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Can a conservative woman be a feminist?

Can a conservative woman be a feminist?

  • No

    Votes: 5 17.2%

  • Yes

    Votes: 22 75.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • Total voters
    29
I consider myself a feminist. I shave, I wear a bra, I wear cute but painful shoes on occasion, I enjoy being in the company of men. I simply feel I should have the right to own my own life and my own decisions, that I can be my own person and should be respected for that alone independent of my gender. And so should any other woman, whatever her choices may be.

These aren't conservative or liberal things.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
LOL

You are a feminist. . . believe it or not.

You're not a femme-nazi or an extremist (which I loath, too) - but you are a feminist. You value your individuality. You don't subscribe to what society (or men) expect of you. You believe in being independent and self sufficient. You are what you are because you want be it.

Yep - you're a feminist alright :)
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hey, Hey, HEY! Enough with the namecalling! :2razz:
 
rivrrat said:
hey, Hey, HEY! Enough with the namecalling! :2razz:
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LOL
It's not *bad* - hooah! Yeah feminism!

It's changed over the years - it's no longer a necessary activist-movement simply because the issues that started Women's lib, et al, are no longer in question. Women are considered very equal to men in many respects - and to many older feminists who starved theirselves for sufferage - that's the basic goal.
 
liblady said:
my idea of a feminst is a woman who believes we should be able to do as we wish, marry, stay single, drive a truck, have children, and, yes, pierce our bodies if we so choose. i like lilith fair, great music, but i shave and like it when a man opens a door for me.
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I like that you know what you like and arent driven by someone elses expectation of what a 'real' woman is 'supposed' to be. Not much more 'feminist' than that!
 
Mellie said:
Typical conservative woman - believes in God, pro-life, traditional marriage, in favor of abstinence until marriage, traditional working roles in the family (husband works, mom stays home with the kids and/or homeschools), for smaller government, less taxes, more individual freedom....

Can that woman be considered a "feminist"?
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Say what? Basically you are saying all you have to be fiscally and socially conservative to be conservative. And that if you lack one, you can't be Conservative. That's a pretty large assumption that directly undermines the validity of your argument.

Your definition would make a very fiscally conservative women who practices liberal social ideas not a Conservative despite wanting lower taxes and less government.
Your definition also would make a heavily indebted woman who stays at home and wants more government spending, but believes in abstience and God not a conservative.

Furthermore, what's the point in more individual freedom if you hold beliefs that voluntarily restrict you from using them?
 
Yes. Most of all the feminist notions were perfectly acceptable to modern conservatism. There were extremes, of course.
 
obvious Child said:
Furthermore, what's the point in more individual freedom if you hold beliefs that voluntarily restrict you from using them?
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Because a lot of people believe in freedom because it is wrong to impose on people, even if you choose not to exercise those freedoms. I'm prochoice, but I would discourage someone who uses abortion as birth control, though I do feel that's their choice. Same thing.
 
rivrrat said:
I hate feminists and conservatives. So a conservative feminist would like a double whammy. Of course, I hate liberals too. So, liberal feminists are just as bad.
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I hate haters. And lovers, now that I'm thinking about it.
 
:usflag2:
Aunt Spiker said:
Yes
A (ideology) Conservative woman can be a feminist.
A (socially) Conservative woman can be a feminist.

Feminism is NOT defined by "YOU MUST!" - just the opposite.
It is not defined by: MUST support abortion. MUST always work instead of staying at home. MUST believe in a traditional marriage. MUST be in favor of abstinence.

Feminism is about *being* a woman and *valuing* your femininity and not letting your femininity be *used* against you. Not letting your femininity control your life or ruin it. If you believe in these things your belief should be *because* you believe in them - not *because* men think you should believe in them or *because* you think that it's what society expects of you. It centers around it being *your choice* for *your self* and what *you think* is best for *you* and *your family*

Feminism is about self-appreciation, equality and self respect - *using* these values to further your beliefs is a strong part of being a feminist.

You're confusing "GOP ideology" with "conservative" ideology. . . HUGE difference and feminism can fit into all or none of them.
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You just described Palin. So I'm voting yes.:cool:
 
Feminism can be described as gender equality and choice. Anyone who adheres to these two concepts can be a feminist.
 
Mellie said:
Typical conservative woman - believes in God, pro-life, traditional marriage, in favor of abstinence until marriage, traditional working roles in the family (husband works, mom stays home with the kids and/or homeschools), for smaller government, less taxes, more individual freedom....

