Look a Little Deeper: Intergenerational Conflict

As this class draws to a close, I want to reconsider one of the first readings we did at the very beginning of the course: “Intergenerational Change in Feminism: Why is it So Hard to Pass the Torch?,” a blog post by Karen Bojar.

Honestly, before this class, I didn’t see much of a generational divide in feminism.  The feminists I know who are older than me have always been gracious, supportive, and helpful: I need only look as far as my own life to see women helping younger women progress as leaders.  So when we first read this article, I viewed it as one of those media debates, which don’t really exist, but which are manipulated to undermine our movement.

After this class, I think that statement is somewhat true.  I do think that to some extent, the generational divide amongst feminists are highlighted by the media to prove that feminism is indeed dead and that it no longer resonates with young women.

But over this past quarter, I have seen a very real divide among feminists, one that goes much deeper than Bojar’s argument that the leadership of the feminist movement is unwilling to pass the torch.  I think that’s true, but I think it’s due to something more upsetting than her claim of older feminist’s desire to control the movement.  I think a substantial portion of this feminist leadership thinks young women are incompetent and unenthusiastic about the future of this movement.

I can tell you from my experience this is untrue.  Look at this article: ask young women like Jessica Valenti (whose books have taught me countless things about the nature of feminism) if young feminists exist.  They do… they just might not look the way older feminists seem to want them to.

But as has been continuously cited throughout this symposium, a lot of young feminists don’t “look like” feminists.  We dress like “sluts”… or not.  But some of us do, and this seems to be the single defining factor of our generation, at least if you ask other generations.  It’s our “screw you” to the hard work of the women who came before us… and they’re angry.

I admit that I come from a biased position: I like mini skirts and I enjoy dressing up.  To me, it’s not an undermining of the feminist movement, but an embrace of it.  That I believe that I can wear whatever I want, and still demand to be treated with respect and still claim my right to walk safely wherever I choose is a direct result of the strides of the feminist movement. 

If we can’t look past surface differences like how we choose to dress or what forum we use for discussion, there will be an unbridgeable divide between the different generations of feminism.  But, if, as has been my personal experience, young women feel comfortable expressing themselves to older feminists, and feel respected and appreciated by them, this young generation of feminism could be unstoppable.