Another one of these came out again. While the setup of the oft-reported generational divide in the feminist movement is unmistakably familiar, let's break this article down. Elder feminist offers "back in the day" testimony about the lack of access to abortion rights. Then comes quote after divisive quote from presumably elder feminists that affirm the sentiment that young women "take for granted" the rights they fought for, that our sense of urgency is non-existent. And of course, we will have a young woman speak out against her own.
We'll have the sensational modifiers. One even comes complete with an aside about the motivations behind the last name Freewomyn. Yet, the run-of-the-mill feminist, the Jane Does in a full suit or ripped jeans and a clean t-shirt are left to our imagination. All the while, the non-feminist reader is probably so laughing so hard over the fact that someone would self-identify as being in the "the menopausal militia," they've likely forgotten why this piece has been touted by the New York Times as timely. In closing, the article wraps up with a mother who seems surprised that her daughters share her anger in this political hour.
What's really eating my grapes about the mainstream media's umpteenth rendition of second wave vs. third wave is this then-and-now business and how this tired ass refrain invisibilizes the experiences of low-income women and women of color. What's not to be missed about the comfortable distance middle class women enjoy as they reminisce about the story of an anonymous friend from the 50s are the real places that exist today where women have access to abortion that is akin to an insurance coverage ban.
Where are the narratives of Jacksonian women in Mississippi? They currently live in a state where pharmacists have been known to ask to see wedding rings before completing a purchase for birth control, where TRAP laws are so alive and well there is only one, ONE, abortion clinic in the entire state. And what of the stories of low-income women for whom abortion coverage bans are not a threat but a promise that has been fulfilled by the Hyde Amendment? Underneath this generational divide coverage, is the tendency to use the stories of some elder feminists to assert the opposite of their intention, that abortion restrictions are a thing of the past.
This countless rehashing from elder feminists that never get around to the atrocities of the millennium isn't just a slap in the face to young women all over the country mobilized for change. It does the movement a disservice by dating abortion restrictions to the pre-Roe era as if post-Roe isn't fraught with multiple sites of decreased access. If it is truly the intent of elder feminists to sensitize an American public that is neutral or oppositional to issues of reproductive healthcare, they should switch their personal accounts from past to present tense. But, most of all, they should yield the floor to the countless low-income women and women of color of reproductive age on medicaid who have much to testify about.
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I completely agree, Rose. I actually wrote something about this for Care2.com last week (a response to Rebecca Sive) - posted it here.
http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/why-ageism-and-anger-wont-help-feminism/
- Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux
It's a lot better than in my
family where there is mostly anti-choice rhetoric and a few people who favor birth control and sterilization, but not abortion.
I am probably the only one who is stepping out of the anti-choice tradition.
Thanks Feministing for opening my eyes about choice.
One ought to be able to talk about the increasing challenges of engaging young people in movements for reproductive rights and freedoms without denigrating the efforts of young people already involved in those movements.
Young people’s opinions and behaviors related to these rights and freedoms have changed over the years, if in no other way than to accommodate to changing laws and access to the few remaining facilities that exist, especially in conservative states and communities. Numerous surveys and studies from mainstream polling and research groups have shown some decrease in support or loss of empathy, at least, among people in general for women seeking abortion, especially for relatively young, poor women seeking abortion because of the disruption or economic hardship it would pose to them.
It’s important to understand that not because we want to accept a lessened support as something we can’t change, but as a factor we want to consider in how we engage the few that at any time are seriously committed – or who want to be committed – to changing the laws and overall situation we’re in. This is especially relevant for young people in conservative states and communities, and also young people who don’t attend major college campuses, because they’re the ones who are more vulnerable to restrictive laws that are obviously in place today, and less caring attitudes that may also be a part of that trend and current reality.
One study that was in the news recently that relates to this is a 20-year follow-up to a pioneering survey by the Girl Scouts of 3,263 young people’s values and civic engagement, “Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today”. Here’s a link to the main page for this year’s survey:
http://www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/girlleadership/good_intentions.asp
Check out the survey from this year and the one from 1989. The main message at least from the press release is that “more American teenagers say they would make responsible decisions on a range of issues from lying and cheating to smoking and drinking than young people just a generation ago.” The survey seems to be very valuable in exploring young people’s attitudes and reported behavior on a number of issues, but one that pro-choice youth should be concerned about is how the survey will be interpreted on issues related to sexuality and reproductive rights. The survey reports many positive things about how young people today seem to be overall more moral and committed to civic engagement, and tolerant of friends who are gay or lesbian, while at the same time taking the position that choosing abortion, advising a friend on having an abortion, or engaging in premarital sex is moral if one disapproves of it, and the trend for lessened support is somehow more moral or responsible. There may be some serious problems on interpreting results from the survey on questions related to sexuality, as it’s not at all clear if the survey intended the young people to answer the questions in reference to women in general or a woman of similar age to them. Details on questions asked will be in the printed report which isn't available yet, we were told in a phone call. And where there are significant differences, the study doesn’t explore why or what the significance might be – leaving it up to counselors, advocates, peers, and parents to do the interpreting.
