Feminism? Or Egalitarianism? (A Miscellaneous Rant)

In this day of age, we have people from all walks of life and from differing cultural backgrounds coming together to take a stance on an issue. The time of division based on belief, identity, and physicality has long been over. It is time for us as people to acknowledge that our race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and religious beliefs (or lack thereof) has no affect whatsoever on our ability to succeed and live our lives. Feminism is a great cause, because it has paved the way for women to finally become equal members of society. A problem with feminism, however, is in the word structure. Feminine is the root word here. Feminism is defined according to Merriam-Webster dictionary as "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities."Another definition by the same dictionary states that feminism is "organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests." It's quite interesting how the same dictionary provides two definitions: one claiming that feminism is about men and women being equal while the other is that feminism is about only one gender's rights and interests. This leads to many questions. Why is it called 'feminism' if it is supposed to be for gender equality? Should there be another term instead of 'feminism?' Well, when we look at the word 'Egalitarianism' in the same dictionary used to define feminism, we get "a belief in human equality especially with respect to political, social, and economic affairs." The second definition states that egalitarianism is "a social philosophy advocating the removal of equalities among people." It is interesting because the two definitions of egalitarianism are very similar in meaning as compared to the two definitions of feminism, which possess different meanings. If one is truly for gender equality, one should call themselves an egalitarian: one who believes in equality of the human race. This brings me back to the point I mentioned earlier. Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, a liberal or conservative (or reject both of those terms), male or female (or gender queer), of different race and sensibility, let us all be united in our pride as human beings. Let us focus on the issues of all people, regardless of who they are or what they stand for. Let us be One.

-Brendan Xu

Visual Elements/Style for the 1960's Feminists Protest

The text from the 1960’s is a candid photo of the feminist protests for equal positions with equal pay. In this candid photo there is a female protestor who is holding a sign, which states he argument in this protest. There are also bystanders in the background sitting on a bench. Candid photos help to show the full emotion and passion of the situation at hand. We can see that the female protestor is sincere and will likely be passionate for her cause. The photographer knew that in order to get the most out of his picture he must capture the protest in its most sincere and raw stage. The tactics used by the photographer helped to create great visual effects and style for this text in a meaningful way.

-Patrick Forbus

Second Wave Feminism And The People Who Want To Hear

At a time where women were disadvantaged politically, socially, and economically, it was women who ultimately came to the conclusion that their gender was oppressed. This epiphany led a vast majority of women to make their voices heard in the deaf society of gender equality. Feminists began various protests, demonstrations, and other forms of public outcries to protest issues such as equal political representation, equal pay, and reproductive choice. An important aspect to consider here is the target audience. What sorts of people were they appealing to? Would their message resonate with people differently based on their ideologies or gender? Well, the answer can be obtained by looking at the achievements of Second Wave Feminism. The Equal Rights Amendment of 1972 was passed, allowing women to finally pursue careers that men traditionally held along with an increase in the amount of women in leadership roles. From this achievement, one can infer that their intended audience were people who had political ties. However, this is not the only audience. Feminists wanted everyone to hear their message, be it man, women, or gender-queer. Just like discrimination against race, discrimination against women was a systemic injustice at the time, which prompted feminists to appeal to genders of all kinds. Essentially, feminists wanted all the people and society to listen. To a great extent, they were successful in achieving their aims. The gender inequality that remained ultimately contributed to the Third Wave of Feminism.

-Brendan Xu

Audience of Modern Feminism

The targeted audience for the modern feminist movement is hard to pinpoint because it's really directed at society as a whole. The movement aims to reach out and show how unacceptable it is to sexualize woman. The slutwalk is a perfect example of this because many woman take part in the protests and hold signs saying "still not asking for it" and "teach men not to rape" because it really is a problem, and the statistics are staggering. According to nomore.org, a foundation who's goal is to end sexual assault and domestic violence, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lives. Many people may believe that the modern feminist movement is just a bunch of women that target men, but men make up a decent percentage of "feminists" too. Overall, they just want to be treated equally by society, which would be the targeted audience of the movement.

Posted by: Sam Jalowicz

Feminists Against Slutwalk

Modern feminism has many sides, definitions, and arguments to it, many pertaining to rape culture. Although all women who walk in the Slutwalk protests have nothing but good intentions, there are many women who believe the movement is counter-productive.

In the video on the right, two young rape survivors use slam poetry to express their distaste for rape jokes, false sympathy, and the backwards rhetoric expressed by some feminists.

In their critique of Slutwalk (begins at 2:42), Belissa (right) says sarcastically, "nothing helps rape survivors of all gender, ethnicity, and economic level like rich white girls walking around half-naked while collaborating with the police." Another way they see Slutwalk as irrelevant is in the signs people hold during the protests. One popular phrase at these demonstrations is "consent is sexy." These young girls realize that this type of wording forgets that "consent is a basic human right."

They go on to articulate their loathing of non-victims using the word "rape" to describe other types of abuse and harassment, explaining that it reduces actual survivors to just statistics and info graphics instead of real people who went through something as horrible as they did.

This slam poem is a perfect example of the conflicting views many feminists have on rape, rape culture, and the ways to combat it.


