Pro vs. con view
1031 arguments retrieved in 0.0 ms

PRO

  • PRO

    the belief that women should be allowed the same rights,...

    Feminism is still necessary today

    "the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state" http://dictionary.cambridge.org... "The advocacy of women"s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes" http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... I am telling you again, what you're saying is NOT feminism. You're talking about a misandrist not a feminist. Therefore feminism is still necessary today because women and men do not have the same right, power or opportunities as men.

  • PRO

    they campaigned on mag covers, song lyrics and many more,...

    THBT feminism has failed

    Feminism failed because it only helped leading women who were at the top of the society, but did not help middle-class women. Also, women's rights advocates did not help the root of the problem which is the problem stated above. they campaigned on mag covers, song lyrics and many more, but they still did not solve the root of the problem. Thus, feminism is a failure.

  • PRO

    Feminism, at the beginning, was good and it actual...

    Feminism should end.

    Feminism should end. Feminism, at the beginning, was good and it actual supported topics that were important, like women's right to vote. Now, it has turned into almost a cult and a man hating group. They see the world as if men are supposed to bow down to women. Like women get special treatment.

  • PRO

    Additionally, feminists have fought for not only women,...

    is feminism good for the world

    Feminism has a stigma attached to it that is nowhere near the truth. The idea behind feminism is equality for ALL- to not judge or oppress because of one's gender. Feminism is a great attribute to this world because it has helped women all around the world gain rights. It has given women a reason to fight for what they believe in and continue to fight for change. Additionally, feminists have fought for not only women, but everyone who has been oppressed/victimized at some point in their life. They have been there from as early as fighting for the abolishment of slavery, to fighting together to diminish Jim Crow laws, to the current issues happening today in our nation. Furthermore, the idea that feminism only makes people think that "personal failures are out of control" is absolutely inaccurate. Is it their fault that that they don't make the same amount of money as men? Is it their fault that men are more likely to get hired even if they are more qualified? Was it anyone's fault that there has been any injustices at all? Feminism allows people to fight for that change with others who are just as passionate about equality, which in fact, should be everyone. Moreover, the idea that the patriarchy has completely diminished is also incorrect. Although not physically seen, forms of patriarchy still happen in subtle ways. The simple fact that women are frowned upon if they don't wear a shirt while men can and making a normality of women taking their husband's last name are just some of the many ways that shows we are indeed still living in a patriarchal world.

  • PRO

    History has distorted the definition of 'feminine,'...

    Modern Feminism is culturally important

    History has distorted the definition of 'feminine,' causing it to symbolize vulnerability. Fortunately, in the United States and many other nations, women have the same legal rights as men, removing the tangible barriers to female equality. However, the intangible barriers manifest themselves in tangible ways, such as the inequality of gender pay. The title of vulnerability has been passed through the generations by means of cultural expectation. Addressing these intangible barriers to female equality is a cultural task, not a legal one, and is therefore best performed by a cultural movement. The tangible barriers to equality - such as the right to vote - were straightforward and tangible. They were easily rallied for and a matter of political muscle, not philosophical finesse. But as Verta Taylor and Leila Rupp point out [8], modern feminism seeks to achieve this sense of self-actualized equality via an alternate women's culture. Women's equality has been legally achieved, but women and men are born and raised in entirely different worlds, and therein lies the necessity of modern feminism. A proper modern feminist movement enables empowerment of women before they reach voting age, during the development that will define their self confidence, cognitive focus and expectations from friends and relationships. The importance of feminist movements is heightened by the unfortunate reality that women do not grow up and develop in a world regarding them as equal. The media, which helps define mechanisms of power and social acceptance for children, often paints a world in which women acheive power by overrelying on sexual attraction, causing women to grow up with less incentive than men to think critically. This produces a society in which a man is legitimately more likely to have the skills to be an engineer, scientist, chess player, or critical thinker by career or by hobby. Additionally, males in media are more often taught implicitly that confidence is their key to success, causing them to work on confidence as they grow up. A woman is still less qualified a for politically oriented job than an equally qualified man. This causes men to be richer, and the media responds to wealth by playing to its audience. The media yields more and more to the men who want to see male characters empowered. It's not a conspiracy to push women down, it's just the free market, but that doesn't mean it can be ignored. It calls for a cultural response. It calls for feminism. The same mechanism exists even more strongly in the porn industry, in which female porn stars have an average shelf life of three to six months and most of the money to be made in the industry comes from a male audience. As if that weren't enough, there exists a cannibalistic paradox to feminist movements, in which feminism calls for the empowerment of women, yet individual women are financially and socially empowered by anti-feminists for dismissing feminism. Since feminism stands for the empowerment of women as a whole, its core qualities that attract women to the movement are the same that motivate dissension and a lack of unity. This creates a negative feedback loop, in which feminism is predisposed to assign itself less credit than it deserves. In these contexts, women intuitively sense that they are not given the proper forms of respect, but since most people do not have social science degrees to explain these perfectly reasonable conclusions, most women are unable to connect their rational, frontal-lobe cognitions with their deeper, dignity-oriented feelings. Though the connection has been made by sociologists and psychologists, most women are forced to choose between their thoughts and their feelings, creating a political irrational loyalty for whichever party gives them more general respect, as Vladimir Lenin so adeptly exploited in his Russian communist movement. Even in modern America, democrats and republicans can count on the invisible male-female rivalry that few understand in detail, in which democrats will do better with females and republicans will do better with males. To clear politics of such gender rivalries and discuss the actual difference between liberal and conservatives ideologies, feminism must acheive an intellectually understood structure.

