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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.272
In order to continue to achieve these goals and more, AWSDA needs
the support of interested, motivated persons. We need you - men
and women who care enough to show their support for AWSDA. Men
and women from all walks of life and all backgrounds. Together we
can make a difference. Call or write to the address above or
e-mail to "eileen@camb.com" for more information and an
application form. If you e-mail to me, please be sure to include
your postal mailing address. We look forward to hearing from you.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [USA]
132 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Founded in 1920. Pro- reproductive choice; pro- lesbian & gay
rights. [From ACLU Briefing Paper #1 (published in 1991):] "The
ACLU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 250,000-member public interest
organization devoted exclusively to protecting the basic civil
liberties of all Americans, and extending them to groups that have
traditionally been denied them."
Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE)
The National Research Council (NRC) has established, within the
Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, the Committee on
Women in Science and Engineering (CWSE) in 1990. The latter is
responsible for activities for facilitating the entry and
retention of a greater number of talented women into scientific
and engineering careers. Therefore, they are mainly focused on the
postsecondary segments of the Education/Employment pipeline. They
held their first meeting in March 1991 and their activities are as
follows:
(1) collect and disseminate current data on the participation of
women in science and engineering in the fields of academe,
government, industry, and professional societies.
(2) monitor the progress of efforts to increase the
participation of women in S&E careers
(3) conduct symposia, workshops and other meetings to explore
the policy environment, to stimulate and encourage
initiatives in program development for women in S&E, and to
evaluate their effectiveness on a regular basis
(4) propose research and conduct special studies on issues
relevant to women scientists and engineers so as to develop
reports to document evidence and articulate NRC
recommendations for actions.
Emily's List [USA]
1112 16th Street, NW
Suite 750
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 887-1957
EMILY (Early Money Is Like Yeast)'s List is a "donor network" --
the organization itself does not give money to candidates;
instead, it recommends a list of candidates to the members of the
network and the members write checks directly to the campaigns of
the candidates they choose. Their focus is on electing pro-choice
Democratic women to state and national office. They distribute a
well-researched and very detailed (2 pages' worth) profile of each
recommended candidate to the network membership.
To become a member of EMILY's List, one must pay a membership fee
of $100 every 2 years, and pledge to write a minimum of 2 checks a
year, for a minimum of $100 each, to a minimum of 2 candidates.
Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) [USA]
1400 20th St. NW, Suite 104,
Washington, DC 20036
202-785-5100
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) [USA]
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force [USA]
National Institutes of Health: Office of Research on Women's Health
301-402-1770
National Roundtable for Women in Prisons [USA]
National Women's Health Network [USA]
1325 G Street, NW (Lower Level)
Washington, DC 20005-2052
Provides information on many aspects of health care for women.
There is a bimonthly newsletter as well as an informational
resource center provided. The newsletter is informative and very
interesting. They advocate reforms and legislation affecting
research into women's health care, and availability of women's
health care. For example:
1) Pushed for resources into women's reproductive health research:
2) Pushed for safe drugs and medical devices;
3) Provided information about menopause and "replacement" therapy drugs;
4) Fought for reproductive rights
5) Distributed information on women and AIDS
6) Pushed for funding and research into breast health and breast cancer;
7) Promoted maternal and child health care policies
8) Worked on occupational health issues
9) Pushed for a national health program
National Women's Political Caucus [USA]
National Women's Studies Association [USA]
Older Women's League [USA]
666 11th Street, NW Suite 700
Washington DC 20001-4512
The First and only national membership organization dedicated to
improving the lives of mid-life and older women, OWL is a leading
advocate for economic and social justice, exerting its influence
in Congress and state legislatures on a vast array of public
policy fronts, such as pensions, Social Security, insurance and
health care. They support expanded employer-sponsored pension
coverage, increased access to housing, housing alternatives for
the elderly poor, and the Family Medical Leave Act.
Planned Parenthood [Int'l]
Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR) [USA]
100 Maryland Ave., NE
Washington, D.C., 20002-5625
A coalition of diverse Christian and Jewish groups supporting a
woman's right to abortion. They link reproductive freedom with
religious freedom, noting that an anti-abortion law would impose a
religious view held by some citizens upon all citizens (the notion
of personhood). They present a distinct challenge to the notion
that only "unbelievers" are pro-choice.
Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research, The [USA]
Women of Color Caucus
Women in House and Senate (WISH)
Similar to Emily's List, but for Republican candidates.
