Historical Foundations of Feminist Thought
For the interpretation of present trends in any discipline related to the social world, one must know about its history and past incidents, which are the basis for the current trends of that discipline, social influence, or any wave of revolution. There are many things that happened in the past that are the core cause of differences among people in society. For instance, Black people do not like White people because of their horrible past under the influence of White nations. Also, women have been oppressed for ages, and even in the United States, this trend existed before the slavery period, when they were considered only for their fertility and for pleasure.
Feminism is one of the main issues of society in Australia, Canada, America, and the United Kingdom. Since they are well-developed countries, they have considered social equality among genders, races, classes, and ethnicities because of higher levels of diversity. The topic is too broad, so the paper is supposed to discuss the past to understand the present, as well as feminist theories, including the waves of feminism, pleasure versus danger, and heterosexual imagination. The main aim of the paper is also to discuss how the sexual and gender-based double standard is being loosened in different ways and how it still exists and is practiced in other ways (Schilt; Warner).
Industrialization, Reform, and the Emergence of Modern Feminism
At the beginning of the 20th century as well as at the end of the 19th century, an era when the United States of America was completely occupied with industrial improvements and social reforms, including the complete end of slavery and the removal of social differences among individuals such as Black and White people, men and women, and foreign and native people, it was highly observed that a mixture of social norms emerged and seemed to be disturbing for everyone. Women faced great problems in maintaining themselves professionally in society. Cases of regular sexual harassment and abuse caused great difficulty for women trying to survive in American society. The first wave of feminism was seen during that period, when, for the first time in history, American women took a stand to fight for their rights. The reform started in America and was found to have influenced the entire world. There were two main traditions in the feminist movement. One was stronger and described and explained the primary dangers and very few possibilities of sex and pleasurable activities. The second tradition of that wave was to encourage and enhance women’s knowledge so that they could be adventurous and carefree and take a leap into sexual experiences, but it neglected the male construction of sexual experience for women.
In a brief discussion of feminism, the theory of pleasure versus danger, as well as all of the waves of feminism, can be explained as showing that the overall movement of feminism was based on giving women the right to choose their own way of living and the sexual pleasure they require. It would be necessary to mention that Black women have faced more difficulties regarding sex and freedom of choice. One prominent story was about a girl waiting for the bus at a rural bus stop when a car stopped. The two men from the car expressed their lust for sex, but since the girls were not interested, one specific girl explained that she was a lesbian. The men punched her in the chest only for that reason and attacked her badly. Many incidents with the same theme happened at that time, which was a cause of the feminist movement. There were small and large, influential and non-influential waves of feminism that were introduced by communities and feminist movement leaders whose main goal was to secure the rights of women in North America, specifically Black women. This was due to Western social thoughts that associated Blackness with imagined wild sexuality and uncivilized behavior because of racial differences.
The pleasure and danger theory explains a woman’s life associated with the quality of sex and the dangers that she faces due to necessary interactions within society. Examples include male gynecologists who attempt to check the private parts of a female during an examination of a woman’s pelvic region. Many feminist leaders, including female representatives, have raised their voices for the cancellation of the licenses of men who attempt to commit inappropriate actions during the diagnostic process. The danger for women in such a diagnosis is the loss of their virginity, which would be disturbing for them. Also, it described the persistent forms of sexual dangers and violence that were observed due to gender freedom and self-determination at the same time. The paradox is completely understood, and the joining of danger and pleasure together has sadly remained relevant, and no individual in society feels comfortable with these terms together in the American world, especially African-American women as well as men. It is all explained because, in the explanation of the disappearance of virginity, it is clearly stated that we live in a world of less inhibition, and there are comparatively more dangers than in the past 40 to 60 years. The vulgarity of the sudden introduction of sex and sexual education in books, including sexual behaviors and homosexuality being introduced among children as a legal concept, is also a concerning concept (Weitzer; Collins; Vance).
Sexual Double Standards and the Goals of Social Purity Activism
One of the main aims of feminist social purity advocates was to end the double standards. It was highly observed that the double standard for women affected the female body within the community, in which women were not given the right to protect their virginity and were subjected to misuse of their bodies and attempts to exploit them because of their perceived weaknesses. The target of the feminist movement’s representations in lawsuits focused on two major aspects. The first one was greater and closer-to-perfect safety for women and higher and stricter penalties for men who were involved in creating insecurities among women. According to them, social purity could be achieved by applying a set of controls over sexuality, which would be structured through families and enforced by laws or social influence. It was known that sexual risk could not be removed but should at least be minimized. The reaction of men was also considered, and it was also claimed that men could fulfill their sexual desire through prostitutes, who have been available in American culture since the start of history (Miller; Davis).
Feminists were supposed to be considered correct by parliaments and law-making departments, but the opposing and contradictory effects that were anticipated and experienced at that time, and are still experienced today, were ignored, including HIV/AIDS and other STDs. The heterosexual imaginary theory was highly considered before any decision, and it was highlighted in official papers that sociological concepts should be considered before any appeal or request was considered or approved. The main point was the consideration of family norms and ethical and religious acceptance toward the enhancement of prostitution. The perfect example of the Black community being involved and being against the heterosexual imagination was that their poverty and norms, which were built by their ancestors since they were in Africa, meant that because of poverty and lack of nutrition, they were supposed to complete and fulfill their sexual desires only through heterosexual activities for the purpose of reproduction, using women’s fertility for population growth. White people and other Americans were involved in many other things, including homosexuality and transgender identities, including gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities, as well as other gender roles, including men acting like women and women acting like men.
In a nutshell, it can be explained that the feminist movements were very prominent in the past. The first wave of feminism was revolutionary in changing the basic concepts of domestic and working women. It described the persistent forms of sexual danger and violence that were observed due to gender freedom and self-determination at the same time. The feminist leaders were considered correct in one sense as well as wrong in another. Most feminist movements were considered unnatural, against the culture, and forbidden in many ethically and religiously composed societies. In the 1890s and 1910s, the first movement was highly opposed by men and many women who were more focused on their social and domestic freedom and the happy lifestyle provided by their men.
Works Cited
Miller, Sarah A. “How You Bully a Girl” Sexual Drama and the Negotiation of Gendered Sexuality in High School.” Gender & Society 30.5 (2016): 721-744.
Weitzer, Ronald. “Sociology of sex work.” Annual Review of Sociology 35 (2009): 213-234.
Schilt, Kristen, and Laurel Westbrook. “Doing Gender, Doing Heteronormativity: “Gender Normals,”Transgender People, and the Social Maintenance of Heterosexuality.” Gender & Society 23.4 (2009): 440-464.
Warner, Marina. Alone of all her sex: The myth and the cult of the Virgin Mary. Oxford University Press, USA, 2013.
Tribunella, Eric L. Melancholia and Maturation: The Use of Trauma in American Children’s Literature. Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2010.
Hassard, John, and Denis Pym, eds. The theory and philosophy of organizations: critical issues and new perspectives. Routledge, 2012.
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