Feminism?

I’m still thinking about brown-bag panel that I organized last Spring called “What Makes a Feminist?.”  In it, several of my colleagues in the History department discussed some of the powerful women (and their male allies) they had come across in their research.  One of the sticking points we found, though, is that the word “feminism” carries with it certain connotations that don’t fit all of our historical actors.  A friend from the Social Work department suggested we need a better word for men and women working for gender justice and equality.  What would that word be?  “Feminism” as a term is just a little over a century old, but has it already served its usefulness?  My own suspicion is that it has been completely hijacked, so that now many people think it’s a dirty word.  This saddens me.  When I think of all the important work done in the name of feminism, as well as the goals we have yet to achieve, I feel unwilling to give up this word quite yet.

On a completely different note, my upper-division Women’s History students brought something to my attention last week that I am still marveling over:  they claimed that seventy percent of this year’s incoming undergraduate class was female.  Really?  Does it feel as if women are in the majority here at Creighton?  How should Creighton modify its policies to reflect these changes?

Kindly,

 

Dr. Britta McEwen 

Assistant History Professor