III. Feminist and Feminist-Oriented Magazines.
The Women's Review of Books
The Women's Review Inc
828 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02181
$16/year-monthly except August--newprint--usually about 25 pages
Editorial Policy: The Women's Review of Books is feminist but not
restricted to any one conception of feminism; all writing that is
neither sexist, racist, homophobic, nor otherwise discriminatory
will be welcome. We seek to represent the widest possible range of
feminist perspectives both in the books reviewed and in the
content of the reviews. We believe that no one of us, alone or in
a group, can speak for feminism , or women, as such; all of our
thinking and writing takes place in a specific political, social,
ethnic and sexual context, and a responsible review periodical
should reflect and further that diversity. The women's Review
takes no editorial stance; all the views expressed in it represent
the opinion of the individual authors.
Ms.
P.O. Box 50008
Boulder, CO 80321-0008
An advertisement-free magazine devoted to a variety of feminist
issues. Ms. has had a long history as a feminist magazine.
The Network News
National Women's Health Network
1325 G St., N.W.
Washington DC, 20005
Women's health issues.
Women and Guns
Second Amendment Foundation
James Madison Building
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005
Practical advice on self-defense from the woman's point of view.
Besides gun reviews, includes topics such as self-protection at
home, effective cover, who should (and should not) own a gun, gun
storage options, teaching children to stay away from guns. A
refreshing feminist editor provides intriguing editorials.
Health
3 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Women's health issues.
IV. Feminist and Women-Oriented Electronic Mailing Lists.
In subscribing to any of these lists, be sure to include your full
email address at the end of the body of your message. Do not count
on the Reply: field arriving unscathed at the other end.
A number of universities and companies have local women-only or
women-oriented mailing lists; you may wish to inquire the postmaster
at your site for any specific local information.
All the information here was correct as of March, 1992.
Amazons International
Amazons International is an electronic newsletter for and about
Amazons (physically and psychologically strong, assertive women
who don't like or fit in with femininity as weakness, wimpiness
and subordination and who are not afraid to break free from
traditional ideas and restrictions about gender roles), and their
friends and lovers. Amazons International is dedicated to the
image of the female hero in fiction and in fact, as it is
expressed in art and literature, in the physiques and feats of
female athletes, and in sexual values and practices. Contact:
thomas@smaug.uio.no.
EDUCOM-W%educom.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
EDUCOM-W is an unmoderated list to facilitate discussion of issues
in technology and education that are of interest to women. The
list is intended to promote discussion of how EDUCOM can help
address those issues in its services to members.
To subscribe, send a message to listserv@bitnic with the following
line of text:
SUB EDUCOM-W Your_full_name
where Your_full_name is your name, not your login ID.
femail
Femail is intended to provide a forum for discussion of issues of
interest to women, in a friendly atmosphere. The basic tenets of
feminism and the day-to-day experiences of women do not have to be
explained or defended. Men and women can join, but everyone
requesting to be added to the mailing list MUST provide the
moderator with: 1) a full name; 2) a complete uucp path to a
well-known host or a fully specified Internet address; 3) the
correspondent's gender (for records and statistics only). NO
exceptions.
To subscribe, send email to femail-request@lucerne.eng.sun.com
feminism-digest
This is a simple collation of the articles that appear on usenet's
soc.feminism. It is not a mailing list in its own right, although
subscribers are told how to send their articles via email to the
newsgroup. It is intended for anyone unable to access
soc.feminism or simply wishing a digest format. At present, the
articles are not filtered. Anyone can join.
To subscribe, send email to feminism-request@ncar.ucar.edu.
GENDER
Gender issues. To subscribe, send email to
comserve%rpiecs.bitnet@vm.its.rpi.edu.
Kol-Isha
Halachic questions and issues concerning women's roles in Judaism.
It is a moderated list available through the courtesy of
israel.nysernet. The list encourages Achdut Yisrael and so
is open to a member of any group, so long as other group member's
positions are respected.
To subscribe, send a message to listserv@israel.nysernet.org
with the text
subscribe kol-isha Jane Doe
Substitute your own name for Jane Doe (do not put in your login or
email address). Do not specify a subject line and do not include
any other text in the body.
SAIS-L
Science awareness and promotion. Send email to
listserv@unbvm1.bitnet or listserv@unb.ca.
sappho
Purpose: A forum and support group for gay and bisexual women.
The list is not moderated, but may become so if the volume and/or
content begins to warrant it. A digest version is available; if
you want it, be sure to mention it in your addition request. Men
who want to "listen in," for whatever reason, are requested to try
other mailing lists instead; sappho membership is limited to
women.
To subscribe, send email to sappho-request@mc.lcs.mit.edu.