  • PRO

    She has, for eons, been restricted and oppressed in...

    Feminism: Equality of the Sexes

    Firstly, I would like to state that every movement is flawed, because humans are flawed- no movement on Earth is perfect. I am arguing that the overall effect that feminism has globally is positive, despite those who identify as feminists, but who are truly NOT feminists. People who identify as feminists but, for the purposes of this argument, are in fact NOT feminists include: -people who say women are better than men -people who advocate and support women of only certain ethnicities (for example, if people only support white women as opposed to other women, these "feminists" are not in fact feminists- because feminism supports ALL women) -people who say women should be treated differently than men -women who shame other women, whether it is for their clothing, actions, or religious beliefs (for example, if a woman from a Western culture tries to restrict Muslim women from wearing their hijabs, because they believe the veil is oppressive, that Western woman is NOT a feminist) I am arguing for the current definition of feminism, not what feminism was decades ago. Now, today, women are being denied access to education, women are being sold as sex slaves, and young girls are being shamed for what they choose to wear to school. Please keep this in mind when you reply to my argument. Any mention of a "feminist" as defined above (someone who claims to be a feminist but by the real definition, is in fact NOT a feminist) will not be a response to my argument. The most untapped resource on this Earth is the woman. She has, for eons, been restricted and oppressed in varying degrees. Yes, the woman that is denied the right to vote and to drive is oppressed on a higher level than the girl sent home for wearing yoga pants. However, this does not diminish the suffering of anyone who is treated differently because of their sex. I would like to present to you a true feminist organization, the National Organization for Women (U.S.). This organization advocates for LGBTQ rights, and advocates for the end of domestic violence. This organization, IN ITS CURRENT FORM, is a true example of the beneficial effects of feminism. Finally, I would like to state that a "victim mentality" is not what I support. Many men treat women with respect and dignity. Women, in most first-world countries, enjoy varying degrees of almost-equality with their male counterparts. But it is important to recognize the damage of thousands of years, and the damage that is still taking place today. This is not an argument on the topic of male-female interaction. This is an argument for feminism, the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

  • PRO

    The push for equality for women in any country in modern...

    Feminism is anti-religious

    The push for equality for women in any country in modern times has analogy in history where the rights of a human were placed higher than the law. As this movement grows and women become more empowered, laws will be broken. In the middle east the population is ruled by a religious agenda. When feminism tells these women to stand up for themselves, the women risk persecution for not following the scriptures and in turn feminism promotes anti-religious tendencies.

  • PRO

    I would, however, like to define the last word. ... I...

    Feminism is necessary

    Using my opponent's logic, one could argue that nothing is necessary. The world itself is unnecessary. This seems like a very bleak way to live. I disagree with this logic. His definition of necessary is "essential, indispensable, requisite." It seems two of these words are synonyms for necessary. I would, however, like to define the last word. I would define requisite as "a thing that is necessary for the achievement of a specific end." As indispensable and essential are synonyms for necessary, I would elaborate on the definition (not change) with the definition of requisite. In the cases of the Declaration and the Thirteenth Amendment, I would argue that these articles were necessary for their causes. The Declaration ended oppression from Great Britain. That document was necessary for the achievement of a certain end. The Thirteenth Amendment ended American slavery and the Civil War, the bloodiest American battle in history. I would also argue that it was essential for the achievement of a specific end. In the case of I would, however, like to define the last word. I would define requisite as "a thing that is necessary for the achievement of a specific end." As indispensable and essential are synonyms for necessary, I would elaborate on the definition (not change) with the definition of requisite. In the cases of the Declaration and the Thirteenth Amendment, I would argue that these articles were necessary for their causes. The Declaration ended oppression from Great Britain. That document was necessary for the achievement of a certain end. The Thirteenth Amendment ended American slavery and the Civil War, the bloodiest American battle in history. I would also argue that it was essential for the achievement of a specific end. In the case of I would also argue that it was essential for the achievement of a specific end. In the case of feminism, this idea and movement is essential for equal rights among people. This movement, as I stated above, provides an identity for those without one. It encourages strength in the oppressed. So yes, I would argue that feminism is necessary, to the end that equality is necessary for a functional, fair civilization. Sources: Indispensable: http://dictionary.reference.com... Essential: http://dictionary.reference.com... Requisite: googled

  • PRO

    According to Simone de Beauvoir, "the first time we see a...

