What is Feminism, and Where Does it Go From Here?

What does it mean to be a feminist in the 21st century? How have the movements that brought us here shaped the ways we understand feminist political theory? And, perhaps most importantly, what comes next?

Crash Course Political Theory #8

Being a Woman 00:00
Introduction to feminism 1:00
Early feminist movements 2:44
The patriarchy 4:48
Intersectionality 6:18
The future of feminism 9:52
Review and credits 11:08

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Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?

[jarellkearney]

This video makes me want a crash course feminism series

[yosef]

Personal, I would love to have a longer version of this video

[worldowar]

I really wish there was a reading list it feels like 12 min was not long enough

[utkarshed]

Give us a full fledged Crash Course Sex, Sexuality and Gender! We need a full episodes on abortion, on “what is a woman”, on gendered language.

[rebbamf]

All genders, regardless of how defined (biologically, culturally, psychologically, et al.) should have equal rights. I don't mean this in the distractingly dismissive "All lives matter" way, but in an earnest, honest everyone matters way.

[DOOMsword]

I’m surprised how much they’re able to fit into 12 minutes!

[Stoneworks]

Let's hope this comments section stay civil lol

[martinhowden]

I want the full episode!!!
What did you wanna talk about Lucy and from then until Mary Wollstonecraft??
I wanna know!!! What are you holding back from us!!!
hehe, thanks for all the knowledge showcased though

[Carlos-lnfd]

The Lucy part at the beginning was genius

[ChrisTickle-sw]

I would love a whole series with a deeper dive on each section of this video. Thank you for making this.

[kinda_chaotically_shey]

Sex and gender need its own in depth series!

[MrBattlecharge]

Why have gendered bathrooms? Make them open to whoever needs to use them, and don't make them the compact stall rooms like we sometimes have. Have many separate rooms with a toilet and a sink behind a door. Then anyone can use it privately and there is no need to worry about who identifies as what. Just go.

[_maxgray]

I appreciate Crash Course being willing to create educational videos on topics even when it's likely to pull in the trolls. Well done, brava!

[matthewjoy]

Feminism helps men too by helping us see how we also suffer under patriarchy and how it impacts the ways we are allowed to feel, express, and operate in the world. Bell Hooks (who was also mentioned in the video), has done some great work in this area.

Great series and awesome video everyone.

[Caterfree]

I love the sections on intersectionality and how a lot of feminist movements have historically left entire groups of women out of their feminism, because this really isn’t talked about enough. I especially appreciate the opening example of a trans woman too, particularly given the current political climate. One day, feminism by default will include all women. I know I will fight for that day.

[yaseminsmallens]

Plenty to unpack! What a wonderful overview of feminist political theory. And the editing as always was superb!! The TERF quote you highlighted stands out for its argument that including trans individuals in rights frameworks could undermine protections for women. This argument not only lacks merit but also underscores my concern about relying solely on a rights-based legal system to safeguard the rights of oppressed groups. Many marginalized women, unlike their white, upper-class counterparts, lack access to legal protections (such as non-discrimination laws) not due to explicit exclusions but because legal systems, including in the US and elsewhere, primarily serve the interests of the ruling classes, thereby restricting access to remedies to a privileged few. Therefor efforts to exclude trans women and non binary people from a women's rights framework should not be considered novel or confounding but rather are a feature of a system which has always functioned to exclude and repress those on the margins. Would love to see more, and I understand it couldn't fit within the length of this video, but would have been great to have included some text on transnational feminism and the weaponization of "feminism" to serve the empire (here I'm thinking of the west's obsession with veiling practices and FGM particularly during the early 2000s).

[me]

I greatly appreciate the section on intersectionality!

[SabinJBB]

Nice series!
For the next episode, the slogan surprised me cuz i have always said and done the other way around : "think globally, act locally". Which in my opinion is a way of . saying " think broadly and considering as much nuances and possible, and then implemented them by example in your everyday and local life. "Thinking locally and act globally", since to me a bit colonialism, like kins od "think in your local narrow world, and act imposing it to the rest of the global world", So I'm very curious and look very much forward for the next episode. 😊❤

[GaasubaMeskhenet]

Philosophy Tube has several good videos about gender. Highly recommend

[aliothspectranet]

Thank you for your hard work and acknowledging it in comparison to contemporary questions on the subject