A room, with theatre rows of around
thirty chairs, each with individual fold-out book-rests facing
towards a projected screen, is filled with around thirty first-year
sociology undergraduates. Once settled, the projector presents to us
the very familiar image of Miley Cyrus on stage with Robin Thicke in
a performance that brought a broad and in-depth discussion of the
modern phenomena called 'twerking' along with Cyrus' grammar of
conduct.
The first question posed to the group
of students, eagerly awaiting the link between our education and the
controversial topic of a woman's music career, was “How many of you
identify as feminists?”. I am sitting near the front, arm
stretched in the air. Probably with one finger pointing to the
ceiling as if this makes my hand more visible than if all my fingers
were up. I quickly look behind me to see if I am alone.
I am aware, as you can tell from my
previous post on 'Stigma', that not everyone who necessarily
identifies as feminist is also intrinsically confident, outspoken and
unashamed of the socialised norm of not being a feminist. I am
also aware that those who do not identify as feminist may simply be
unaware of what the word means, what the aim of the ongoing movement
truly is and they may have unfortunately been under the impression
from patriarchy that feminism is a bad thing, or a thing that is no
longer important. There is also a possibility that some are sexists,
but that is a separate conversation.
At this moment, in the classroom, I am
unbearably curious about how many students would admit to being party
to this movement.
Four... FOUR! Out of about thirty.
Including myself.
Take this as you may, excitement
overwhelms me. No longer am I alone in my opinions. Of course these
other feminists in the room may not share my views on various aspects
of 'my feminism', but they do identify.
My perspective is like this, if there
are four out of thirty who have their hands raised in solidarity,
then out of my year group of one hundred and fifty there is
potentially twenty feminists, and considering the number who may
believe in feminism but don't wish to be labeled as such we could be
looking at a whole lot more. This is just within one year group of
one subject at one university.
Doesn't the possibility excite? That
the word is losing its stigma? The concept is spreading and growing
in popularity? The issues of gender equality are recognised and
acknowledged by students!
I recently had the honour of writing an
article for an online magazine which welcomes and promotes student
feminism. Not only are the young and mature student feminists raising
their voices, but this website is giving these voices a platform to
be heard from.
We are not just in the classroom, or in our living rooms,
or at our computers. The messages we have are varied, new and
valuable to the future and to now. Please have a scour on the
cyber-shelves of the fabulously varied archives from Bad
Housekeeping, and if you come across one named Plasticine Dreams,
please have a read. http://www.bad-housekeeping.com/
Image taken from : http://shoeuntied.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/tales-from-the-classroom-part-xvi-hey-parents-just-a-little-heads-up/