    Feminism is necessary

    I do not accept your source from Wikipedia as it's not reliable. It is true Charles Fourier coined the word feminism, but the beginning of a word does not define the beginning of an idea. The idea of feminism has existed throughout history. According to Simone de Beauvoir, "the first time we see a woman take up a pen in defense of her sex" was with Christine de Pizan in the 1400s when she authored Epitre au Dieu d'Amour. Concerning your argument, if you define necessity by length of existence, one could argue that nothing is necessary as nothing has always existed. Using the same logic, would you argue that the 13th Amendment was unnecessary? The Declaration? Value and necessity is not define by how long something has been around. With that argument, there would be no fight against abortion because those fetuses have only existed for a few weeks, so what's the value, right? This movement, though has been seen more prominently as of late, has been around for centuries. If your belief is female equality is simply "nice", I urge you to consider what it provides and inspires: a sense of empowerment, a drive, self and mutual respect, and identity. Would you classify these ideas as unnecessary? Sources http://www.gender.cawater-info.net... http://i.word.com...

  • PRO

    These include welfare reform, livable wages, job...

    Feminism: Equality of the Sexes

    Just came home from my district band practice to answer this, now realizing that I have no life. I will try to refute your arguments in a list, for systematic organization 1.Please, please, answer the debate's original question: "Is feminism a positive movement for women globally, or a negative movement that "belittles" and "threatens" men?" I cannot argue against a point that I am not trying to make. Please answer my question proposed above. 2.We are using the definition I first provided- not the definition you are trying to impose into this debate. I will repeat this definition, since still, we are unclear as to what feminism is- "Feminism is the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes." The only feminist "group" that I have endorsed, and that I will accept into this debate, is the (United States) National Organization for Women. I noticed that the third definition, "3. Feminine character" you mentioned was not discussed- this shows me that you are cherry-picking definitions that will fit your argument. If you include "feminine character" you must expand upon it. 3."The definition alone separates men and women into two binary categories, with men assumed to be in a position superior to women, because if this was not true, the advocacy of women"s rights would be pointless." Later in your argument, you provide resources that indicate that the women in this country (United States) make less than their male counterparts. Therefore, from a monetary standpoint, men are superior to women. Feminism advocates to change that. "If we are sticking to definition-specific feminism, then it does not take into account racism or classism both women and men face in addition to sexism." I am not ignoring the fact that racism and classism exist- on the contrary, the only feminist group I have endorsed, NOW, states: "NOW advocates for a wide range of economic justice issues affecting women, from the glass ceiling to the sticky floor of poverty. These include welfare reform, livable wages, job discrimination, pay equity, housing, social security and pension reform"... Note that NOW advocates for "pay equity." I will expand upon that in my next argument. 4."The racial group with the lowest average annual salary is African-Americans, as it has been for the entirety of American history." Despite the injustice in this statement, this does not answer the original question posed: "Is feminism a positive movement for women globally, or a negative movement that "belittles" and "threatens" men?"... "Feminism applied in this instance is confusing. Equal pay is a hot issue among feminists, but even if you were to equalize the gender earnings, Latina women were earning the same as Latino men, white women the same as white men, you would still have the issue that Asians are making twice as much as African Americans, so there's no possible way the sexes are equal then, because you still (added: "have") a whole heap of racial differences holding minorities back." Please excuse my analogy, but you are grouping races as if they were separate socially from other races entirely- it seems you are grouping a Noah"s Ark of white men and white women, Asian American men and Asian American women, African American men and African American women, and Latino men and Latina women- they seem, in your argument, to be on completely different levels of possible equal income. For example, you seem to want to equalize Asian women's pay to only Asian men's pay, which is not what feminism advocates for at all. I am going to propose this: Feminism, supporting the economic equality of the sexes, implies that every single man, regardless of race, and every single woman, regardless of race, should have equal pay for equal work. I am not in any way saying this exists now. 5."You might argue that feminism *would* work to equalize races as well, but it does not seem to be paying attention to it currently."". To reply, using the only feminist group I endorse, NOW,: "NOW is a multi-issue, multi-strategy organization that takes a holistic approach to women's rights. Our priorities are winning economic equality and securing it with an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that will guarantee equal rights for women; championing abortion rights, reproductive freedom and other women's health issues; opposing racism; fighting bigotry against the LGBTQIA community; and ending violence against women." (1) Please note "opposing racism".. A quote that rings true from their Racial Justice page, "NOW condemns the racism that inflicts a double burden of race and sex discrimination on women of color." (2) This directly addresses your point that feminism only benefits the well-off and privileged women- you are simply wrong to think that NOW would be content with African American and Latina women earning "80 cents for every white woman's dollar." Because, to repeat myself, African American women and Latina women are, simply put, women- and until African American women earn 100 cents to every Asian man's dollar (because, remember, race and sex are not two separate parts of a person- we are looking at the whole person, who possesses both race and sex) NOW will continue to fight for economic equality for women. 6."Advocating women's rights in this situation leaves the question: which group's rights are we actually trying to get?" To reply honestly, we are trying to "get" women's rights, regardless of race. I am not saying that there are no economic classes in America, and many of these classes can and do revolve around race- I am saying that feminism, in the definition I have outlined, will work to equalize every single man and woman- not, every single Latina woman to her male Latino counterpart, leaving her far behind the white male- that is simply not what feminism is. 7."Saying ALL women are economically worse-off than ALL men is leaving out important class and racial nuances that skew the data into all kinds of different directions, making feminism not actually equalizing women to men." I never said all women are worse off than all men economically. I cannot argue for something I never said. 8."Simply separating the population into two groups, male and female, and then trying to equalize one to the other is not going to garner the intended results." Feminism does not advocate for separating men and women into two groups, and matching them up to their same-race counterpart, and equalizing pay that way. To conclude: Please respond to my original proposed question: "Is feminism a positive movement for women globally, or a negative movement that "belittles" and "threatens" men?" I do not mean to offend anyone who does not consider themselves male or female. NOW advocates for LGBTQIA rights. For the purposes of this argument, I chose to compare men and women, but every single person deserves economic, social, and political equality. I appreciate awr700's discussion. However, I think she is arguing against something I am not saying... Sources: 1)http://now.org... 2)http://now.org...

