Gloria Steinem is an activist, writer, and editor. She is a best-selling author, a television producer, and she travels worldwide as a lecturer. She is also a frequent media commentator on issues of equality. Gloria Steinem founded Ms. Magazine in 1972 and was its editor for 15 years. She helped organize a consortium of women investors called Liberty Media Forward which then purchased Ms. Magazine. Her talk is about the future of the feminist movement.

Principles that Guide the Feminist Movement (From Gloria’s Talk):

• Activism: There is the need to be aware of the reasons for shared action.

• Enlightened Self-interest: Feminism is connected to all social movements. Acting on behalf of others helps the feminist cause. We need to see our interest in the other person’s welfare—there is an organic connection.

• Sexism and Racism are Interdependent: One cannot exist without the other. By controlling women’s reproduction, racial division can be maintained. Thus, the movements come together. It is not possible to have women’s liberation without racial liberation and visa versa. Both movements have the same adversaries.

• Women’s Movement Comes Together with the Gay and Lesbian Movement: Both movements separate sex with reproduction. That is why their foes are against abortion and family planning.

• Women’s Coalition Must Span Age Differences: The youth have higher standards--better "shit detectors." Diversity allows us to learn more. Inclusion must start from the beginning.

• The Means are the Ends: If we respect diversity in the means, it will be reflected in the ends. Chose the means that most reflect the desired ends. Everything we do matters. Therefore, act ethically and effectively.

Social stratification: people are ranked hierarchically, differentiating them as superior or inferior (Ch. 9 text)

Feminist theoretical perspective (or paradigm): It is a school of thought that explains gender in terms of the political and socio-economic structure in which it is constructed. It emphasizes the importance of taking collective action to eradicate sexism in sociology as well as in society, and to reconstruct gender so that it is neither a harmful nor an oppressive social category.

Feminist movement: social movement composed of many diverse segments, each committed to eliminating gender oppression as well as other inequalities

Patriarchy: forms of social organizations in which men are dominant over women (text p. 238). A sex/gender system; what is considered masculine is more highly valued that what is considered feminine.

• Infused throughout U.S. society
• Generally, men have more power than women, and generally, they also have greater power over women
• Class and racial variation exists, but men in general gain some privilege at the expense of women
• Sex-gender system (which assigns women’s and men’s roles unequally) distributes power, resources, prestige, and privilege unequally
• A hierarchical system of social relations among men that creates and maintains the domination of women.
• Not all men benefit equally from patriarchal systems.
• As a system of social organization, patriarchy patterns and shapes relations between and among men and women.

MS: WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF BEING A FEMINIST TODAY?

GS: I would still go along with the dictionary definition of someone, which can be a woman or a man, who believes in the full social, economic, political equality of women and men.

MS: IT COMES DOWN TO ASKING PEOPLE TO RECONSTRUCT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER ROLES AND THEIR WHOLE SYSTEM OF VALUES.

GS: Right. In a way, what happens to men is called "politics" and what happens to women is called "culture". We've taken one giant step forward by convincing the majority of the country that women can do what men can do. But the next step is convincing the country that men can do what women can do.

We also have to re-define work, so that the work of caring for children and doing human maintenance in the home is counted as productive work, has attributed value. That means changing the national system of accounts. And we also have to see to it that men raise children and work in the home as much as women do. Otherwise, women always end up having two jobs. That's just not possible. You can't do two jobs.

Feminism is about giving each other the power to make decisions. But I also know nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do everyday.