Difference between revisions of "Sexism"
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| − | The definition of sexism |
+ | The feminist definition of sexism explicitly excludes the possibility that women can be sexist. |
| + | This is the defintion of sexism from the feminist blog ''finallyfeminism101.workpress.com'' and is typical of that used in modern feminism:<ref>http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/sexism-definition/</ref> |
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| − | Wiktionary defines [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sexism sexism] as: |
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| + | Sexism is both discrimination based on gender and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this |
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| − | * The belief that people of one sex or gender are inherently superior to people of the other sex or gender. |
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| + | discrimination. Given the historical and continued imbalance of power, where men as a class are privileged over women as a |
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| − | * Different treatment or discrimination based on a difference of sex or gender. |
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| + | class (see male privilege), an important, but often overlooked, part of the term is that sexism is prejudice plus power. |
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| − | * Disadvantage or unequal opportunity arising from the cultural dominance of one gender over the other. |
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| + | Thus feminists reject the notion that women can be sexist towards men because women lack the institutional power that men have. |
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| − | * Promotion or expectation or assumption of people to behave in accordance with or deviate from a gender role. |
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| + | In contrast ''dictionary.com'' defines sexism as:<ref>http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sexism?s=t</ref> |
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| + | sex·ism [sek-siz-uhm] |
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| + | noun |
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| + | 1. attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles. |
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| + | 2. discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex, as in restricted job opportunities; especially, such discrimination |
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| + | directed against women. |
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| + | The definition of sexism used by feminists is itself inherently sexist by drawing a distinction on the basis of gender. The dictionary definition presented here is still not gender neutral but it should be clear that it at least accepts the possibility that women can be sexist. |
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Revision as of 10:42, 25 March 2014
The feminist definition of sexism explicitly excludes the possibility that women can be sexist.
This is the defintion of sexism from the feminist blog finallyfeminism101.workpress.com and is typical of that used in modern feminism:[1]
Sexism is both discrimination based on gender and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this discrimination. Given the historical and continued imbalance of power, where men as a class are privileged over women as a class (see male privilege), an important, but often overlooked, part of the term is that sexism is prejudice plus power. Thus feminists reject the notion that women can be sexist towards men because women lack the institutional power that men have.
In contrast dictionary.com defines sexism as:[2]
sex·ism [sek-siz-uhm] noun 1. attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles. 2. discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex, as in restricted job opportunities; especially, such discrimination directed against women.
The definition of sexism used by feminists is itself inherently sexist by drawing a distinction on the basis of gender. The dictionary definition presented here is still not gender neutral but it should be clear that it at least accepts the possibility that women can be sexist.