MASCULISM vs FEMINISM

The following compares the basic principles of the dominant  form of feminism (i.e. gender feminism) and masculism.

Equity feminists have tempered these fundamental feminist principles to take into account some forms of gender

discrimination against men. However, true equity feminists are as rare as hen's teeth, and their influence on popular

discussion of feminist principles is miniscule.

FEMINISM:     Women have been denighed equal rights with men. The small number of rights that men have been

                          denighed because of their gender role are of  little concern.

MASCULSIM: Both men and women have been denighed rights and given unequal responsibilities because

                         of their traditional gender roles. We should give equal concern to the lack of rights and unfair

                         burdens that both sexes have suffered because of their gender roles.

FEMINISM:     Men have all the power. Women are powerless.

MASCULISM: Both men and women have been given [roughly equal amounts] power in the spheres of life that

                          impacted their sex the most i.e. women had inordinate power in the areas of sexuality/reproduction/

                         child rearing/family/and home while men has inordinate powers in areas related to paid              

                         work/government/overall decision making concerned with community survival.

FEMINISM:     Women have been oppressed by men.

MASCULISM: Both men and women have been oppressed because of their traditional gender roles.

FEMINISM:     Believes men have oppressed women through the power of the Patriachy.

MASCULISM: Believes that our society has had both a powerful Patriachy and a powerful Matriachy. These two

                         power structures have existed side-by-side, primarily to ensure the most effecient functioning of society

                         as well as for the survival of the species.

FEMINISM:     is fighting to equal rights for women only.

MASCULISM: is fighting for equity between the sexes - with the equity as close to equality as nature will allow.

FEMINISM:     proudly ignores the suffering of half of humanity.

MASCULISM: is concerned about the suffering of both women AND men.

FEMINISM :   Blames men for all of women's problems.

                        Blames men for all of the world's problems.

                        Blames men for all of men's problems.

MASCULISM: Does not blame one sex for the predicament we find ourselves in - as both sexes have contributed the

                         problems caused by our shared definitions of traditional gender roles.

FEMINISM :   Sees women as innocent victims who must be protected. Sees men as powerful non-victims who must

                        fend for themselves.

MASCULISM : Sees men and women as victims of gender injustice and is mature enough to distinquish between being

                           a victim of injustice and being a victim.

FEMINISM :     Sees Feminism as a liberating and enlightened philosophy that is at the vanguard of human thought.

                          Sees Masculism as a reactionary and backward looking philosphy.

MASCULISM: Believes that feminism does nothing to liberate the sexes - all it does is dramatically reinforces deeply

                         held prejudices about the sexes shared by many men and women.

                         Sees Masculism as a set of guiding principles that stand on their own without reference to the

                        dictated norms of feminist dogma.

Ian Wilson

August 2001

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