As a woman, I find it hard to believe that there are some women who don't recognize the lack of privilege they face just for being a woman. Men (as the privileged), have the luxury of being unaware of their privilege; yet there are women, too, who deny such systems of privilege and discrimination exist. These are often women who have privilege in other areas of their lives - they are white, or heterosexual, or cisgendered, or able-bodied, or Christian (in the United States), or they come from an upper-middle class family; they probably fit into multiple of those categories - and so they do not recognize so much the instances in which they are inherently held back or discriminated against or unfairly judged or conditioned to accept their lower status as women, because such things only happen to them on occasion, only when their gender comes into play.
So before I go any further, I'd like to point out just some of the privileges males have that females in America (and in much of the world) do not.
In America today, a man can say all or most of the following statements as true, while a woman can not:
[Most items on this list were adapted from The Male Privilege Checklist]
A lot of those may not seem like a big deal on their own - but working together, they create an environment in which maleness is constantly seen as the default, leaving women on the sidelines even though they comprise at least half of the world's population.
(The above painting, by the way, is available for purchase through my Etsy shop.)
Obviously, this "othering" of women creates all sorts of disadvantages for us, including the possibilities for physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, mental, and financial harm. Men can also be harmed by this system of privilege - a man who doesn't fit into our society's idea for masculinity might be ridiculed or beaten, for instance. But there is a clear difference - men who are harmed by this system are harmed because they are not taking adequate advantage of their privilege (whether by choice or otherwise); women are harmed because they can never catch up at all. Men are punished when they do not act like men (meaning, when they "act like women," because to be a woman is apparently an insult) - when they care too much about how they look, when they are interested in makeup, when they are physically attracted to men, when they don't financially provide for their families, when they take an interest in caring for their own children, when they cry. Women are both punished for acting in these stereotypically feminine ways and when they try to act more like men. Men might have to do things they don't want to do, act in ways that are counter to their natural inclinations, just so that they appear more masculine - but if they are able to convincingly put on that mask, they are granted their male privilege. There is no amount of masks a woman can wear to earn that male privilege.
(Side note for clarification - Transgendered individuals who identify as men and "pass" as men the majority of the time often will experience many of these male privileges. But these are not "women" who have overcome their womanness to become a man; they are men who were assigned the wrong sex at birth. And, as mentioned earlier, cisgendered (those whose sex aligns with their assignment at birth) persons have their own sets of privileges that many transgendered persons do not, just like those in America with lighter skin have another set of privileges that those in America with darker skin do not, and those who are attracted to members of the opposite sex have another set of privileges that those who are attracted to members of their same sex, or both sexes, do not, etc., etc.)
So - where am I going with all of this? Why am I bringing up male privilege in this blog - a blog that is supposed to be, more or less, about my artwork, my stories, the things I create? Because I am a feminist, and that feminism often influences my work, and I am a feminist because males have the privileges listed above. A feminist does NOT believe that women are inherently better than men, or that they should have more rights, more privileges than men do. They are looking for EQUAL representations between the sexes. To many men, who are used to the privileges they have, this seems like an attack, because to equalize the sexes is to take away those privileges. But feminists are not trying to take away those privileges to give those privileges to women instead - they are looking to dismantle the system entirely, so that NO ONE has privilege because of their sex, male OR female.
Of course, there are other systems that need dismantling as well - race is the other BIG one that gets a lot of national attention, especially lately, with movements like #BlackLivesMatter. Many feminists (the good ones, at least, the ones who are intersectionalists) are also in favor of dismantling these systems. Just because their main focus is on gender equality does not mean they aren't also concerned with racial equality, and LGBTQIA equality, and religious equality, and equality for individuals with disabilities - especially where those systems of privilege overlap with feminist issues. It is easy for me to see evidence of male privilege every day, as a female who is denied it. It is less easy for me to see evidence of other types of privilege, because I am a white, heterosexual, cisgendered, able-bodied female from a middle-class American family, who, while she currently identifies as an atheist, was brought up in a Protestant household. It is NOT less easy for me to see this evidence because it doesn't exist. Furthermore, just because it is less easy for me to see this evidence does NOT give me an excuse not to seek it out, not to try to recognize my own privileges when they benefit me, not to listen when those who do not share these privileges point out those privileges that are so easy for me to take for granted. I'm sure I'll fall short - I'm only human - but it is my responsibility to try very hard not to make blatant mistakes, and to, when I inevitably do misstep or misspeak, recognize it and apologize for it at that time.
