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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

feminist resources suitable for mid-teens?

8 replies

PostPunkPostcardFair · 12/06/2018 17:40

Apologies for name change, DD knows I use MN and I don't want her to find my usual username if she comes on and recognises the posting topic.

I was quite shocked when she came home and announced that she'd selected to base a school project on what's wrong with feminism. (She had free rein, it wasn't from a range of options). We started a conversation about it, but I was really shocked by some of her views- the gender pay gap is made up and if it existed it'd be women's fault, feminists shut down access for men to have access to any kind of support if they are victims of crime, there is no need for feminism anymore because women and men have equal rights, women don't need sex-segregated spaces. Apparently, this is based on the feminists on instagram (who she can't name) .

Can anyone recommend any introductory reading on feminism that would be suitable for a teenager please? I really don't want to be that annoying person who flounces in and demands that everyone drops what they're doing and explains feminism to meeeee, and I do my own reading around the subject , but she doesn't want to engage with anything I might want to say.

Of course, I understand that part of feminism is that she has the right to her own opinions, but I fear that she's getting some very one-sided views from a limited echo chamber.

OP posts:
BettyDuMonde · 12/06/2018 17:44

I'm not sure about current stuff, but this is the book that started me off many, many years ago.

Your daughter will probably think it quite cringey and old fashioned, but maybe you can ask her what she believes has changed between when this book was published and now:

www.amazon.co.uk/Girls-are-Powerful-Womens-Writings/dp/0907179126?tag=mumsnetforum-21

GibbertyFlibbert · 12/06/2018 17:48

Somehow I don't think changing your name, OP, is likely to stop your DD working out it is you.

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 12/06/2018 17:50

Namechanges are usually to avoid a person's previous posts being connected to a current situation

Will have a think, op

NeverLovedElvis · 12/06/2018 17:56

Helpful contribution, Gib Hmm

op this might be a good place to start . www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/shocking-facts-gender-inequality-international-wom/

PostPunkPostcardFair · 12/06/2018 18:10

Thank you for all suggestions- I will have a thorough look through them all this evening (apparently feminists are useful for cooking dinner, it would appear Hmm )

The name change is to stop her clocking that this thread was posted by me and then searching my usual username. Mind you, I quite often seem to be on threads about women's needs for sex-based protection and supporting women whose partners have been utter arsebadgers anyway, so perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing. Well, those and the CF parking threads.

OP posts:
PostPunkPostcardFair · 12/06/2018 20:47

Thanks again everyone, I've gone for the Fifteen Manifesto Suggestions book to begin with and will see where we go from there.

I guess there's a lot of naivety there- I've certainly become more feminist as I've got older- but it worries me how easily she can be persuaded by the internet.

OP posts:
Manderleyagain · 12/06/2018 20:53

I have a couple to add:
The Little Book of Feminism is good - short but with quite a good history of the movement - www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Feminism-Harriet-Dyer/dp/1849538441/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=little+book+of+feminism&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1528832732&sr=8-1

I noticed that the range of books called "a very short introduction" from OUP have one on feminism. I haven't read this one but it is a really good series - they get an academic/expert in the field to write a layman's introduction with good further reading.
www.amazon.co.uk/Feminism-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/019280510X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&keywords=feminism+a+very+short+introduction&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1528832865&sr=1-1

The Fawcett Society publications and reports section of their web site is another source (though some of the criticism of the gender pay gap is because they rather over simplify or misrepresent the problem)

Good luck

Good luck

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