Sunday, March 27, 2011

Will Sisterhood Ever Exist?


Girls have the capacity to relate to each other on many levels, ranging from nail polish and the color pink to liking boys or playing soccer. However despite these commonalities we still see females taking the catty route and talking about one another behind each other's back. Take the movie "Mean Girls" for example. The theme of the whole movie was based on the harsh comments written in a burn book by the supposed "Mean Girls" of the school. Cattiness, jealously and competition was the driving force of this film. If this stereotype is right and women are actually catty with one another naturally, then I am compelled to ask the question...will sisterhood ever exist?
If there is no sisterhood among women then how is it possible that we have a successful and long-lasting feminist movement? The idea of feminism is an amazing construct. Women coming together on a universal level to combat the issues that oppress them. Although the feminist movement is a very powerful force, as the years progressed the adversary became ambiguous. Do feminist have a bone to pick with men or do they have a bone to pick with themselves? There is no common consensus among feminist because of the various differences among women. Racism, Classism and Sexism are just a few of the barriers that fragment the feminist movement. It is a mistake to think of feminism as a single doctrine for all females. Women come in all shapes and sizes: Black, White, Indian, Asian and what makes them even more unique is that every woman has a different story. Feminist make the claim that women are oppressed but the types of oppression faced, varies on an individual basis. The patriarchal oppression faced by a white women, is in no way the same oppression faced by a black women. Feminist differ on what could count as justice or injustice for women and this includes women in different cultures as well. The problem with the feminist movement is the lack of solidarity between the women. Class, race, cultural background, and the marginalization of women in general are all barriers to the effectiveness of solidarity.

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