Mia Salenetri

Visual Elements/Style for Modern Protest

There are many visual elements that contribute to the argument of this protest. This includes the signs that people are carrying as well as the way they are presenting themselves in terms of clothing. When analyzing the signs there are many bright colors used to draw the viewers attention--bright pink, yellow, green. The signs themselves are also artistically thought out in order to make the audience think. There is a sign that says "Things that cause rape: " and then has a list that follows. The main point is that what causes rape is a rapist but visually, the woman who made it put other things that people may think cause rape (like skirts and flirting) but then crosses them out with huge red marker. She does this so that the viewer not only thinks about what causes rape, but also realizes things that do not cause rape. In addition, the way that the women present themselves at not only this Slut Walk, but others, plays a large role in getting the point across. At many Slut Walks people dress in what might be thought of as "slutty" or "provocative" clothing and then they write messages on themselves or posters that say "Still not asking for it"(like the image) or "not a slut" in order to convey that even standing somewhere with minimal clothing on does not mean you're condoning sexual behavior. Because of the type of movement this is, I would say that the visual appearance of the protesters plays an extremely important role of addressing their issue.
-Lucia Tarantino

Pathos in Second Wave Feminism

Pathos, or the appeal to emotion, is often the forefront of any protest. In the context of Second Wave Feminism, pathos played a subtle, yet meaningful part. In the image on the right, one can see a long row of women along with one in the front holding a sign bearing the words "Equal Positions For Equal Pay." The feminists of this era were very succinct in their demands, explicitly stating their desires for equality in the society. Another aspect of the image worthy of note are the expressions and emotional sentiment of the protestors. Their expressions are not content, nor are they indignant. Rather, they have calm demeanors and produce an aura of silent indifference. This serves to imply that they do not feel as if they are proper human beings due to their perceived inferiority in society. The lack of emotion, rather than the presence of emotion, serves to further the feminist narrative, conveying that they cannot feel empathy for society until women are truly equal. It certainly is an interesting example of pathos, especially when this concept is often associated with some emotion.

-Brendan Xu

Pathos in Modern Protest Image

In general, protests always carry a lot of emotion because why else go out of your way to attend the event? People go to fight for what they believe in. Examining the pathos behind a protest is very interesting to me because I am attending a protest next Wednesday, March 2^nd, for pro-choice rights, in D.C. (which will be my first protest!). In this photo we can see the that each persons face has an extremely focused look which conveys their determination. The woman in the center of the photo is positioning herself in a stance of power with her head tilted up; this shows her pride for what she is protesting for. When viewing a photo of people who are passionate, viewers can feel the emotional connection with the people in the image. In addition, when people talk about rape and sexual assault, most people have an automatic instinct to emotional reactions that are often sentimental and personal.When looking at the image of the protesters people read the signs relating to rape and often think about how they (or someone they know) has been affected by instances like these. This instinct allows the audience to connect to their feelings and have a deeper understanding of the protest itself. 

-Lucia Tarantino 

Logos of Modern Feminism

The feminist movement that we know of today has been around for decades. The Washington DC Slutwalk is a public display advocating for women that appeals to logos in part because of its logical reasoning behind women being able to feel safe and equal, but also because of the logical manner in which it is carried out. Slutwalk is an international movement that aims to raise awareness about rape culture and end victim blaming and sexual assault in general. Many countries have their own slutwalk to help advocate. These demonstrations are very thought out and planned, which is where logos comes in. You can find a slutwalk by simply typing it in on google, and find out how to get involved from there. On http://www.slutwalkdc.com/ you can find the next event near us which is on August 13th from 10am-2pm. By participating, you are helping to put an end to rape culture and advocating for victims.

Posted by: Sam Jalowicz

Ethos in the 1960s Feminist Movement Text

Women in the 1960s were victims of oppression in the work place. They were underpaid for what they did and they were not put in higher-level company positions. This lady is holding a sign in at a protest in order to fight this oppression. Her ethos is built through this action because she is most likely dealing with it this sexism in her day-to-day life. While we cannot confirm this from the picture, this would be an accurate assumption to make. If she has not directly felt the impact of this, then her friends, family, and coworkers have probably been the victim. Apart from this, there is not much ethos that comes with this picture. We do not know who she is or what her exact story and reputation is. Therefore we must build ethos based on the assumptions we make.

Posted by: Patrick Forbus

Logos of Second Wave Feminism Protests

The 1960's were a time of advocacy. African Americans stood up against segregation, college students across the nation protested the Vietnam War, and women decided that it was time for work and pay equity.

In the 60's, it was extremely uncommon for women to hold high-ranking positions in the workplace. Though there was a greater number of women in the workforce than there was in the 50's, most of those women held part-time, low paying jobs. The advocates of second-wave feminism believed that women were inherently equal to men, and deserved equal workplace representation for equal pay.

Analyzing logos as it's simple definition, an application of reason or logic, our hindsight is our greatest asset. In today's world, and even to some people in the 60's, work and pay equity for women seems like a no-brainer. The reasoning employed by feminist activists like Shirley Chisholm and Betty Friedan eventually got the Equal Rights Act passed through congress, a bill that had been written 40 years before its ratification and was proposed to every congress since.