SWIP-L
Feminist Philosophy. Send email to
listserv%cfrvm.bitnet@vtvm2.cc.vt.edu.
systers
Systers is a mailing list intended for professional and technical
women in computer science. This is a women-only list. Academic
and industry people are both welcome. In general, you should be
finished with undergraduate studies and either working in Computer
Science (in industry or academics) or completing Masters/PhD. work
in Computer Science.
To subscribe, send email to Dr. Anita Borg at
systers-request@decwrl.dec.com. She will give you all the
addresses that you will need for participation on systers.
WISENET
Women in science, mathematics or engineering and students
interested in those disciplines are encouraged to join a newly
established network to help them progress in their careers.
WISENET/Midwest is a Midwest network that promotes women and girls
of diverse backgrounds in science, mathematics and engineering.
To subscribe, send email to listserv@uicvm (bitnet) or
listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (internet). The format in the body
of the message should be
SUBSCRIBE WISENET your_full_name
Where your_full_name is your own name, not your email address.
WITI (described above)
Send email to WITI@cup.portal.com.
WMST-L
WMST-L has been formed to facilitate discussion of Women's Studies
issues, especially those concerned with research, teaching, and
program administration, and to publicize relevant conferences, job
announcements, calls for papers, publications, and the like. The
list also serves as a repository for syllabi and other files
related to Women's Studies.
To subscribe to WMST-L, send the following command via e-mail or
interactive message to listserv@umdd (Bitnet) or
listserv@umdd.umd.edu (Internet): Subscribe WMST-L Your_full_name.
For example:
Subscribe WMST-L Jane Doe
For more information, or if you have materials that you'd be
willing to put on file, please contact Joan Korenman, Women's
Studies Program, U. of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
21228-5398 (korenman@umbc or korenman@umbc2.umbc.edu).
WON (described above)
Send email to carmela@echo.panix.com or horn@echo.panix.com.
V. Catalogues.
National Women's History Project
7738 Bell Road
Windsor, CA 95492
(707) 838-6000
8-5 Pacific Time
The blurb on the cover says that the catalog is a resource for
"Posters, Women's History Month Celebration Supplies, Gifts,
Books, Videos, Display Materials, Classroom Materials". The
function of the project is to promote women's history in
classrooms, workplaces and communities. The catalog gets bigger
every year, and reading through it is always inspiring.
Scarecrow Press Catalogue
52 Liberty Street
PO Box 4167
Metuchen NJ 08840
1-800-537-7107
--------------
My thanks to: Nancyjane Bailey, Anita Borg, Natalie Cohen, Janet Chin,
Ellen Eades, Marc R. Ewing, Kathleen Freeman, Thomas Gramstad, Mary
Dee Harris, Stacy Horn, Eileen S. Kostolni, Dian Lopez, Diane L.
Olsen, Linda C. Perry, Carolyn Turbyfill, Heidi Wolf, and Sue J.
Worden.
--------------
Please mail in comments, additions, corrections, suggestions, and so
on to feminism-request@ncar.ucar.edu.
--Cindy Tittle Moore
"A woman with a mind is fit for all tasks."
--Christine de Pizan (c.1363 - c.1431)
Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu soc.feminism:5681 news.answers:4643
Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!usenet
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism,news.answers
Subject: soc.feminism Terminologies
Supersedes: <feminism/terms_722412017@athena.mit.edu>
Followup-To: poster
Date: 17 Dec 1992 06:02:26 GMT
Organization: University of California at Irvine: ICS Dept.
Lines: 467
Sender: tittle
Approved: tittle@ics.uci.edu,news-answers-request@mit.edu
Expires: 25 Jan 1993 06:02:10 GMT
Message-ID: <feminism/terms_724572130@athena.mit.edu>
References: <feminism/info_724572130@athena.mit.edu>
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: pit-manager.mit.edu
Summary: This post contains a description of a variety of feminist
groups and ideas. It is intended to give readers of
soc.feminism a common basis for understanding different terms
that get thrown around.
X-Last-Updated: 1992/08/06
Archive-name: feminism/terms
Version: 1.4
Last-modified: 6 August 1992
Copies of this FAQ may be obtained by anonymous ftp to
pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) under
/pub/usenet/news.answers/feminism/terms. Or, send email to
mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu with the subject line "send
usenet/news.answers/feminism/terms", leaving the body of the message
empty.
Summary of changes:
"Kinds" of feminism alphabetized. Material feminism added.