CON

  • CON

    Feminism is simply about equality of opportunity and...

    THBT feminism has failed

    "Let me start off by asking a question: How many CEOs of companies or high-level offficals of governments are women? Precious little are. This is common sense that women in power are much more less than men in power, which in turn proves that the role of women is not as powerful as men in the society. The purpose of feminism was to put women on a par with men. However, feminism did not even get close to it's purpose, for there is still lots of gender inequality in this world today. Thus this motion must fall." First if all, the purpose of feminism is not to put women on par with men. This is not true. Feminism is simply about equality of opportunity and treatment. The right to be treated as equals, and the right to have the same opportunity. You are right that a minute amount of women are in positions of power, the figure is estimated at 20%, but don't jump to conclusions, this does not mean that there is inequality. 73% of the people in medical and healthcare related jobs are women. Does that mean there is male sexism within that field? A survey conducted shows 76% of public school teachers were female. So is there inequality there? Is that what it proves? Because it is ignorant to think true equality means everything is 50:50. The floor will agree that if 15.7% of people in the American Army are women, it doesn't mean sexism. After all, that would imply that exactly the same amount or a majority of women actually applied and were turned down. If there were more men applying, of course more men will be in the army. Of course men, who have a better suited anatomy for the work of the army will be admitted. You are focusing on the wrong side of things, feminists don't truly want equality of outcome, because there are still a high amount people who don't want positions of power, there are still ladies against the idea of feminism, there is a whole website (http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com...) about it, but what is truly equality is equal opportunity. And that is ever-present. A 2006 census showed that 60% of people in university were women. If that isn't equal opportunity, I don't know what counts. This article sums it up - http://news.bbc.co.uk.... An example of how the feminist ideology is helping and has helped create the fact that a woman can go to university on the same grounds as men. That is not a failure, that is a success for feminism. http://www.businessweek.com... http://www.feminismisequality.com... http://nces.ed.gov... http://www.independent.co.uk... http://www.army.mil... http://news.bbc.co.uk...

  • CON

    But sometimes they're afraid to speak out because they...

