Le féminisme me paraissait une notion complètement différente en France et aux Etats-unis. Je croyais le mouvement particulièrement virulent aux Etats-unis, notamment au regard du nombre de procès pour harcèlement, et au puritanisme qui semble régner.Cela m'a été confirmé dans les réponses avec ces thèmes récurrent,lutte,force;C'est surtout un mouvement beaucoup plus organisé qu'en France, cela se voit à travers les mots:organisation,militant,pouvoir...(jusqu'a même associer nazisme et féminisme!!!) Mais paradoxalement la notion de féminisme semble plutôt plus positive aux USA qu'en France.C'est peut-être parce que nos reponses traitent à mon avis soit de la vision que nous avons du féminisme américain soit de la lutte du MLF. Le féminisme semble aujourd'hui pour les français un mouvement désuet et pourtant... Qu'en est-il réellement du mouvement américain? (surtout après les récents évenements Clinton)

PS:Petite question:que veut dire whiners?

I have a small question: can you explain what MLF is exactly? What does it entail?

Women like Gertrude Stein made the feminism of today, but what is it exactly? In the words of the poll, one can understand that it is a big issue. For example, the word nazism is associated with this movement for women rights in some way. Don't you think that like other subjects, it is a little too far fetched? Consider the following example, are quotas really the solution, what is the point in threatening people with feminism ? It might be an idea from the old continent but here women don't fight for 'absolute equality' but for respect (80% of french mothers work and implicitely the french government helps them by providing the 'creche'), women and men are biologically not the same. Therefore, male and female have the same rights but are not equal, and I think it is a mistake to talk about equality. The only thing that might come up is the loss of chivalry and romance, is that really the goal ?

ps:clara, va faire un tour sur ce site:

http://www.nowhining.com/

I have just a question: Do you think Clinton is a feminist?

I think the concept of

feminism

evolved in the last 20 years, and has actually branched out, giving rise to different meanings. One meaning is what I call

militant feminism

. According to this doctrine, women are

T H E S A M E

as men in every respect. Hence the quotas, the radical and aggressive responses. This is obviously a load of dingo's kidneys. If someone thinks that 50% of miners should be women, that person obviously lost half a brain somewhere on the way. And there is no point in denying other scientific evidence, for example the fact that the verbal capabilities of women are

on average

more developed and more sophisticated than that of men. The people who subscribe to this doctrine do it, in my opinion, because they think that if society accepted the contrary evidence, then it would deny them rights and opportunities. They confuse

statistical averages

with

individual capabilities

. Accordingly, I think that 50% of miners should

not

be required to be women, but if a

particular

woman wants to be a miner, and is

qualified

, then there should be nothing to stop her.

The other kind of feminism, which I endorse, is precisely about this last thing. About

individual

rights, and the need to end

individual

discrimination. It is the acceptance of the fact that each and every one of us is born different, and we have a need to be able to live our lives in accordance with our

own

capabilities. Similarly to the notion of

colour blindness

, I believe in

gender blindness

as it applies to society.

I would like to close this with an old saying:

Men and Women will never understand each other, because they want different things. Men want women and women want men.

Feminism is not about complete equality, in my opinion. It is about giving women the respect, support and encouragement they need to do anything they want. It is about opportunity, not whining. Feminism should not be about a decline in chivalry or romance. Just because a woman has a PhD, a successful career and a family, it does not mean that a gentleman can not open a door for her.

Just a note: you wanted to know what "whiners" meant -- a "whiner" is someone who whines and complains and moans. Generally, if you describe a person as being a "whiner", they are the type of person who would rather complain about their problems rather than actually trying to do something to solve their problems.

MLF sont les initiales de mouvement de la libération de la femme.Le MLF est l'equivalent français du mouvement américain: Women Liberation Movement.