M. J. Reese

M. J. Reese is a university graduate who is schooled in the craft of History. A major passion is infusing historical perspectives into current trends in social justice movements.

Posts Written by

By M. J. Reese • 8 years ago

Reframing Feminism

As feminists, we need to be honest with ourselves about our movement.  There is a major problem with contemporary feminism (“third-wave feminism”).  It is the insistence on the homogenous constructs of gender that span time and space.  Many outlets on the internet serve as platforms for people to contribute ideas on gender, politics, and feminism.  But without a self-examination of the ways we approach certain topics and the historical development of these particular approaches, we will never be able to ground our analyses in historical reality, leaving it to freely float around in the obscure discursive realm and be utilized by many people, especially feminists, who only provide trivial platitudes on serious issues.

For example, you might hear the term “patriarchy” used to describe the type of oppression that women face in society as well as in most societies throughout history.  This term is never defined or put into any historical context, however.  It is solely a term that is relentlessly invoked in order to explain differences between men and women (men and women are always seen as legitimate, distinct categories).

Because there has been a shift in feminism away from political economy and toward a set of cultural issues, many third-wave feminists will focus on current issues that women face in society such as sexual objectification, beauty standards, domestic violence, and street harassment.  The approach applied by many contemporary feminists to these types of  topics posit two competing teams in society: women (oppressed) and men (oppressors).  Unfortunately, this has become mainstream.  The website Everyday Feminism has published articles such as “Dear Men: This Is How You Should Be Approaching a Woman on the ...
By M. J. Reese • 8 years ago

United States of Women Summit on the Gender Pay Gap

At the United States of Women Summit, women speakers addressed the issue of gender as it pertains to the economy.  However, taking a neoliberal feminist approach that is all too common in contemporary feminism, many speakers left out the importance of putting the pay gap into context.  A historical contextualization of the pay gap would not be based on exclusively gendered terms where statistics of women in the workforce are cited; it would examine the economy as it has developed over the past 35 years under neoliberal policies.  Unfortunately, political economy is rarely incorporated into mainstream feminism.  Gender is the only factor when discussing issues.  At the Summit, speakers such as actress Patricia Arquette and economist Heather Boushey are guilty ...

At the United States of Women Summit, women speakers addressed the issue of gender as it pertains to the economy.  However, taking a neoliberal feminist approach that is all too common in contemporary feminism, many speakers left ...
By M. J. Reese • 8 years ago

United States of Women Summit on FGM

When the United States of Women Summit took place, powerful women speakers descended onto the Capitol to give insightful speeches on the issues facing women in the modern world.  Whereas addressing these important issues is imperative, we must remember that this is a Summit held in the capital of the most powerful country on the Earth. 

When the United States of Women Summit took place, powerful women speakers descended onto the Capitol to give insightful speeches on the issues facing women in the modern world.  Whereas addressing these important issues is imperative, we ...