Here’s some numbers that are worth quoting: (from the 7th to 12th graders surveyed) Fewer youth today (25%) than in 1989 (33%) believe that “abortion is all right if having a baby will change your life plans in a way you find hard to live with.” Six in ten (60%) disagree that “abortion is all right, if having a baby will change your life plans”. Fifteen percent do not know how they feel about the matter. Boys are more likely than girls to agree that abortion is all right (29% compared to 20%), and as youth get older they are more likely to agree. White (28%) and Asian (35%) youth in this age bracket are more likely than African Americans (15%) to agree with this as well.
It seems by these numbers that there is a significant drop in support for abortion rights in a situation that makes life difficult for the woman involved. There’s a similar difference between the attitudes of girls and boys, 1/3 more boys than girls surveyed are more likely say abortion is “all right”. That’s a big difference. What does it mean? There’s also a large difference in attitudes towards abortion between races. For activists trying to reach these different populations, the differences are at least worth learning more about.
But one of the biggest differences between the 2009 survey report and the one from 1989 is a question which the current report doesn’t say was asked this year. The 1989 survey asked “Who has the authority to decide about getting an abortion?” The 1989 survey report said 70% of junior and senior high students stated that the “girl should have the final say” compared to 13% who said “parents should have the final say.” This is VERY significant difference – more than five times as many young people said the “girl should have the final say” as said the parents should -- but this question may not have even been asked this time, maybe because most states now have some sort of law requiring parental notification or consent law for a minor to get an abortion. It’s as relevant as ever to ask this question because -- assuming young people understand the law in the first place -- there’s a big difference in “rights” between a state that requires notification and the possibility, at least that the “girl should have the final say” and a state that requires parental consent, implying say “parents should have the final say.”
These are some of the questions we should be asking ourselves and elder activists to address these issues. It's reasonable for younger and older activists to talk about if and how fewer young people care about abortion rights. It's not reasonable to ask whether or not the activists we've got are trying hard enough. Similarly, we need to ask critical questions of surveys like these that, it will be said, say that young people today are supposedly more moral today than those of a couple decades ago while being less supportive of abortion rights, and somehow those various numbers and relationships are significant. And they may be significant, though not necessarily the way the mainstream media will likely interpret them.
Absolutely, Rose.
But do you ever think that certain people simply aren't willing to go to certain places that might make them question their own romanticized personal mythology? I didn't used to think this way, but sometimes I feel that certain people are just going to be lost and stay lost. That was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn, namely that certain people "on our side" are beyond enlightening or educating.
How about the fact that for the past six years (as long as I have identified myself as a feminist) I have spent more time arguing with 40 year old white upper class feminists about the fight of the younger generation than I have with people who disagree with feminism all together? I absolutely think that we need to be discussing this. Because like it or not we do have a voice and if we weren't constantly sidelined or told that the way we go about things is wrong, or that we rely on technology far to much to get the word out, or that we don't do enough or that we don't care then we would actually be able to accomplish something. As it is if we are under a certain age we are ignored within the feminist community (I think that even happens here where the demographic is supposed to be for younger third wave feminists) We are not encouraged by our fellow sisters, we are discriminated against based on our age, we are told that no matter what we do its never going to be good enough because we do not come from the sixties, and our views are shot down. These to me are things that make me not want to be involved with mainstream feminism. And you know what? That kind of language is the most damaging thing that I think I have ever heard. Because, the other side wants there to be this infighting, if we are too busy fighting each other we won't be fighting against them and we cannot get anywhere. We need to let go of our labels and we need to accept and embrace our sisterhood. The only way we are ever going to get anything done is if we all band together forgetting our differences and fighting for what we believe in. We all need to stand up against the infighting and make it stop, and the only way that we can do that is if we talk about it, and continue to talk about it until it goes away
It was nice going through it. keep it up the good work.
–thanks–
From picture framer glasgow
Rose, I so rarely comment on pieces, but I had to compliment you on this article. This highlights so many facets of the problems feminists have when discussing abortion rights amongst ourselves, from the heated, somewhat resentful discourse between the "waves" and of course the classist, racist, and ignorant assumption that abortion rights aren't restricted now for so many poor women and WOC. Thank you for such a thoughtful and sensative reading on the subject. As feminists, we need to do better.