    Feminism is harmful to society

    Thank you for accepting this debate. Also, I said no arguments made in R1 but that's okay. You didn't get too into detail so it's fine. I highlight the following arguments: 1. Feminism is still relevant in today's society 2. Feminism is good for women AND men I would appreciate if my opponent also highlighted their arguments in a similar fashion to make rebutting easier (for the both of us). 1. Feminism is still relevant Often, people say that while feminism was a great movement in the past, it is no longer relevant as we have achieved equality or the nearest to it possible. However, this common misconception is highly worrying as the work of feminists is not done! Yes, women can vote. Yes, women can run companies. Yes, women can wear pants. But that doesn't mean we have total equality. Third wave feminism's goal is to also being attacking the smaller, less obvious aspects of patriarchy in society. For example, gender roles and male domination. These two go hand in hand. Have you noticed that there are far more male politicians and executives than women? You might say this is simply because women choose not to enter these jobs but it's important to understand why. Gender roles have a much larger influence on society than people want to believe. On birthdays, we give our girls babies to take care of and dolls to dress up while we give boys dinosaurs and action figures. We teach girls that they are nurturers and boys that they are action-takers. Not to say playing with dolls or action figures is inherently bad but the problem is when we reinforce stereotypes with small things like that. It fuels the machine that is patriarchy. It is important to also note that patriarchy is a reinforcement of other types of oppression. It contributes to contributes to racism, sizeism,, and homophobia. Imagine a poor black woman. She already has to deal with economic-based oppression, racism and now patriarchy is weighing on her too? Don't let the name fool you. Feminism may have started out as a way to allow white women their rights (it originally did not include black women and obviously not the LGBTQ community) but it has grown to fight for a much larger group of people than that. Also, while, in the US, our patriarchy is more subtle in certain aspects, think about other countries where they haven't made nearly as much progress. Think of Saudi Arabia where women not too long ago got the right to drive legally. Think about a basic think like driving! And even then, they still are under the guardianship system. Or imagine places like Nigeria where the terrorist group, Boko Haram, runs around raping young girls and women because "You rape the women and you kill the men.". Or how about India where every year 250-300 acid attacks occur. Sometimes on women who simply rejected a man's advances. You can't tell me patriarchy is over. https://www.usatoday.com... 2. Feminism is good for women AND men As I said before, patriarchy affects women greatly. And feminism is fighting this. However, the Pro mentioned the following earlier which ties in great with my second argument: "Feminism is very harmful to society because they hate men. Men do not benefit from feminism." For one, feminists do not hate men. It is only radicals who have twisted the true essence of feminism to fit their own incorrect beliefs. Do not generalize, that is like me saying all white people are racist because the KKK is racist. That's absurd and untrue. And second, feminism benefits men as well as women. Listen, I think you'll agree: This is an excerpt from an article (link below). "Expression "Man up." "Quit being a b*tch." "Why don't you grow a pair?" Our society has set up a standard of what masculinity should be...Men face pressure daily to act and speak in a certain "manly" way, in order to avoid being teased for not being man enough...a lot of us find ourselves in a situation where we feel need to hide the way we feel in order to maintain any respect as men...But feminists have been on our side, advocating for our society that everybody is entitled to express how they're feeling, including men. Custody Hearings Custody hearings are infamous for sexism towards men. Many times, the courtroom will buy into the nurturing mother stereotype without paying attention to who would actually be fit to have custody of the child. This is bad not just for us, but for the children who might end up in a bad home. Feminists have and will continue to stand up for fair treatment in the courtroom for both genders. Domestic Abuse ...we also need to be reminded that domestic abuse against men also exists and it's more common than people think. One in seven men in the United States will suffer from some form of domestic abuse in their lifetimes. But sometimes they're afraid to speak out because they fear that they'll be viewed as weak. Sexual Assault It took until 2012 for the FBI to acknowledge that men can also be raped. Until then, they couldn't call it that... Some women can overpower their male victim, others could spike their drinks, and many male victims' assaults can involve another male offender...The new acknowledgement was a step in the right direction for gender equality. Self Image Catalogs, magazines, movies and fashion shows, many people are aware of the unrealistic expectations that countless industries set for girls...Fitness industry profits have reached record levels. A big reason for this is because expectations that are being shoved in women's faces, are also being shoved in our faces. Calvin Klein, Hollister and countless other companies surround their stores with portraits of these great looking guys surrounded with women just gazing at their bodies, which forces some guys to become self conscious about the way they look. Fitness and supplement companies use huge athletes and models, many of them on performance enhancing drugs, to portray an unrealistic expectation of what the product does. Career Pursuits My philosophy is that if you love something, you should pursue it. It doesn't matter what the salary is, and it definitely doesn't matter what your gender is. Men deserve to have the opportunities to pursue whatever career they desire without being judged for it, even the ones that have been stereotyped as feminine such as modeling and nursing. The workplace as a whole will operate better if we judge everyone based on performance, not gender. And that's what feminism is aiming for. Feminism isn't just for women... It isn't about bringing one gender down to reach equality...It's about lifting one another up, when there's any form of oppression or unfair treatment. Unfortunately, feminism has gotten a bad reputation due to its message being at times, misinterpreted as anti male." https://www.theodysseyonline.com... I would argue that feminism has grown to benefit more people than it did when it was originally started. Suffragettes were white women who were trying to guarantee their own vote. Not to hate on them, I am just saying they were not thinking of civil rights or LGBTQ rights during their protests. And men's rights certainly were not one of their priorities. But now, feminism has grown to encompass all of those people. Feminists are fighting for equality for women, men, the LGBTQ community, people of color, etc. Here is a point I will close out on: "...one other important point to remember is, as described on the Daily Kos, "patriarchy is generally not an explicit ongoing effort by men to dominate women. It is a long-standing system that we are born into and participate in, mostly unconsciously."" https://organizingchange.org... Feminists do not hate men, and they understand that we are attacking the system (patriarchy) not the people (men and even women who sometimes buy into patriarchy). We just want equality.

