. it is not meant to be an insult.

perhaps there should be a better word? It is kind of like being described as hetero.

I could be described as hetero, (and heterozygous for eye colour!) but I fall into the trans part of the thing for gender. I think bigender is the best term that describes me.

 

[das_nut]

I can't even believe this discussion is happening.

"Cis" is literally the opposite of "trans." This is Latin. Old language. There are trans fats and there are cis fats in biochem. Because they are words. That mean opposite things.

I'm not disagreeing with anything. "Cis" is an acceptable term when it comes to talking about sexual identity. It's short, simple, and to the point.

Ledboots was the one that hated the word. Maybe she stumbled across someone using the word as a slur.

 

[FortyTwo]

I'm not disagreeing with anything. "Cis" is an acceptable term when it comes to talking about sexual identity. It's short, simple, and to the point.

Ledboots was the one that hated the word. Maybe she stumbled across someone using the word as a slur.

My mistake, I assumed you were agreeing with ledboots, to whom my comments are still directed.

Also, you can't use "cis" as a slur as it is not being directed at a marginalized group of people.

 

[FortyTwo]

I dont really like the word Cis that much either. But it is kind of referring to a person who fits into the average part of the gender thingy. it is not meant to be an insult.

perhaps there should be a better word? It is kind of like being described as hetero.

Eh, cis people get away with a lot in society, I think it is okay if we are given labels like that because there's no discrimination going on.

I could be described as hetero, (and heterozygous for eye colour!) but I fall into the trans part of the thing for gender. I think bigender is the best term that describes me.

I chortled at this.

 

[Envy]

Also, you can't use "cis" as a slur as it is not being directed at a marginalized group of people.

If it's used in a derogatory way, then what's stopping it from being a slur in that particular context?

 

[das_nut]

My mistake, I assumed you were agreeing with ledboots, to whom my comments are still directed.

Nope.

Also, you can't use "cis" as a slur as it is not being directed at a marginalized group of people.

Sure you can. "Breeder", for example is an example of a slur against a group most people will be part of. Ditto "cager".

 

[Clueless Git]

I hate the word cis.

Me too.

Only 'cos it sounds like 'Sis' or 'Sissy' though.

 

[Second Summer]

Because it's a made-up word? Because you don't identify with it?

Some other reason?

It's a great word. It's a word that has existed for literally hundreds of years.

The main problem is that most people wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. Also, shouldn't it be up to the group itself to decide what they want to be called?

 

[Mischief]

I have five issues with the word:

1. Every time I see it referenced, have to look it up again to see what the heck people are talking about.

2. It IS a made up word, in the context of the use we're discussing. Now, all words obviously start out that way, but the trendy made up words tend to irritate me because people seem to fling them about primarily to show how trendy, with it, cooler-than-the-rest, etc. they are. In fact, trendy words tend to irritate me for that reason, made up or not.

3. It seems odd to me to put a particular adjective on people that constitute 99 to 99.75% of the population, to distinguish them from the .25-1% of the population that is different in that one respect. It's sort of like saying "a cat with a full length tail" every time you talk about a cat, to distinguish him from the cats who don't have full length tails. (I use that as an example because in my household, only 92.3% of cats have full length tails.)

4. I think that there are so many differences in sexuality, gender identification, sexual preferences, sexual practices, etc., that if we are going to really get into all of that every time we describe someone, it would take pages to give even a fleeting description. Moreover, so much of it is not only mutable, but actually does change over the course of a lifetime.

5. I don't find what someone else does/wants to do sexually particularly interesting unless I happen to be sexually interested in that person. I'm no more interested in it than I am in your FB postings about what you just ate for dinner. The internet and social media have really encouraged the human tendency to self absorption to a remarkable degree.

I started out saying that I have two issues with the word. If I spend any more time on this post, my list will probably continue to grow.

Anyhow, carry on. My eyes will just continue to glaze over every time I see "cis" used in a gender/sexuality context.