A variety of movements in feminism means that calling one's self a
feminist can mean many things. In general, members of the following
categories of feminism believe in the listed policies; however as with
any diverse movement, there are disagreements within each group and
overlap between others. This list is meant to illustrate the
diversity of feminist thought and belief. It does not mean that
feminism is fragmented (although it often seems that way!). Much of
the definitions presented here are inspired from _American Feminism_
by Ginette Castro; there is a definite American bias here. Other
sources were _Feminist Frameworks_ (2nd ed.) by Jaggar and Rothenberg
(which is a worthwhile but incomplete reader that tried to sort out
these various schools of feminist thought). Any additional, balancing
information from other countries and/or books is more than welcome
(and will be incorporated).
Defining various kinds of feminism is a tricky proposition. The
diversity of comment with most of the kinds presented here should
alert you to the dangers and difficulties in trying to "define"
feminism. Since feminism itself resists all kinds of definitions by
its very existence and aims, it is more accurate to say that there are
all kinds of "flavors" and these flavors are mixed up every which way;
there is no set of Baskin Robbins premixed flavors, as it were.
Amazon Feminism
Amazon feminism is dedicated to the image of the female hero in
fiction and in fact, as it is expressed in art and literature, in
the physiques and feats of female athletes, and in sexual values
and practices.
Amazon feminism is concerned about physical equality and is
opposed to gender role stereotypes and discrimination against
women based on assumptions that women are supposed to be, look or
behave as if they are passive, weak and physically helpless.
Amazon feminism rejects the idea that certain characteristics or
interests are inherently masculine (or feminine), and upholds and
explores a vision of heroic womanhood. Thus Amazon feminism
advocates e.g., female strength athletes, martial artists,
soldiers, etc. [TG]
Anarcho-Feminism
Anarcho-feminism was never a huge movement, especially in the
United States, and you won't find a whole lot written about it. I
mention it mostly because of the influential work of Emma Goldman,
who used anarchism to craft a radical feminism that was (alas!)
far ahead of her time. Radical feminism expended a lot of energy
dealing with a basis from which to critique society without
falling into Marxist pleas for socialist revolution. It also
expended a lot of energy trying to reach across racial and class
lines. Goldman had succeeded in both. Radical feminist Alix
Schulman realized this, but not in time to save her movement.
She's put out a reader of Goldman's work and a biography, both of
which I recommend highly. [JD]
Cultural Feminism
As radical feminism died out as a movement, cultural feminism got
rolling. In fact, many of the same people moved from the former
to the latter. They carried the name "radical feminism" with
them, and some cultural feminists use that name still. (Jaggar
and Rothenberg don't even list cultural feminism as a framework
separate from radical feminism, but Echols spells out the
distinctions in great detail.) The difference between the two is
quite striking: whereas radical feminism was a movement to
transform society, cultural feminism retreated to vanguardism,
working instead to build a women's culture. Some of this effort
has had some social benefit: rape crisis centers, for example; and
of course many cultural feminists have been active in social
issues (but as individuals, not as part of a movement). [JD]
Cultural feminists can sometimes come up with notions that sound
disturbingly Victorian and non-progressive: that women are
inherently (biologically) "kinder and gentler" than men and so on.
(Therefore if all leaders were women, we wouldn't have wars.)
I do think, though, that cultural feminism's attempts to heighten
respect for what is traditionally considered women's work is an
important parallel activity to recognizing that traditionally male
activities aren't necessarily as important as we think. [CTM]
I have often associated this type of statement [inherently kinder
and gentler] with Separatist Feminists, who seem to me to feel
that women are *inherently* kinder and gentler, so why associate
with men? (This is just my experience from Separatists I know...I
haven't read anything on the subject.) I know Cultural Feminists
who would claim women are *trained* to be kinder and gentler, but
I don't know any who have said they are *naturally* kinder. [SJ]
As various 1960s movements for social change fell apart or got
co-opted, folks got pessimistic about the very possibility of
social change. Many of then turned their attention to building
alternatives, so that if they couldn't change the dominant
society, they could avoid it as much as possible. That, in a
nutshell, is what the shift from radical feminism to cultural
feminism was about. These alternative-building efforts were
accompanied with reasons explaining (perhaps justifying) the
abandonment of working for social change. Cultural feminism's
justification was biological determinism. This justification was
worked out in great detail, and was based on assertions in
horribly-flawed books like Elizabeth Gould Davis's _The First Sex_
and Ashley Montagu's _The Natural Superiority of Women_. So
notions that women are "inherently kinder and gentler" are one of
the foundations of cultural feminism, and remain a major part of
it. A similar concept held by some cultural feminists is that
while various sex differences might not be biologically
determined, they are still so thoroughly ingrained as to be
intractable. There is no inherent connection between
alternative-building and ideologies of biological determinism (or
of social intracta- bility). SJ has apparently encountered
alternative-builders who don't embrace biological determinism, and
I consider this a very good sign. [JD]
I should point out here that Ashley Montagu is male, and his
book was first copyright in 1952, so I don't believe that it
originated as part of the separatist movements in the '60's.
