Deepening Discussion

A Response to "Feminism for All" by Shannon Hou '14, published in the February 20th, 2014 issue of The Exonian.In recent weeks, issues surrounding feminism and equality have been buzzing around campus. I’d like to commend PEA’s Feminist Union for the project which has inspired so much discussion, my classmate Shannon Hou for her piece in last week’s Exonian and everyone with whom I have spoken about feminism over the past few days.First, I’d like to address the issue of female sexuality. There have been many amazingly insightful and thought-provoking posts on the PEA Needs Feminism blog, but the ones that have received the most attention are the ones regarding female sexuality. I have witnessed much debate over the “inherent sexuality” of topless photos or of breasts in general. Whether or not there is an inherent sexuality in photographs of that nature is dependent upon the cultural morae with which we are surrounded. If a person has grown up in a culture in which those photos are “inherently sexual,” then it is futile to argue that they are not. There is no universal truth. Inherent is something defined by biological and cultural inheritance, neither of which an individual has control over.Another popular debate revolving around female sexuality is one regarding the dress code. If we take a look at the language of the dress code, the 2013-2014 E-Book clearly states, “...members of the community should keep in mind that the purpose of the dress code is to reflect the discipline and seriousness of purpose we associate with academic pursuits…” The nature of the set-in-stone rules of the dress code is such that girls have much more leeway than boys, but the spirit of the dress code is clear: to make all members of this community come to the table looking professional and ready to work. Look, ladies—if you want to be taken seriously, take yourselves seriously.Next, I’d like to address an issue that I care deeply about, which has come up on the PEA Needs Feminism Blog, but has received relatively little attention on campus: the issue of pay equality. Hou cited the statistic that women earn 77 cents on the dollar in comparison to men. This oft-cited statistic, while at first glance clear evidence of discrimination in the workplace, upon closer inspection loses much of its significance. A Forbes article by Carrie Lukas clears the misconceptions: this statistic does not compare pay for the same job, but instead compares median wages for full-time workers across the board. On average, the full-time working man works more hours per day than does the full-time working woman—more hours equals more pay. Then there’s the simple fact that men gravitate to higher-paid jobs. This socialization is subject for a debate in and of itself, but in general, men tend to take higher-paying but otherwise undesirable jobs, whereas women tend to take jobs that might pay less but be more suitable to their lifestyles. Furthermore, today more women graduate from college than men. This statistic is not true of the entire workforce; however, better-educated people tend to earn more.Perhaps this does not hold true of everyone, but I feel as though every door open to a man is also open to me. With enough hard work and determination, I think I can earn as much money, prestige and power as a man can. As empowered as I feel to succeed in the workforce, however, I also feel equally empowered to succeed in the domestic world. As a 21st century American woman, I can be a homemaker or a CEO without either being more stigmatized than the other. The same cannot be said for men. How many men feel as though they have a choice between being primary caretaker or primary breadwinner? I don’t have the numbers on this, but something tells me that this choice does not exist for men as it does for women. There is something unequal here.Another part of the wage gap lies in the fact that men socialize into higher paying industries. The highest paid jobs in fields such as engineering are dominated by men, whereas the lowest paid fields such as social work are dominated by women. Why are men socialized into higher paying jobs?As an educated American young woman living in the 21st century, I am quite frankly satisfied with the opportunities available to me. Although these issues are heavily intertwined with feminism, my personal experience has shown me that race and class are bigger problems in the day-to-day lives of Americans. I have never been discriminated against because I am a girl, but I have been discriminated against because of race and class. The discussion on feminism is an interesting one, but Exonians, if we’re going to talk about feminism, then I challenge us all to do better. We are capable of conversations that extend beyond the dress code or nipple equality. What about reproductive rights? Workplace rights? Men’s liberation from those same sexist social norms? What about sexual assault, female genital mutilation, sex trafficking? Let’s think more. Thank you, Feminist Union, for getting the discussion started. Let’s keep the discussion going, and more importantly, growing.