Question

Based on what you have learned in the textbook about feminism, discuss the approach by the Ms. Blog article to address so-called ‘incel’ violence against women: What might be the role of feminism in fighting gender violence and discrimination in your life/community?

Answer 1

Incels (a portmanteau of "involuntary celibates") are self -identify members of an online subculture who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, a state they describe as inceldom. Self-identified incels are mostly white, male, and heterosexual. Discussion in incel forums are often characterized by resentment, misanthropy, swelf-pity, self-loathing, misogyny, racism, a sense of entitlement to sex, and the endorsement of violence against sexually active people.

Role of feminism in fighting gender violence and discrimination

The aim of feminism is to achieve gender quality, whereby in society women and men have equal social,political and economic power, and whereby people are no longer discriminatedagainst or are pressured to confirm to gender stereotypes and expectations.

• Cultural feminism

? This theory believes that there is a distinctive 'male culture' and a 'female culture', which are different largely due to the differing biology of men and women, and they manifest in differing social behaviour. So for e.g. cultural feminists see nurturing and caring to be more of 'female culture', thane 'mael culture', and this they recognize as being intrinsic to the process of being female. Cultural feminists also believe that the contributions of 'female culture', such as child care, domestic work etc. have been disregarded and greatly devalued in society, largely because they are unpaid. They also believe that social system have envolved along lines of 'male culture', and include traits like competition and aggression, and so they tend to islolate women. the focus of culture feminists is to have women's work particularly in the domestic xare and child care arena recognized as economically and socially productive. And to change the work place environment outside the domestic realm to incorporate more 'female cultur' and make it accessible to women.