I bring up feminism here because it is important to me. As I've studied and self-reflected in college, in adulthood, on my personality, on my life goals, on the kind of person I'd like to be, I've realized just how socialized I've been to think and behave the ways I do - and often simply because I'm a woman. I do not think all women have the same experience I do, but my personal experience - much of it which has been shaped by my gender and how I was raised and how I continue to think of myself - comes across in a lot of my work (particularly my honors thesis), and I think many women will be able to relate to certain aspects of it.
So before I go any further, I'd like to point out just some of the privileges males have that females in America (and in much of the world) do not.
In America today, a man can say all or most of the following statements as true, while a woman can not:
- My odds of being hired for a job are probably skewed in my favor when competing against applicants of the opposite sex
- I can be confident that my co-workers won't think I got my job because of my sex - even though that might be true
- If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won't be seen as a reflection against my entire sex's capabilities
- I am unlikely to face sexual harassment at work, especially compared to the likeliness of the opposite sex facing sexual harassment
- I am not taught to fear walking alone after dark in average public spaces, and when I do walk alone at night, I am not on constant alert for strangers of the opposite sex that might try to harm me
- I can be reasonably sure that I will not be denied health insurance because of the "preexisting condition" of what sex I am, that I will not pay more for medical services or medication than comparable services members of the opposite sex receive, and that new medical treatments have been tested on and are approved for members of my sex
- If I choose not to have children, or have children but do not provide the primary care for them, my decision will not be called into question
- If I have children and a career, no one will think I'm selfish for not staying at home with them
- My elected representatives are mostly people of my own sex
- When I ask to see "the person in charge," odds are I will face a person of my own sex
- I can choose from an almost infinite variety of media (TV shows, books, movies) featuring positive, active, non-stereotyped heroes of my own sex
- If I am careless with my financial affairs or driving, it won't be attributed to my sex
- There is little chance I will be ridiculed for having multiple sexual partners
- I do not have to worry about the message my wardrobe sends about my sexual availability
- The grooming regimen expected of me is relatively cheap and consumes little time
- If I am not conventionally attractive, the disadvantages are relatively small and easy to ignore
- I can be loud or assertive without fear of being shamed (i.e. being called a "bitch")
- I can ask for legal protection from violence without being seen as a self-interested, since violence that targets my sex is called "crime" and is a general social concern (as opposed to "domestic violence" or "acquaintance rape," which are seen as special interest issues)
- I can be confident that the ordinary language of day-to-day existence will always include my sex. (i.e. "All men are created equal," mailman, chairman, freshman, etc.)
- My ability to make important decisions and my capability in general will never be questioned depending on where I am in my hormone cycle
- I will never be expected to change my name upon marriage or questioned if I don't change my name
- The decision to hire me will not be based on assumptions about whether or not I might choose to have a family sometime soon
- Every major religion in the world is led primarily by people of my own sex, and the imagery and descriptions of my deity identifies him as a member of my sex
- Sexual harassment on the street virtually never happens to me
- I am not interrupted by members of the opposite sex (as often as the opposite sex is interrupted by members of my own sex)
- I can easily find a partner willing to do most of the basic childcare and household chores (*heterosexual men only)
- Magazines, billboards, television, movies, pornography, and virtually all of media is filled with images intended to appeal to me sexually (*heterosexual men only)
[Most items on this list were adapted from The Male Privilege Checklist]
A lot of those may not seem like a big deal on their own - but working together, they create an environment in which maleness is constantly seen as the default, leaving women on the sidelines even though they comprise at least half of the world's population.
