Difference Between Feminist And Feminazi

Throughout the history of feminism and its different stages, called waves, the concept of feminist It has been attacked and discredited, both by social discourse and by some sectors of the population. This misinterpretation has been due to lack of knowledge, ignorance and the explicit discredit of an entire movement and those people who make it up for political objectives. Currently, attempts are made to disqualify and incapacitate feminists by using the term feminazi. If you want to know more about how this neologism arose and its implications, continue reading this PsychologyFor article to learn what feminazi and feminist are and the difference between feminist and feminazi

Feminazi: definition and origin of the term

What is feminazi? The term feminazi It emerged in the 90s, specifically in 1992. It was used for the first time by Rush Limbaugh, an American radio host and politician belonging to the conservative current. Limbaugh popularized the word feminazi among his followers and listeners, although he stated that it was the writer Thomas Hazlett who coined the neologism.

This word, an acronym between the word feminist and Nazi, has a pejorative meaning against the feminist movement and feminists in general and its origin responds to a campaign to discredit and attack feminism. The definition of feminazi refers to radical feminists, who from certain sectors opposed to this movement try to associate it with Nazism and totalitarianism, denying the search and fight for equality for women and men. He feminazi concept has been linked with an image composed of a series of alleged stereotypes and characteristics of those women who are considered through this nickname:

  • Ugly and evil women: Feminazis are portrayed and caricatured as physically undesirable, frustrated, cruel and bloodthirsty women.
  • Masculine women: They are associated with a masculine aesthetic that is considered negative for transgressing traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
  • Dominance: They are accused of wanting to subjugate men through intolerance, intransigence and authoritarianism.
  • Contempt towards men: Feminazis are related to hatred towards men and the need for revenge towards him.
  • Sexually immoral: The stereotype of sexual indecency is due to the consideration of female sexuality beyond motherhood and family by feminists.

Therefore, the word feminazi is about a conservative propaganda strategy a movement that opposes progressivism by defending traditional values.

Feminist: definition and origin of the term

On the other hand the term feminist emerged at the end of the 19th century in France. Etymologically it comes from Latin; of the word female What does woman and the suffix mean? -istwhich is added to both nouns and adjectives to indicate an occupation or trade or to be a person who is supportive or inclined towards a movement or doctrine.

The word feminist is conceptualized as that person who is a supporter of feminism a term that in turn is defined as the political and social movement that fights for equality of men and women.

The word emerged for the first time in the field of medicine, where it was used to designate a developmental disorder in men that produced a weakening and feminization of the bodies. It was later used by the writer Alexandre Dumas Jr., in 1872, to refer, in a derogatory way, to those women who fought for their rights at that time. However, the popularization of the concept of feminist is attributed to Hubertine Auclert, a journalist and the first suffragist of French origin, who appropriated this word and redefined it with the meaning we know today. In the following article you will find information about the history and currents of feminism.

Although the term was not coined until the 19th century, the hegemonic Western feminist movement emerged in the late 18th century formally in the context of French Revolution and the framework of the Enlightenment movement, a moment in which a series of women, aware of their inequality, They claimed their rights

Feminism is a dynamic movement that has evolved based on the challenges that occur both at each moment in history and within the movement itself, incorporating new knowledge and contributions, as well as adapting to the changing objectives of according to the circumstances and particularities of the context. It is therefore a historical movement with a political, social and theoretical basis. In the following article you will find what is currently considered feminist.

Once we have clarified both terms, let’s look specifically at the difference between feminist and feminazi and why the feminazi concept is derogatory and inappropriate.

Difference between feminist and feminazi - Feminist: definition and origin of the term

Difference between feminist and feminazi

Once we have clarified what it means to be a feminist and a feminazi, we delve into the difference. The basic difference between feminazi and feminist lies in the fact that The first term is a fictitious misogynistic concept that does not correspond to the feminist movement or any of its currents, is not based on reality. On the other hand, the second of them refers to the people who are part of a movement in history that endures today and presents a theory and solid foundations. Why does the term feminazi make no sense?

  1. Objective to discredit Throughout history there has been a countermovement that has sought to discredit the feminist struggle, since it threatens the foundations of a system, the patriarchal one, and challenges the privileges of the male collective. One of the current manifestations of this campaign delegitimization of feminists is the invention of the term feminazi.
  2. Absence of similarity between feminism and racism. The word feminazi is antihistorical because, in a cruel and disrespectful way, it associates feminism with the genocide and totalitarianism that took place in the 20th century, claiming a large number of victims and constituting a crime against humanity.
  3. Opposition of racism against feminism The term feminazi is antihistorical because Adolf Hitler came to power with a position contrary to the German feminist movement through the closure of family planning clinics, the declaration of abortion as a criminal act and the strong repression against feminism, so Many women who belonged to this struggle had to flee Germany or were murdered in concentration camps. Therefore, it is completely incompatible the union of the terms Feminism and Nazism in the same word.
  4. Lack of understanding of radical feminism As noted above, this neologism consists of a demonization of feminism and their demands from conservative political positions. Likewise, this acronym has been used to refer to the people who are members of the radical feminism movement, which reveals an ignorance about the term radical within this movement, which refers to the root, the search for roots or origins of inequality and oppression of women, since to eliminate them it is necessary to address and attack the root of the problem. Because radical feminism is not satisfied with small reforms in society and the system, but rather aspires to change it, it generates suspicion from sectors that defend tradition and conservative values, adverse to any progress or alteration of its principles.
  5. Unreal vision of feminism. While feminism fights to end men’s privileges to achieve equality between both sexes, the term feminazi implies that women consider themselves superior to men and aspire to their domination. This idea is also defended through the criticism of the word feminist, which is conceptualized as equivalent and comparable to machismo, but on the part of the female sex. However, this term allows the visibility of a specific struggle, in which women are the first and direct victims of the patriarchal system, since although the male sex is also a victim of certain oppressions of patriarchy, it holds privilege within it.

You may also be interested in knowing the differences between liberal and radical feminism, and the differences between feminism and hembrism.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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Bibliography

  • Barrera, LV, Garibi, C., Guerrero, MF, & Montoya, MV (2010). From “Feminism” to “Feminisms”: inclusive proposal for great struggles. Feminist Debate41, 64-74.
  • González, IAL (2016). Feminism, a distorted reality. Tin(9).
  • Moi, T. (2006). “I am not a feminist, but…”: how feminism became the f-word. pmla121(5), 1735-1741.
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