  • CON

    I'm typing as fast as I possibly can, because you only...

    Feminism is Cancer- rapid debate!

    I'm typing as fast as I possibly can, because you only gave me 5 minutes to answer. DISCLAIMER: I actually agree with Pro, but I'm arguing for argument's sake. Definitions, since Pro didn't put any: - Third-wave feminism: Feminism that started in the early 21st century that dealt with women's portrayal in society and media. - Cancer: Repulsive, detrimental to society Let's start the debate, shall we?

  • CON

    In order to do that he must prove that 1: Chivalry lived,...

    Feminism killed Chivalry

    Thanks for the debate. Burden of proof on Pro. Pro must prove that "Feminism killed Chivalry." In order to do that he must prove that 1: Chivalry lived, or is capable of living. 2: Chivalry died. 3: Feminism is directly responsible. Quite the burden to prove. Good luck to pro. As such Pro has not filled this burden of proof, therefore the resolution has no support.

  • CON

    Feminism today is obviously a rising...

    Feminism in Today's Society

    Feminism today is obviously a rising topic/issue/problem/whatever you'd like to call it, but nonetheless you can't argue that it isn't out there and isn't a big idea. Feminism has been on the rise in recent years, but that doesn't mean it only just became an ideology. For instance, when WWI/WWII were happening and growing into a global conflict, it called for more of America's men to step forward and serve their country. Naturally, this calling opened up a lot of needed positions in the States because now our warehouse workers, truck drivers, office workers, and just about anything else you think of were out across the world fighting for the USA. Women decided to step up and take a stand back home, no longer voices and now wanting to become real parts of society from what they were (housewives, stay-at-home moms, cooks, etc.) This was not a bad thing at all, in fact I think this benefited America in numerous ways, bringing in the equality factor, and also now that women were taking over jobs previously held by a man, I think the drive to be a harder worker and more competition for these jobs now by both men AND women sets the tone for the United States citizen's hardworking, get-s***-done spirit. Nowadays, feminist rallies and rising tensions between women supporting feminism (in my opinion) has drastically, drastically changed. No longer do I see a lot of "equality" or "equal pay" or anything along those lines - in the news and on social media I see constantly, women in support of "feminism" is now about having women become the superior. Women need better pay then men. Women should be running large companies, not men. Women should have the big-shot jobs, not men. From what I understand, feminism was initially to bring equality over topics like jobs, and pay, etc. but as mentioned, I see a lot of "feminists" assuming all men everywhere are simply looking for sex toys and treating women like a minority, that we're all misogynistic and savage. My debate here is - are you in support of TODAY's feminist movement? I for one am not. I believe if we're trying to have feminism around, it should be for equality and not what I see the majority of. Go for it. I take criticism easily and won't respond with insults or uncivilized bashing.

  • CON

    When judging, voters should give the win to the...

    Feminism Is Cancer

    The member offering this topic provided no definitions or context, so I will supply those here in my acceptance round. Resolution of Fact: The topic is a truth claim, and burden of proof is shared. When judging, voters should give the win to the competitor that best demonstrates the resolutions is accurate or not and provides the most compelling examples/evidence. The topic donates to rather provocative and troubling advocacy, that women should not be equal to men. As such critiques of the affirmative advocacy should be considered for votes as well. If the aff really wants to spend time/characters critiquing the negative advocacy, knock yourself out. Who am I to stop the Aff from shooting themselves in the foot ;-) Definitions: Feminism: ideology or social movement to define, establish and achieve equal political, economic, personal and social rights for women. **Note; conflating this definition of feminism with something more extreme should be viewed as fallacious and extra-topical. Cancer: (metaphorical; social) a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil and/or destructive while being hard to contain or eradicate. I promise the voters some quality entertainment here, and encourage them to consider mentioning anything they found funny or clever in the comments or RFD. by the time we're done here the Aff's chronometers are going to be more sanitary than surgical instruments. Go Falls!

  • CON

    Overthrowing capitalism? ... Collective political action...

    feminism is marxism

    Okay, these quotes show that feminism has some roots in Marxism, that doesn't mean it is Marxism, that's completely different. "Class conflict? Check. Overthrowing capitalism? Check. Revolutionary dialogue? Check. Rewriting history? Check. Collective political action to force socialist policies? Check. Reconstructing issues to blame any perceived inequity on the environment and specifically gender(class) oppression? Check." Class conflict: It is a different type, Marxism focuses on the workers, feminism focuses on the women, it is very different Overthrowing capitalism: Feminists don't require that, and even if they want to, they go farther, the patriarch is their main issue Revolutionary dialogue: Is that exclusive to Marxism? No. Collective Political action to force socialist policies: Also not exclusive to Marxism Reconstructing issues to blame any perceived inequity on the environment and specifically gender(class) oppression: Also not exclusive to Marxism Face the facts, there may be similarities between the two, but they are not the same thing. I rest my case.