It may still be horribly flawed; I haven't yet read it. [CTM]
Erotic Feminism
[European] This seemed to start (as a movement) in Germany under
the rule of Otto von Bismarck. He ruled the land with the motto
"blood and iron". In society the man was the _ultra manly man_ and
power was patriarchal power. Some women rebelled against this, by
becoming WOMAN. Eroticism became a philosophical and metaphysical
value and the life-creating value. [RG]
Eco-Feminism:
This branch of feminism is much more spiritual than political or
theoretical in nature. It may or may not be wrapped up with
Goddess worship and vegetarianism. Its basic tenet is that a
patriarchical society will exploit its resources without regard to
long term consequences as a direct result of the attitudes
fostered in a patriarchical/hierarchical society. Parallels are
often drawn between society's treatment of the environment,
animals, or resources and its treatment of women. In resisting
patriarchical culture, eco-feminists feel that they are also
resisting plundering and destroying the Earth. And vice-versa.
[CTM]
This is actually socially-conscious environmentalism with a tiny
smattering of the radical and cultural feminist observation that
exploitation of women and exploitation of the earth have some
astonishing parallels. The rest of "eco-feminism" turns out to be
a variation on socialism. The Green movements of Europe have
done a good job of formulating (if not implementing) an
environmentally aware feminism; and while Green movements
were not originally considered a part of eco-feminism, they
are now recognized as a vital component. [JD]
(If I remember correctly, a couple of feminist groups, including
NOW have joined up with Green parties. [CTM])
Feminism and Women of Color
In _feminist theory from margin to center_ (1984), bell hooks
writes of "militant white women" who call themselves "radical
feminists" but hooks labels them "reactionary" . . . Hooks is
refering to cultural feminism here. Her comment is a good
introduction to that fractious variety of feminism that Jaggar and
Rothenberg find hard to label any further than to designate its
source as women of color. It is a most vital variety, covering
much of the same ground as radical feminism and duplicating its
dynamic nature. Yet bad timing kept the two from ever uniting.
For more information you might want to also read hooks' book and
her earlier reader, _ain't i a woman?_ Whereas radical feminism
was primarily formulated by educated white women focusing on
women's issues, this variety was formulated by women who would not
(because they could not) limit their focus. What is so
extraordinary is that the two converged in so many ways, with the
notable exception that the women of color were adamantly opposed
to considering one form of oppression (sexism) without considering
the others. [JD]
I think an important work in the history of feminism and women of
color is Gloria Anzaldua and Cherrie Moraga's anthology, _This
Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color_. It's
my belief that the unique contribution of women of color, who
experience at least two forms of discrimination daily, provides
balance and reality to much of the more theoretical forms of
academic feminism favored by educated white women. [EE]
Individualist, or Libertarian Feminism
Individualist feminism is based upon individualist or libertarian
(minimum government or anarchocapitalist) philosophies, i.e.
philosophies whose primary focus is individual autonomy, rights,
liberty, independence and diversity.
Liberal Feminism:
This is the variety of feminism that works within the structure of
mainstream society to integrate women into that structure. Its
roots stretch back to the social contract theory of government
instituted by the American Revolution. Abigail Adams and Mary
Wollstonecraft were there from the start, proposing equality for
women. As is often the case with liberals, they slog along inside
the system, getting little done amongst the compromises until some
radical movement shows up and pulls those compromises left of
center. This is how it operated in the days of the suffragist
movement and again with the emergence of the radical feminists.
[JD]
Marxist and Socialist Feminism
Marxism recognizes that women are oppressed, and attributes the
oppression to the capitalist/private property system. Thus they
insist that the only way to end the oppression of women is to
overthrow the capitalist system. Socialist feminism is the result
of Marxism meeting radical feminism. Jaggar and Rothenberg point
to significant differences between socialist feminism and Marxism,
but for our purposes I'll present the two together. Echols offers
a description of socialist feminism as a marriage between Marxism
and radical feminism, with Marxism the dominant partner. Marxists
and socialists often call themselves "radical," but they use the
term to refer to a completely different "root" of society: the
economic system. [JD]