One of the most popular topics in the 'blog-o-sphere is the battle of the sexes. It can be found in
one form or
another in nearly every 'blog post but occasionally becomes much more blatant. Recently I have been seeing, again, a burst of posts much more directly related to the sexes and their relationship to each other.
Now, my own view of feminism and the feminist movement is that feminists are challenging the long held notion that women are, by definition, inferior to men.
I am a great believer in equal pay for equal work and I believe that women are no more "completed" by motherhood than men are "completed" by fatherhood.
So much of the battle of the sexes seems to be rooted in the idea that there must be a superior sex. Over and over the underlying theme appears to be that for the world to function one sex must be inferior to the other and that because women have not proven themselves to be the superior sex they must by definition be the inferior sex.
So much of this doggerel is, I think, a holdover from a bygone era. Not too long ago in the course of human history women were less capable of providing support and sustenance for themselves and their families. Less upper body strength meant that in a world where things were most often accomplished by brute strength women were at a decided disadvantage in the work place.
Along came the industrial revolution and suddenly women became a much more viable option in the workforce.
I may be just a silly, stupid woman, but for me the feminist movement was (and is) about drawing attention to the fact that in today's fully automated workplace (there are a few exceptions) women are equal to men in every way and society should reflect this equality. As a woman I have no expectation of social equality and true workplace equality happening overnight, but I do have hope that, as the rate of social change increases due to ease of communication, it will happen soon.
This all does have a relationship to, well, relationships. I see no reason why, if I am as capable as a man and his equal, I should be inferior to him in a romantic relationship.
Why should I be romantically subservient? Why am I wrong to want the same things from life as my husband, brother, friend or father wants?
I have never gotten a satisfactory explanation as to why in a romantic relationship someone must be subordinate. Please, someone explain this to me.
