Individualist feminism
|
|
Individualist feminism is a blanket term for different forms of individualist feminist ideas. The proponents for this take on feminism usually fall into the individualist anarchism or anarcho-capitalist school of thought, though some are minarchist rather than anarchist.
Individualist feminism advocates the equal treatment of men and women as individuals under just law. The core principle of individualist feminism is that all human beings have a moral and legal claim to their own persons and property, not to any sort of affirmative action policies or privileges. In most parts of Europe it is viewed as postmodern feminism because of its pluralistic view of female nature. While other schools often stress that women in general are living under similar circumstances, individualist feminists stress that all women are unique and have unique goals.
| Contents |
Individualist feminism contra other feminisms
Individualist feminism strongly opposes gender feminism, that branch of feminism which holds that class-war exists between genders and often calls for radical measures to intervene in gender relations. Thus individualist feminism is distinct from both mainstream and radical feminist movements.
ifeminism
A US group known as ifeminists is strongly associated with the anarcho-capitalist writer Wendy McElroy. Because ifeminism does not generally view women as being dominated by a patriarchy and thus does not advocate steps to liberate women from it, left-wing feminists reject "ifeminist" label, and at times denounce ifeminism as not being part of the feminist tradition. Ifeminists support property rights, which also puts them at odds with socialist-oriented feminists. In addition, the original US group known as ifeminists is strongly associated with The Independent Institute, a libertarian group. Radical feminists often disapprove of this, because most of The Independent Institute's leading positions are filled by men.
Ifeminists claim roots dating back to the nineteenth century when advocates of women's rights and abolitionism such as Angelina Emily Grimke and Sarah Grimke, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony drew parallels between the disenfranchisement of blacks with that of women.
ifeminists support equality of a particular set of individual rights, while rejecting societal protection of others. For example, ifeminists do not ask government for special treatment in order to ensure equal representation by gender in all fields of work or to overcome wage inconsistencies that result from personal choices such as working fewer hours or engaging in less hazardous duties. They simply ask that government leave all people to peacefully negotiate business arrangements for themselves to the best of their abilities.
See also
External links
- The ifeminist site (http://www.ifeminists.net)
- Dora Marsden and The New Freewoman (http://www.nonserviam.com/egoistarchive/marsden/) archives
- Free On-Line Books (http://www.zetetics.com/mac/freebooks.html) Includes Individualist Feminist titles