In Chapter 3 of Basics, Campbell brings up feminist approaches to bioethics. These approaches give us additional ways of thinking through ethical issues and remind us that equality is not a given but something that we must actively work to achieve. I see feminism as a belief in the equal opportunities and rights of everyone regardless of gender or sex. In this way, shouldn't we all consider ourselves feminists? This connects with virtue ethics since it seems reasonable that a virtuous person would seek justice and equality.
In this interesting TedTalk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses her experiences and take on feminism:
What are your thoughts? How could this relate to bioethics? For me, I think about healthcare providers interactions with patients and unintended gender bias that could effect patient care. Campbell mentions that to make ethical decisions, we must have the facts. But if facts are too much distorted by our own biases, then how will we be able to make the right, or ethical, decision?
I remember studying the sociological feminist theory and really digging into that focus on the inequality between the sexes in a society. This approach seemed logical, and yet so many students in my class were really upset with the idea of focusing on the differences between the sexes; many of them cited the "we're all equal, so we shouldn't divide ourselves like this" argument, which I found was so confusing. This bias that so many of my classmates had could appear in health professionals, which honestly scares me. If someone is to examine the health of an individual, that person has to take into account all the things working against their patient, both physically and socially. I love Ted Talk you linked! It really gives a brighter, more accurate view on feminism, a term that has definitely been misconstrued in the past few decades.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I think people tend see feminism as this negative thing, but it is by far the complete opposite. As a feminist I feel like it's a part of our job to help and educate those who aren't as aware of the inequality that occurs between men and women in our society. Even though society has come an extremely long way regarding inequality, we definitely still have ways to go. I still do not understand why some referee to themselves as anti-feminist.
DeleteAs a father of daughters I find feminism imperative (and inescapable), and am always puzzled when I encounter fathers AND mothers who declare themselves anti...
ReplyDeleteBeing completely transparent, I have for a long time viewed feminism as something negative. I think it is because the picture that has been made by feminist around me and in the news is one that I really did not want to be apart of. I see feminism as a movement amplifying that men are not needed or wanted... I'm not saying that this is what feminism is, but that how it has been portrayed to me personally. I still am not 100% sure where I stand. I know that gender inequality is real in every facet of life and I have actually seen it first hand in my own life as far as how I have been treated in certain circumstances. But all this to say, women bring something to the table that men do not, just as men bring something to the table that women do not. We were each created vastly different with different strengths and weaknesses, this is why I think we work best when we work together. I hope this makes sense. I am not communicating that feminism is a bad thing, I actually think it has great potential to be an encouraging and uplifting movement, I just think that the way it has been portrayed has painted it in a bad light.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, feminism in its most simple form is equality between men and women, and I agree with that; equality is what needs to happen. However, the modern feminist movement seems to have an agenda of elevating women over men rather than creating equality between them.
I think it's really sad when the main message of feminism is contorted into some kind of monster that wants to "get even" and make life bad for the group of people that have had it good for so long. I grappled with this issue in my youth because honestly it did feel like feminism was a backwards thing, a game of revenge. I got the chance to learn at an all-girls school for years, and only there did the ideas and practices of feminism seem like the only just way to live. Before this, I hadn't realized that I was surrounded by people that wanted to ignore so much inequality and injustice and were willing to paint feminism as something bad to achieve that ignorance. The biggest takeaway for me was to surround myself with people that care about the issues that different people face, people that are willing to admit that some things aren't fair and discuss how we can remedy those things as a community. I think that is the true definition of a feminist.
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