Feminism Definition
feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes.Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in these societies.Efforts to change this include fighting against gender stereotypes and establishing educational, professional, and interpersonal opportunities and outcomes for women that are equal to those for men（Wikipedia)
Woman’s second sex status is so pervasive,and enduring.Patriarchal thinking believes that this gender order of male superiority is not only universal,but also will not change because it is formed naturally;while feminism believes that this gender order is neither universal nor unchangeable ,because it is not “naturally formed”but artificially constructed by society and culture.(Baidu)
History
The term “feminism” originated from the French word “feminisme,” coined by the utopian socialist Charles Fourier, and was first used in English in the 1890s, in association with the movement for equal political and legal rights for women.
Modern Western feminist history is conventionally split into three time periods, or “waves”, each with slightly different aims based on prior progress:
–First-wave feminism of the 19th and early 20th centuries focused on overturning legal inequalities, particularly addressing issues of women’s suffrage
–Second-wave feminism (1960s–1980s) broadened debate to include cultural inequalities, gender norms, and the role of women in society
–Third-wave feminism (1990s–2000s) refers to diverse strains of feminist activity, seen by third-wavers themselves both as a continuation of the second wave and as a response to its perceived failures(Wikipedia)
History in China
Feminism was introduced to China by some scholars engaged in foreign literature research in 1980s. in 1986,French feminist writer Sydmond de Beauvoir’s Secong sex is translated into Chinese and published .but because of various historical reasons and practical obstacles,it has not been widely spread .
In the 1990s,the establishment of international Woman’s Day became a new starting point for feminism.The concept of gender is gradually accepted ,and woman’s rights are included in the human rights category for the very first time.
In the 2003, Xiaoming Ai ,a professor at SUN Yat-Sen University ,founded the Gender Education Fprum at Sun Yat-Sen University and led students to perform in feminist drama-Vagina monologues.Only then did China’s feminist ideology gradually reach the pubic.
In the 2012，young woman’s advocacy group BCome established in Beijing,They resorted to affirmative action in drama and performance.
Western feminism has developed into multiple genres and penetrated into all aspects of society,but in China ,feminism is still at the research stage of experts and scholars, and China has never had a large-scale woman’s movement as independent as the West.in this respect ,feminism in China is still in its infancy.
Status in China
The parallel of traditional value and modern value is the status quo of Chinese feminism.
On one side,China has been a traditional agricultural society for thousands of years.man has the absolute dominance in agrarian society,Women tend to play roles that depend on men.In addition,The tradition Confucianism ,which is respected by the ruling class,chooses to teach woman to obey their father ,husband and son.Those deep-rooted ideas are still influencing contemporary Chinese.
On the other side.The introduction of Western feminist thought and the improvement of woman’s economic status have also affected the views of contemporary young generations to a certain extent.
The combination of these two values has given rise to some feminism known as feminazi and pastoral feminism.these two view has been countered on the internet.
1,Feminazi
Refers to some extreme feminists who hate men at core.
2,Pastoral Feminism
on some Chinese social platform ,for the right and obligation system in human value ,the pseudo egalitarianism that only ask for the right and does not undertake any obligations is called pastoral feminism as known as feminism buffetism
Problems
1,poor integration of theory and reality，The academic school emphasizes theory but lacks influence;The action school indulges in the form of “performance art “;the celebrities only comment on specific phenomena in a few words,which is neither systematic nor essential.
2,Misinterpretation and resistance to man
3,misunderstanding of women
Ref:
1,wenku.baidu.com. (n.d.). 女权主义在中国的发展 – 百度文库. [online] Available at: https://wenku.baidu.com/view/74d2c170bd23482fb4daa58da0116c175f0e1e65.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2022].
2,Ma (2014). The spread and development of western feminism in China.
3,https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-61105757
4,https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-55571627
5,https://www.awid.org/news-and-analysis/womens-rights-and-organizing-china