Feminism

Feminism can be roughly defined as a movement that seeks to enhance the quality of womens lives by impacting the norms and moves of a society based on male dominance and subsequent female subordination. The means of change in the work place, politically, and domestically. Women have come a long way since the 19th century. Women have been trying to prove to the male dominant world that they are equal. They can perform and complete any tasks equal, or in some cases better than man. Feminism has changed the definition of men in many ways. Women in the work place have transposed dramatically since the 19th and mid 20th century. Even if women had any education in the 19th century they were not allow to manifest any of it. It just was not proper for women to give any signs of intelligence and a brain of their own. They were to prepare themselves to become wives and mothers, which were the extent of their entire lives. In the early and mid 20th century some women were starting to be brave and take a stand for themselves. Clearly, the advancement of women within the workplace is among feminisms many accomplishments, successes that include voting rights, economic independence and property rights for women, equal opportunities for education, and a greater awareness of rape and domestic violence. However, not everyone agrees that womens entrance into the workplace has been entirely beneficial to women. Some contend that women are now forced to sacrifice their personal lives either by choosing not to have families or by severely restricting the time spent with their familiesin order to survive within a competitive workplace. Both feminists and post-feministsthose who are critical of the classic tenets and goals of feminismagree that finding a balance between work and family is a crucial issue for women. However, the two groups propose very different solutions to this problem. According to postfeminists, women should shift their priorities from careers to family. Most feminists, on the other hand, object to the notion that women should revert to traditional gender roles. In their view, the difficulty women experience in managing work and family responsibilities demonstrates a need for changes within the workplace and the home. Today, as a direct result of the womens liberation movement of the 1960swhich urged the passage of antidiscrimination laws in the workplace and challenged societal beliefs that a womans place was in the homethe barriers that prevented women from seeking careers have been eliminated. Although many feminists maintain that women still do not have full equality in the professional world, most people agree that feminism has dramatically expanded womens job opportunities. Over half of the work force is now composed of women, and many women have attained positions of prestige.