Mia Salenetri

Kairotic Elements in the 1960's Protests

The 1960’s was a decade of change and many civil rights movements. One of the most notable movements from this period was the feminist movement. This movement had a large focus in equality for all women in with reference to men. Women were constantly held at lower level positions in companies. If a woman had the opportunity to hold a managerial position at a company, then chances were she was underpaid compared to males in equivalent positions. The timing of the protest pictured is perfect when evaluating the 1960’s as a whole. The numerous civil rights movements and massive change that was happening helped this protest make and impact on its audience. The photographer was probably working for a newspaper when he took this candid photo; meaning that the public would see this picture shortly after it was taken. All of this helps to build the kairotic elements of this text.

Posted by: Patrick Forbus

Major Rhetorical Argument in 60's Protest

The feminist movement in the 60's was very different from the feminist movement that we know of today. In the 60's woman were mainly fighting for equal pay and equal rights. While the equal pay movement has somewhat dispersed, it is still one of the goals of modern feminists who have shifted their focus towards more prominent current events such as sexual misconduct and discrimination. The movement started back in the 60's with thousands of activists who wanted to fight for a change. The text we chose to analyze shows a woman holding a sign that reads "Equal Positions with Equal Pay," which is meant to inform others about the wage gap, and try to encourage change. Post World War II was when we began seeing a shift from women in "pink-collared jobs" to more high paying jobs, such as one a typical male would hold at the time. The problem arose when employers were getting away with paying women much lower salaries than men who did the same exact job. Woman had to fight for their equality back then, and the problem is still not solved some 50 years later.

Posted by: Sam Jalowicz

Kairos of Rape Culture

Many people believe that rape culture is simply a culture in which women begin to speak out against their male rapists; Those people are almost absolutely wrong. In today's society, it is not uncommon for the victim to be blamed for his/her rape, told that they are lying, or for their abuser to not be convicted. In a world of rape culture and victim blaming, modern feminism aims to change this.

In the recently taken protest photo we are analyzing, we see men and women participating in the DC Slutwalk, a movement whose purpose is to protest against excusing rape because of what the victim was wearing, doing, or ingesting. Based on that definition, we can observe victim blaming as telling men and women that wearing promiscuous clothing, flirting, or drinking alcohol makes sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or rape excusable.

Though it is called, quite blatantly, "rape culture," Slutwalk regards sexual harassment as a huge issue in this culture. According to a telephone survey done by Penn, Schoen, and
Berland Associates, 87% of American women 18-64 have been harassed by a male stranger, with more than half reporting being touched, grabbed, or followed by a strange man.

Most of the protest signs one will see at a Slutwalk protest pertains to what a woman is wearing and the unacceptability of harassment and victim blaming based on clothing. Some women some fully dressed, some in underwear, all to convey the message that an outfit cannot consent.

In a time when a majority of Americans see rape, harassment, and abuse as excusable, modern feminists and movements like Slutwalk strive to eradicate these toxic thoughts from peoples minds.

Mia Salenetri

Ethos In Modern Feminism: "Slutwalk"

The photo I am about to examine is a photo showing protestors from the Slutwalk movement in Washington DC. Slutwalk is a feminist movement aimed at protesting ‘rape culture’ and sexual assault against women against their will. While the ethos is somewhat lacking, I will refrain from acknowledging different perspectives, as the subject of this post is on the ethos of the feminist movement behind Slutwalk. We have in the photo a particular demographic (women) as the dominant party involved. Their arguments that rape is often perpetuated by men is backed by ethical appeal. The most obvious form of ethos found here is their gender. As women, they are deemed the credible source due to them being capable of falling victim to the rape most often committed by men. In addition, women are capable of providing their arguments due to anecdotal evidence. In the photo, you see protestors holding signs showing many outfits they wear and why it does not represent sexual consent. The premise of the argument is to never assume a woman’s intentions in public places or venues, regardless of how suggestive it might appear. This is a somewhat cogent argument, validated by the personal experiences of the women along with personal identification due to sharing the gender of the majority of people within the victim complex. 

-Brendan Xu

Major Rhetorical Argument of Modern Age Protest

While the image of the women’s protest from the sixties encompasses women fighting for equal pay, the modern age image empowers an entirely different movement. Today women fight for many different forms of equality including the fight against rape culture. This image is from a DC Slut Walk in August 2013; it is clear from the signs and faces of the protesters that these women believe that the type of clothes one wears does not condone any type of sexual relation with another. The DC Slut Walk arose when a campus safety speech was being given at a university in 2011 and the speaker instructed students that they could avoid getting raped if they "stopped dressing like sluts," so does this problem exist? Absolutely. The woman in the middle of the picture holds a sign depicting 4 different women wearing 4 different outfits, each outfit becoming more revealing. She wrote on the sign "Not asking for it" for each woman in order to prove a point--an outfit does not give any form of consent. These women walk around in revealing clothing at these protests to send a message that nothing causes rape but a rapist. 
Link to bigger image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/9481672837_13dd46af84_o.jpg
Posted by: Lucia Tarantino