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| "Feminine Layers" (20"x22" Watercolor on Paper) by Andrea Arbit Part of my honors thesis: "Flower Symbolism as Female Sexual Metaphor" |
(The above painting, by the way, is available for purchase through my Etsy shop.)
Obviously, this "othering" of women creates all sorts of disadvantages for us, including the possibilities for physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, mental, and financial harm. Men can also be harmed by this system of privilege - a man who doesn't fit into our society's idea for masculinity might be ridiculed or beaten, for instance. But there is a clear difference - men who are harmed by this system are harmed because they are not taking adequate advantage of their privilege (whether by choice or otherwise); women are harmed because they can never catch up at all. Men are punished when they do not act like men (meaning, when they "act like women," because to be a woman is apparently an insult) - when they care too much about how they look, when they are interested in makeup, when they are physically attracted to men, when they don't financially provide for their families, when they take an interest in caring for their own children, when they cry. Women are both punished for acting in these stereotypically feminine ways and when they try to act more like men. Men might have to do things they don't want to do, act in ways that are counter to their natural inclinations, just so that they appear more masculine - but if they are able to convincingly put on that mask, they are granted their male privilege. There is no amount of masks a woman can wear to earn that male privilege.
(Side note for clarification - Transgendered individuals who identify as men and "pass" as men the majority of the time often will experience many of these male privileges. But these are not "women" who have overcome their womanness to become a man; they are men who were assigned the wrong sex at birth. And, as mentioned earlier, cisgendered (those whose sex aligns with their assignment at birth) persons have their own sets of privileges that many transgendered persons do not, just like those in America with lighter skin have another set of privileges that those in America with darker skin do not, and those who are attracted to members of the opposite sex have another set of privileges that those who are attracted to members of their same sex, or both sexes, do not, etc., etc.)
So - where am I going with all of this? Why am I bringing up male privilege in this blog - a blog that is supposed to be, more or less, about my artwork, my stories, the things I create? Because I am a feminist, and that feminism often influences my work, and I am a feminist because males have the privileges listed above. A feminist does NOT believe that women are inherently better than men, or that they should have more rights, more privileges than men do. They are looking for EQUAL representations between the sexes. To many men, who are used to the privileges they have, this seems like an attack, because to equalize the sexes is to take away those privileges. But feminists are not trying to take away those privileges to give those privileges to women instead - they are looking to dismantle the system entirely, so that NO ONE has privilege because of their sex, male OR female.
Of course, there are other systems that need dismantling as well - race is the other BIG one that gets a lot of national attention, especially lately, with movements like #BlackLivesMatter. Many feminists (the good ones, at least, the ones who are intersectionalists) are also in favor of dismantling these systems. Just because their main focus is on gender equality does not mean they aren't also concerned with racial equality, and LGBTQIA equality, and religious equality, and equality for individuals with disabilities - especially where those systems of privilege overlap with feminist issues. It is easy for me to see evidence of male privilege every day, as a female who is denied it. It is less easy for me to see evidence of other types of privilege, because I am a white, heterosexual, cisgendered, able-bodied female from a middle-class American family, who, while she currently identifies as an atheist, was brought up in a Protestant household. It is NOT less easy for me to see this evidence because it doesn't exist. Furthermore, just because it is less easy for me to see this evidence does NOT give me an excuse not to seek it out, not to try to recognize my own privileges when they benefit me, not to listen when those who do not share these privileges point out those privileges that are so easy for me to take for granted. I'm sure I'll fall short - I'm only human - but it is my responsibility to try very hard not to make blatant mistakes, and to, when I inevitably do misstep or misspeak, recognize it and apologize for it at that time.
I bring up feminism here because it is important to me. As I've studied and self-reflected in college, in adulthood, on my personality, on my life goals, on the kind of person I'd like to be, I've realized just how socialized I've been to think and behave the ways I do - and often simply because I'm a woman. I do not think all women have the same experience I do, but my personal experience - much of it which has been shaped by my gender and how I was raised and how I continue to think of myself - comes across in a lot of my work (particularly my honors thesis), and I think many women will be able to relate to certain aspects of it.
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