Anti-man to Anti-patriarchy

It is the fourth month of my junior year in college and I feel like my mind has suddenly been opened. It is an awakening to be able to take a step back and look at the macro level forces that have permeated my way of thinking and recognize the effect they've had on my life. When I first began to explore the feminist inside of me, I focused on micro level situations such as my parents, relationships, and daily activities. After further inquiry I realized that behind all of these things were bigger issues and stronger forces that have affected every part of me and of my life. The first step I took towards self discovery was examining the person I am today. I looked at my attitudes, beliefs, values, and where I fit into the society around me. Next I looked back on the past twenty years of my life to see what social forces contributed to these aspects of my personality. Finally, I was able to really explore the global forces that shaped me and my way of life. Originally I chose to refer to my feminist attitudes as "anti-man," but eventually as I realized the power of ideologies I changed the label to "anti-patriarchy." My original paper involving the micro-level feminist issues in my life involved much detail. For the purpose of leaving more room for an analysis of global forces I will try to summarize those seven pages. To begin with I am twenty years old, a female, and a college student. The strongest priorities in my life involve being educationally and professionally successful. I am determined to be self sufficient in my life. One of the best parts of my college career thus far has been my involvement with my sorority. Within this group I often take on a supportive role and am called upon for strength. This strength shows through in my relationships with the opposite sex as well. I have a strong determination to always put my goals and happiness ahead of anything else. One of these goals is to be a lawyer. My primary interest in the law is within the realm of the family such as divorce and custody cases. Finally, I have found myself feeling dissatisfied and detached from our current political system. I disagree with many American policies but don't recognize my ability to make a difference. All of these aspects of my personality seem to imply feminist values. My need for self sufficiency relates to the fact that I never want to be the kind of woman who relies on a man to fulfill her. The importance of the sorority in my life is due to my need for female camaraderie. When I do need support I would rather turn to my girlfriends than seek the help of a male. In my romantic relationships I am not extremely open. I chose to keep that part of my life as a place of enjoyment, not necessity. In the past three years I have not had my heart broken or cried over a boy. There have been too many times in my life when I have seen the dissolution of a relationship lead to much anguish in a girl's life. This has really affected my goals for the future. When I picture myself in a courtroom I see myself defending a woman. In my mind's eye, women are the victims of injustice. The reason for my feeling detached from politics is that I am a woman. Most of the decisions that I don't agree with are made by men and for men, and in turn I cannot see my place in the system. My current attitudes on life reflect my upbringing and also the patriarchal society we live in. In America in the past women relied on men to work and bring home money for the family. Because of this women put up with unfair domestic duties, violence, and oppression. These are things I do not want for myself. I have chosen to call upon females for emotional support in my life because as a sex we are socialized to fulfill this need. Men are desired to be tough and independent while women are expected to be open and rely on each other. There are many arenas of society that women are completely left out of. Although there have been more women in politics in the past few decades, there have not been enough so as to break down the barriers and end male domination in this arena. …