Can that woman be considered a "feminist"?
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The question boils down to how did the woman arrive at the above. If she chose it, then yes she can be a feminist. If she arrives there because it is what she feels is expected of her, then no.

Feminism isn't about hating men, or hating traditional roles, it is about being able to choose what is right for you. It is about having the option for a traditional role, or for a role outside of the housewife role.
 
Since "traditional" female gender roles are patriarchal, I'm not sure how that would work, actually.

I mean, I suppose one could choose to pretend to be disempowered and inferior.
Submissives do it.
I've always been a bit confused by that dynamic, though.
Maybe it's too deep for me; I'm actually a pretty straightforward and pragmatic individual.
 
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obvious Child said:
Furthermore, what's the point in more individual freedom if you hold beliefs that voluntarily restrict you from using them?
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well. legally i have the right to cheat on my wife; i am free to sleep with as many women as i like without fear of going to jail.

but would you say that i should?

obviously not. choosing to follow what one thinks is best for one's life is still freedom, even if that means choosing a differnt code than your own.
 
1069 said:
Since "traditional" female gender roles are patriarchal, I'm not sure how that would work, actually.

I mean, I suppose one could choose to pretend to be disempowered and inferior.
Submissives do it.
I've always been a bit confused by that dynamic, though.
Maybe it's too deep for me; I'm actually a pretty straightforward and pragmatic individual.
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:shrug: my wife prefers that i be 'the man of the house' and that she be the wife and mother. we have pretty traditional roles, and we are happy that way; it's a breakdown of responsibilities that fits both of our personalities well. we do try to generally follow a biblical marriage; but what people always seem to miss is the flip side of the equation there: women are supposed to serve their husbands yes, but husbands are also supposed to look after and serve their wives before themselves.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Yes
A (ideology) Conservative woman can be a feminist.
A (socially) Conservative woman can be a feminist.

Feminism is NOT defined by "YOU MUST!" - just the opposite.
It is not defined by: MUST support abortion. MUST always work instead of staying at home. MUST believe in a traditional marriage. MUST be in favor of abstinence.

Feminism is about *being* a woman and *valuing* your femininity and not letting your femininity be *used* against you. Not letting your femininity control your life or ruin it. If you believe in these things your belief should be *because* you believe in them - not *because* men think you should believe in them or *because* you think that it's what society expects of you. It centers around it being *your choice* for *your self* and what *you think* is best for *you* and *your family*

Feminism is about self-appreciation, equality and self respect - *using* these values to further your beliefs is a strong part of being a feminist.

You're confusing "GOP ideology" with "conservative" ideology. . . HUGE difference and feminism can fit into all or none of them.
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This is the best post on the topic I believe I've ever seen on this forum. Bravo.
 
In the end, I guess the only way a traditionally minded woman would not be a feminist is if she is interested in removing the ability for other women to choose for themselves. So, if that woman supports laws that restrict choice, than there is no conflict.

Its not on the list, but I think historically (and I may be wrong), the pro-choice platform has been attached to feminism.
 
Early feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were against abortion. I'll stick with them.
 
Everyone seems to have pretty much covered my opinion. It seems like some feminist groups changed the basic fundamental definition of what feminism is and kind of made it the norm. But basically feminism is believing that gender doesn't create a subserviant class and I think anyone with any sense of fairness would be a feminist in the true sense of equal treatment regardless of gender. I think conservative, liberal, female, male, etc. doesn't exclude people from the feminist movement if they truly believe in equality. Hell, at my core I'm a feminist.
 
Mellie said:
Early feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were against abortion. I'll stick with them.
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Actually in looking at Susan B Anthony, I pretty much agree with her feelings on the matter:

She blamed men, laws and the "double standard" for driving women to abortion because they had no other options. "When a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is a sign that, by education or circumstances, she has been greatly wronged." 1869. She believed, as did many of the feminists of her era, that only the achievement of women's equality and freedom would end the need for abortion.
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I also wish to remove the need for abortion. Unfortunately she was wrong in hoping that equality would remove that need.
 
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Mellie said:
Early feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were against abortion. I'll stick with them.
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Abortion isn't about feminism - though many people try to make it so.

Abortion is about rights vs rights - both have rights (mother/unborn) but *which* rights are more important, taken into consideration, etc?? - that is where the debates center.

Pro-life women, in my view, believe that the rights of the unborn trump the rights of the mother.

It's really just that simple.

There are other areas in which rights waver depending on who or what we're discussing - Freedom of Speech is one and there are some ways in which it is restricted (libel/slander is one).
 
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