Mama Smith Talks Culture -- Part 1: Why Feminism?

Hello, dear friends and readers!

I hope you've had a lovely week! The weather has surprised and delighted us up here in almost-Canada. We have been enjoying 70-degree days with lots of walks and abundant sunshine!

Before I jump in to the first article in this series, I would like to say thank you, once again, for your readership, patience, and encouragement. I have been thinking and praying about this topic for over a year now, quite honestly, and I am eager to share with you in this discussion.

Let's do this!

Generally, it's good to know the "why" prior to engaging with the "what" of any given topic. I know that, for me, it helps capture my attention and keep me interested if I have an excellent guiding reason to learn something.

I've been pondering the meaning of feminism and why I want to share my thoughts about it with you for some time now, and if I had to say it in one sentence, it would be:

I want to discuss feminism with you because (1) it is a prominent ideology in our culture today, (2) it is now considered a moral imperative rather than an optional affiliation, and (3) it has far-reaching ramifications for the way we raise our children.

In order to break down the above statement, I'll begin with my first point. Feminism is a prominent ideology in our culture today.

When I say "prominent," I mean that every single celebrity and public figure I can name off the top of my head says they are a feminist. College professors almost universally ascribe to feminism. News reporters, journalists, novelists, and a multitude of voices from other popular media sources would say, if asked, that they are definitely feminists. In fact, if you were to speak to most people in the major cities of America, I would be willing to bet that many of them would admit, when asked, that they see feminism as something everybody should support because it is simply the right thing to do. Feminism seems to be a widespread, highly visible philosophy, accepted by many people.

As far as my second point is concerned, the imperative nature of feminism as a moral necessity depends partially on how widespread it has become. In other words, when we hear everyone around us saying the same thing and repudiating people who disagree with them as inherently immoral, we are often more likely to fall in line. We maintain the status quo because we don't want to be perceived badly.

Coming to my third point, it is important to recognize that feminism will undoubtedly affect our parenting. As a philosophy, feminism begins with a distinction between men and women, and this distinction necessitates that we focus on one of the most intimate elements of our being: our physical body. Our maleness or femaleness is very visually oriented and comprehensive. Every cell in our body contains chromosomes with either male or female DNA. As we raise our boys and our girls, they will become more aware of how their body forms part of their complete identity. What we teach them about being a man or a woman -- through our words and our actions -- will have a significant impact on who they ultimately become.

Phew! I hope this post hasn't been too clinical or essay-like for you, but thanks for hanging in there! Next, we'll talk about what feminism actually is, historically speaking and in our current, cultural context. But I would love to hear from you! Why do you think it's important to understand what feminism is? Feel free to comment below or visit the Facebook page for Mama Smith Writes.

Soli Deo Gloria

- Mama Smith

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