  • CON

    One could make the argument that Marxism would improve...

    feminism is marxism

    First, definitions: Feminism: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests Marxism: a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society is: present 3rd singular of be, dialect present 1st & 2nd singular of be, dialect present plural of be to be: to equal in meaning Source: Merriam-Webster That means that organized activity on behalf women's rights and interests is the same as a theory and practice of socialism including labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society. One could make the argument that Marxism would improve women's rights, and my argument to that would be that throughout history Marxism has only led to decreases in rights for everyone, ie North Korea, Cuba, USSR, East Germany, etc. The other argument would be that all feminists are Marxists, which is simply not true, plenty of people who fight for women's rights do not support Marxist ideals. My opponent's case is a complete non sequitur, it is simply some paper on a woman's experiences on feminism. It does not contain more than trivial evidence that the feminist in the paper is a Marxist, and even if it did, it would not speak for all feminists. Your move.

  • CON

    I'd like to thank my opponent for challenging me to this...

    On balance, Feminism is not needed in the US anymore.

    I'd like to thank my opponent for challenging me to this great debate! No terms were given, so I shall define "Feminism". Feminism- Feminism is a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve equal political, economic, cultural, personal, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women. [http://www.bing.com...] Goodluck! J

  • CON

    For a claim like this to be made, we would need evidence...

    Feminism! Hooray!

