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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Feminism - College Project

118 replies

roisinjf · 15/03/2018 10:36

Hello everyone!

I'm a college student in need of some responses to a survey I am doing for a report about Feminism and current attitudes towards it, including the influence of media and celebrity culture. It would be a great help if you could please answer it for me, here's the link:

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GX3WNNH

Thank you all.

OP posts:
HerFemaleness · 15/03/2018 10:40

Why did you use the term gender and not sex?

Badgerthebodger · 15/03/2018 10:43

Hi Roisin. I’ve done your survey - one thought. I don’t like, and I’m sure many others on here will agree, the phrase “identify as”. I just am. I am a woman. I am a feminist. I don’t identify as anything. Hope your project goes well Smile

TERFragetteCity · 15/03/2018 10:45

Ditto. Change it, and I'll complete it.

Original poster
roisinjf · 15/03/2018 12:22

Hello,

Thank you all for your responses and for taking part. I chose to use the word gender as it I wanted to be inclusive of those who were not born biologically of the specific sexes; I have trans and gender-fluid friends who might want to answer the survey. In regards to the use of the word identify, it is a word used to establish or indicate who or what someone or something is.

I apologise, as I can't make changes to the survey now that it has been published.

OP posts:
Saisong · 15/03/2018 12:33

"those who were not born biologically of the specific sexes"

GrinGrinGrin

What happened to them then - did they hatch out of an egg?

Original poster
roisinjf · 15/03/2018 12:38

Should have worded that better maybe, but those who don't identify as the sex they were given at birth. As 'sex' is the biological term and gender is the social and cultural term.

OP posts:
BarrackerBarmer · 15/03/2018 12:42

I'd love to help, but whilst I have a biological sex, I don't believe in gender at all. I can no more answer questions about 'identifying as a gender' than an atheist could answer questions about which deity they most believe in.

Wording questions this way excludes vast numbers of people from answering.

'Identify' as a word has become meaningless and is not grounded in objective fact. You may as well use "wish I was" or "am not" or "falsely declare I am" as interchangeable phrases.

Are you new to feminism? Your question suggests that you aren't familiar with some basic principles. It might be better to start with a few questions about the terms you are using and how they are defined: sex/gender/male/female/man/woman etc. This forum is a great place to learn to be honest.

Everyone is born 'biologically of the specific sexes'.

AstraiaLiberty · 15/03/2018 12:43

So if I tick to say that my gender is female, I'm saying that I 'identify with' the social and cultural roles associated with females, which are...?

nauticant · 15/03/2018 12:45

The sex they were given at birth - what, like a christening present?

People aren't given their sex at birth.

BarrackerBarmer · 15/03/2018 12:46

Imagine question 1:

"What is your religion?
a. Christianity
b. Judaism
c. Other

Do you see the problem?
'Other' still doesn't allow for a wholesale rejection of all religion. It implicitly implies that one has an 'other religion'. It starts from a premise that every respondent must have a religion.

Beerincomechampagnetastes · 15/03/2018 12:47

You've not really researched your audience here have you?

Sillydoggy · 15/03/2018 12:48

Presumably you did not consider that by your choice you excluded those of us who refuse to identify as a gender on principal. This will inevitably distort your results especially when you are asking about feminism!

BarrackerBarmer · 15/03/2018 12:51

roisinjf, debate is fairly robust here, and you are young, so brace yourself!
However it is one of the best places to challenge one's own views, so if you are willing, stick around and ask questions. Posters will invest a lot of time in responding to you if you post in good faith.

What do you think about the religion example I posted upthread?

TerfyMcTerface · 15/03/2018 12:52

You'll find that a lot of feminists have huge problems with the use of "identify as" and its underpinning assumptions.

ElenOfTheWays · 15/03/2018 12:53

I chose to use the word gender as it I wanted to be inclusive of those who were not born biologically of the specific sexes

So.... Not really about feminism then?

TERFragetteCity · 15/03/2018 13:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

roisinjf1 · 15/03/2018 14:23

Thanks to those responding to the survey.

I am a college student and am in the process of doing research on the topic of feminism. I am a feminist, believing in equality for all and do my best to be inclusive and inter-sectional. I believe that it is a very broad topic and everyone is entitled to their opinions and views. Please, answer my survey only if you are comfortable and happy with the questions. The intention of the survey is to gather all opinions and thoughts on feminism. The first two questions were created with the purpose of classification and are required when holding as survey like this for research purposes - much like when signing up to MumsNet where a similar question is asked.

BarrackerBarmer · 15/03/2018 14:42

You have ensured that your responses will come from a very specific self selected group though.

And so your results will be very skewed.

DodoPatrol · 15/03/2018 14:43

Yes, well, I think you'll find quite a few people think Mumsnet should know better.

Classifications don't work unless they have definitions. How will you have any idea whether your respondees are mostly male or mostly female? How will you avoid having a self-selecting sample of 'those who consider that gender is more important than biology'?

BarrackerBarmer · 15/03/2018 14:44

(why have you namechanged?)

TerfyMcTerface · 15/03/2018 14:51

You are automatically excluding a very large proportion of feminists by framing your language in the way you have. So many that your survey will be methodologically very suspect.

roisinjf1 · 15/03/2018 14:51

I have shared the survey elsewhere, on social media platforms etc. I have created and distributed surveys before and was recommended to share it here by my lecturer. SurveyMonkey shows you your results and analyses them. There are other methods of research in progress to gather a wide range of responses.

If my results are skewed, this will be brought up in the report. Do not fret.

roisinjf1 · 15/03/2018 14:54

I have managed to change the wording so that it now says, 'Are you a feminist' instead of 'identify'. Thanks for feedback.

KateAdiesEarrings · 15/03/2018 14:56

I read through your survey and am wondering what course it is for? I'm not sure I know what you mean by 'Feminism' . You don't seem to be using a political definition; a Marxist view; is it second-wave; third-wave; radical feminism?
Are you approaching it from a sociological perspective or a media studies/representation one?
If you haven't had too many responses yet then it would be worth writing a brief introduction explaining your focus; the meanings of the terms to you etc. For example, you used intersectional in your post but I'm not seeing an appreciation of Crenshaw in your approach.

TERFragetteCity · 15/03/2018 14:59

I think that by 'intersectional' they mean 'women as well as men' rather than actual intersectional.

If my results are skewed, this will be brought up in the report. Do not fret.

How will you know if the respondents are all biological men or not, if you do not include 'sex'?