Feminism is a term that has been widely interpreted and more than often been misinterpreted. To put it simply, it is basically the set of beliefs, ideologies and socio-political movements that argue for an equitable world where gender discrimination no longer perpetuates. Now, one might wonder how modern Feminism can adversely affect our personal and work relationships. Before we can begin our discussion on the toxicity of modern Feminism, a clear distinction between modern Feminism and conventional Feminism needs to be made. To put things in perspective, let’s take a look at the history of feminist movements.
History of the Feminist Movement
The First Wave of Feminism that started in the late nineteenth and extended till the early twentieth century centred on the issues of women’s political rights, precisely Women’s Suffrage. It originated in the United States in the year 1848 when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organised the first convention concerning women’s rights, popularly called the Seneca Falls Convention as the event took place in Seneca Falls, New York and attracted over 300 men and women. From there, it spread to the other countries. While it was hailed as the first such women-centric movement, it now faces criticism for being concerned with the issues of exclusively Western, White, upper-middle-class women and for failing to embrace inclusivity.
After the First Wave achieved its desired result, the Second Wave of Feminism began in the 1960s and lasted till the 80s. The focus of this wave was women’s social rights, and they vociferously argued for women’s inclusion in the workplace and ensuring a discrimination-free work environment. The wave started taking a turn to women’s reproductive rights and sexuality. Developed in the backdrop of the anti-war and civil rights movements, when women were relegated back to their domestic duties, this wave embraces concerns of minority groups around the world.
The continuation of the wave is manifested in the radical shift that characterizes the Third Wave Feminism as it solely focused on Women’s individual rights, bodily autonomy, and intersectionality started in the 1990s and is characterized by a focus on intersectionality bodily autonomy.
Influenced by the poststructuralism that started gaining ground around the 1960s and 70s and was marked by the questioning of objectivity and the notion of truth and reality, the third wave started to see gender as a construct rather than something biological. It started to reclaim certain ideas and concepts which feminists had earlier rejected. The extremist ideology started to spill over in the Fourth Wave Feminism that started around 2010 with the rise of internet tools.
Problematic Aspect of Fourth-Wave Feminism
The excessive focus on the individual identity of women rather than the collective liberation of the community negatively impacted the movement. Besides, neo-liberal ideas started to infiltrate the movement and, to a major extent, started appropriating it. With the rise of the internet, the proliferation of capitalism showed an unprecedented turn. Our values, ambitions and desires are all measured by their monetary value.
Again, the strands of the fourth wave of Feminism are as diverse as Feminism itself could be. While protest movements like #MeToo against sexual harassment have gained traction for the right reasons and helped women across the cultural and regional barriers to come up with their narratives of encountering sexual abuse in the workplace and personal lives and generated solidarity, some feel it was hijacked by upper-class elite women and even worse, the authenticity of certain claims has been questioned as some of them were deliberately meant to malign the image of certain men.
Dissociative Feminism was coined by Emmeline Clein in 2019 after observing the rising trend in popular culture, which shows the nihilistic, pessimistic and self-destructive side of a woman whose pain is much more performative. Her liberation is a mask to hide her suffering, and she ends up causing more harm to others and even more to herself.
This category, again evident from popular TV series like Fleabag, fails to account for the larger goal that Feminism emerged in the first place to address. It is not a collective liberation and ends up in nowhere. This kind of so-called progressive liberationist project that goes by modern feminism, if sincerely adhered to by young women, makes it difficult for them to move on ahead with their lives. It entraps them and further entangles them within the vicious loop.
Lipstick Feminism, another form of Modern Feminism which reclaims traditional femininity but with a twist. It argues for using feminist charms and capitalizes on the sexual appeal of women. It is a significant departure from third-wave Feminism as it agrees on bodily differences. Moreover, the use of cosmetics and to make oneself appealing by relying on high-end fashion brands to gain attraction recognition is seen as empowerment. Similarly, women’s bodily autonomy has taken a negative turn with the glorification of self-objectification.
With the projection of sex work as liberating and women’s right to monetize their bodies, modern misguided feminists have undermined the notion of bodily objectification. They have turned a blind eye to the painful reality of trafficking and the long-term impact of sex work on the mental as well as physical health of women. Contrary to earlier expectations, when feminists fought for equality and respect, they themselves are now presenting themselves as a sex object.
Another similar term that has been doing rounds in recent times is Bubblegum feminism, which is similarly a western consumerist model of Modern Feminism. The problem with these strands of Modern Feminism is that they are driven by hyper-consumerism and subverts the very notion that Feminism upholds.
How is modern Feminism impacting us negatively?
Negative traits of modern Feminism, as highlighted above, act as an impediment to meaningful relationships, be it romantic or otherwise. Too much individualistic concern affects interpersonal relationships as this leads to complete disregard for other’s concerns and convenience. Such radical stance lacks moderation and creates further distancing of oneself from social relationships as they tend to become self-centric individuals solely concerned with their ambition and desire. Besides, while self-objectification harms one’s image and reputation, it affects other’s ability to respect those individuals.
Moreover, it helps perpetuate negative stereotypes about feminists themselves besides alienating men from the movement. The binarisation of us vs. them is crucial in shaping this victim-perpetrator dynamics. It fails to distinguish between men who are willing to be a part of the movement and those who are against its promotion. Categorising them alike further alienates the portion who needs to be actively involved in order to make real, effective change.
Be it the workplace or one’s personal life, achieving a solution precedes acknowledgement of the existing problem. Hence, a Campaign like HeForShe goes a long way in making men realise their role and need to create a better and safer space for women to express themselves. What this negative idea about Feminism does is that it projects all men as monsters and rivals who instead need to be seen as companions in this larger goal of achieving equality. The polarising tendencies do more harm to both men as well as women. In addition to that, the perpetuation of the victimhood mentality often affects one’s workplace relationships and hinders teamwork.
Therefore, feminism as diverse as it is, if held on to its true ideals can bring worthy transformation in every aspect of our lives. In contrast, it has to be borne in mind that modern feminism with all its negative connotations can cause large-scale damage to the social fabric.
FAQ
What are the key focuses of different waves of feminism?
While the First Wave Feminism focused on political rights, particularly women’s suffrage, the Second Wave focused on social rights, including workplace inclusion and reproductive rights. Third Wave Feminism focuses on individual rights, bodily autonomy, and intersectionality and Fourth Wave is characterized by online activism and a focus on individual identity.
How does the modern feminist movement affect us negatively?
It can lead to a lack of collective action and prioritize personal concerns over broader societal issues. Besides, it can reinforce traditional gender roles and objectification. It can promote a nihilistic and self-destructive mindset, hindering personal growth and relationships.
How does modern feminism negatively affect personal relationships?
Modern feminism can lead to self-centeredness, disregard for others’ concerns, and difficulty in forming meaningful connections.
How does it impact workplace relationships?
Modern Feminism can perpetuate stereotypes, alienate men, and hinder teamwork besides affecting harmony in the workplace.