    Thanks for accepting Cartidge, and welcome to the site! I'm glad we can come to a consensus that we both support equality, in regards to opportunity and treatment. ~ I guess I might as well quickly explain why I believe feminism is outdated and unnecessary before jumping into refuting your arguments. Now don't get me wrong, at a time feminism (or some type of equality movement geared toward granting women and men equal rights in the workforce, government, education, etc.) was necessary, much like most equality movements. At a time, the only people able to vote were white, male, property owners [1]. Different equality movements and groups formed over the centuries which in turn granted equal rights to everybody. Now this in itself is great, I don't have anything wrong with that. However look at North America now. Anyone (men and women) over 18 (or 21) can vote. Anyone (men and women) can apply for any job. Anyone (men and women) can attend any schooling. Anyone (men and women) can expect equal pay, with laws prohibiting lesser than equal pay if sexism or any type of discrimination is present. Anyone (men and women) can achieve anything they want if they earn it and fight for it. So why do feminists feel the need to ask for more "rights?" ...Well, I don't know. And to be honest I don't think a whole lot really know they're trying to gain superiority over men. However looking at the statistics, women and men have equal opportunities in practically everything. Both sexes excel in their own fields, and both have their pros and cons, leading to some college/university courses consisting of mainly one sex over the other, or some jobs/careers consisting of mainly one sex over the other. I see you brought up the infamous $.77 figure, so I'm excited to jump into that when the time comes. But for now, what do I think feminism is? It's nothing more than an outdated, unnecessary movement which has now "unknowingly" morphed into a female superiority regime. And that's what I'm against, not equal treatment of the sexes. Now let's see what you've brought up. 1. Gains have been made. Plenty. Enough where I can say we're treated equally. Some people (people) are biased, sexist, bigoted, disrespectful, etc. But that does not mean society as a whole is against women (considering there are plenty of sexist feminists), and it does not mean we need a group of social justice warriors fighting for peace, as that's utterly unrealistic. 2. For a claim like this to be made, we would need evidence of a backward-moving social justice system. I only see us moving forward or standing still, I haven't seen any sort of recession in the two decades I've been alive, and from research I've done, I haven't seen any since some time before that. And considering the vast amount of people completely against the feminist movement, don't you think it would be rather easy to just ignore feminism and move backward to a society where women aren't treated as equal to men if we really wanted to? The fact of the matter is we don't want that - because there is no patriarchy, there is no huge group of men wanting to push our society back to the 19th century - women are treated as equal to men and are given equal opportunity, and that won't change any time soon. So we don't need a feminist movement to ensure it doesn't. ----- Now in my first round I did mention modern feminism, so I do agree with you that feminism/equality movements have done lots of good in the past, so we can agree to agree on that. However I will address the infamous pay gap and gendered hierarchy in the workforce. "Pay Gap" So I'll just flat out say the 77% figure is... well, not worded correctly. Although it is true that women (as a whole) earn 77% as much as men, this is not due to workplace discrimination/sexism, and the 77% figure is nothing more than an incorrect assumption [2] [3] [4]. My fourth link, as you can see, gives some really good reasoning as to why men make more than women in general (notice I didn't say per specific job title, as that isn't the case.) Personal choice, anyone? It always makes me laugh when a feminist claims women don't make as much as men and women don't have jobs in high paying professions as much as men, like Law or Medicine, and when I ask why she doesn't want to she says she isn't interested in a position like that. ...Soooooooo you can have a preference as to what job you want, but other women can't? I would consider that quite... well I don't even know the right word. Hypocritical, maybe? Either way, it's detrimental to women, yes, feminism is detrimental to women as well as men. It sets unrealistic expectations and feminists claiming women aren't doing as well, or can't do as well,as men (when they really are, or can be, yet just chose to do well in other areas) is more than detrimental to society as a whole. Women and feminists are focusing on something that they misinterpreted. There is "equal pay day" [5], other government-approved organizations as well as non-profit and profitable groups that advocate and spend time organizing events for "equal pay," something we already have. Laws have been passed that make it illegal to pay someone less than another for discriminatory reasons, which I'm all for, but right off the bat we see that it's illegal to pay women less than men for the same work. And if employers actually paid women 77 cents to the dollar, wouldn't it be smart to hire a whole bunch of women? They'd save so much money having a mostly female staff. But the fact of the matter is they wouldn't, as the pay gap doesn't exist in the way feminists want it to. Considering I've used up 60% of my characters and I haven't addressed more than one point... I'd say it's safe to pass off the fact that more men make up academic medical positions much more than women because women tend to enter different career paths with an education such as this. We also have to take into account that employers don't only look at education when hiring someone for a position. Well Dave went to school and graduated with the same GPA as Sarah, but Dave volunteered elsewhere and dedicated more of his time to extracurricular activities that follow a medical path, such as taking night courses or having jobs at universities or even hospitals. The thing about statistics like this is that it only addresses one aspect, and ignores every other factor. Bad human behavior Domestic violence is a serious issue, but I don't feel a feminist movement is what's needed. Considering three million men are victims of domestic violence a year and four million women are, the margin is not a very big one, and a movement dedicated to helping women is selfish and (shall I say) sexist. Women being victims of one type of violence more than men does not require a movement helping women, it requires a movement helping victims in general of domestic violence. And this is another reason feminism is detrimental to society - it is mainly geared toward women for issues that affect both men and women. As beneficial as it once was, creating countless women's shelters with next to zero men's shelters, as well as funding for breast cancer and other women-related-hardships, while men are affected with their own hardships almost just as much is ridiculous and does exactly what the movement is fighting against - separation and segregation of the sexes. Gender Roles So back in the day... men hunted (or worked) as women were physically unfit to hunt animals, so the women stayed at home and took care of the children. Obviously we've abolished this mindset for the most part, however some men and women still sort of live by it. But I have one question - what's wrong with it? If a woman wishes to stay at home and take care of the kid and make food and clean and do what you consider "falling into a gender stereotype," then... why don't you let her? One more reason feminism is detrimental, it pushes women (and sometimes men) to do things they don't want. My Dad was able to take eight years off work to raise me while my Mom worked, and nobody cared at all. Nobody is forcing women to stay at home. Nobody is forcing men to be the "primary breadwinners." Nobody is forcing anything. Stereotypes exist for everyone. Feminism addressing ONE stereotype and trying to "fix" it (while it isn't broken, once again it's the woman and man's choice as to who works and stays at home) is not the right approach and is doing more harm than good. I've witnessed women complain that people are telling them they should get back to work after birthing a child and raising it somewhat, and allowing the man to take care of the kid, because of these "counter-stereotype" missions feminists are going on. Feminism is imposing itself on so many people's lives simply because the feminists don't agree with their choices. And yeah, emphasis on choices. Nobody is forcing women to do anything. I agree with abortion and I believe abortion should be legal no matter what the case. However this isn't a feminist issue, as the cause behind banning abortion is usually a religious one, or an actual logical one, ie. nothing to do with blatantly denying the mother the rights to her own body. Conclusion Feminism has made some strong steps forward, enough to say men and women are treated as equal. If a group of people excel in an area over another group, this is not sexism or patriarchy, it is simple choice or just coincidence, with biological factors backing it up. "Problems" feminists think require a feminist approach are not feminist problems, they are societal problems if anything, or are simply choices made by women that feminists don't like. [1] http://www.history.org... [2] http://www.wsj.com...; [3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com...; [4] http://www.cbsnews.com...; [5] http://www.equalpaycoalition.org...

    • https://www.debate.org/debates/Feminism-Hooray/1/
    • score
      BM25 score: 21.82
      feminism: 21.82
      conclusion: 11.41 (boost 1.50, idf 5.97, tfNorm 1.27)
      premises: 8.45 (idf 5.90, tfNorm 1.43)
      sourceText: 1.95 (boost 0.20, idf 4.68, tfNorm 2.09)