Is Feminism irrelevant at Pepperdine?

Zoë Womack, junior nutritional science and political science major, said that in “in chem lab, we all had to wear men’s lab coats because they didn’t have female ones.” (Photo by Caitlin Raines)

Professor Ira Jolivet finished his discussion of the book of Luke — the only Gospel to emphasize the role of women — in his Tuesday/Friday 2 p.m. Religion 102 class.

“How many people in here would describe themselves as feminists?”

In the class of about 20 students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, no more than five people raised their hands.

“Why not?” he asked.

Pepperdine students and millennials in general often hesitate to label themselves as feminists due to confusion over what “feminism” actually means.

“There’s not one definition for feminism,” said Monica Osborne, visiting assistant professor of Jewish Studies. “There are feminisms. On a basic level, it’s awareness that equality between men and women should be a priority.”

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Pepperdine feminists include those who love reading Jane Austen and also spend summers interning for public agencies and nonprofits in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Caitlin Raines)

Pepperdine feminists include those who love reading Jane Austen and also spend summers interning for public agencies and nonprofits in Washington, D.C.

The F-word

The varying definitions of feminism cause students to shy away from the label because they are unsure of what they are labeling themselves, according to all 11 people interviewed. Individuals often support the goals of feminism, but do not support the extremist views that have become associated with the word.

“People think feminists are crazy, out-there, ‘I’m not gonna shave my legs or wear a bra’ people,” said Lauren Davila, junior English literature major. “(For) people who identify as feminists, that’s not how it is. Pepperdine is very caught up in that.”

In a national survey by YouGov, 20 percent of 1,000 adults considered themselves strong feminists or feminists, 63 percent were neutral, 8 percent were anti-feminist and 8 percent were unsure. In comparison, a survey of 160 Pepperdine students found that 59 percent described themselves as strong feminists or feminists.

When broken down by gender, 67 percent of the 124 females surveyed identified as strong feminists or feminists, compared to 31 percent of the 36 males.

However, 97 percent of students surveyed agreed that women and men should be paid equally for the same job, 87 percent thought that a woman could be a good president, and 86 percent thought men and women should be equal in a religious setting.

The 26 to 37 point gap between agreement with the ideals and agreement with the word demonstrate how powerful the historical baggage of feminism is. In the survey, 44 people saw the word “feminism” as an insult, whereas 36 saw it as a compliment and 80 people (50 percent of those polled) saw it as a neutral word.

Overall, 71 percent of those surveyed thought the gender equality movement needs a new name instead of feminism in order to accurately describe its ideals.

“Most people, at least here at Pepperdine, they don’t want to say they’re a feminist,” Jolivet said. “They are feminists, they just don’t know it.”

Christian feminism: an oxymoron?

Some Pepperdine students see a discord between Christian values and feminist ideals. Some Christians emphasize male leadership over females and some say God created men and women equal.

“Some Christians may hesitate to call themselves feminists,” freelance religion journalist Laura Ortberg Turner said. “(They) hesitate to take on any other label than Christians … I think (it) is a misguided fear that the Bible calls men to be leadership and women to be submissive.”

Turner spoke at Wednesday morning Convocation Oct. 14 and writes about Christian feminism in Christianity Today. She refers to feminism as the “Christian F-Word.”

“I certainly call myself a feminist, and that is largely driven by my faith,” Turner said. “Men and women are created equal in the eyes of God.”

Pepperdine’s Christian-influenced culture can be both supportive and contradictory to gender equality, especially when it comes to the emphasis on intentional relationships and marriage.

“I think there’s a tendency in Christian communities that feminism means that you’re not going to get married or have a life that’s not as idyllic,” said Heather Riley, junior English rhetoric and writing major.

Hunter Peters, a junior public relations major, and Riley both agreed that the emphasis on traditional marriage can enforce traditional gender roles.

“Ring by spring places pressure on the woman in the situation,” Peters said. “In our society, we automatically blame women for their circumstances. … It perpetuates masculine domination in our society, which I don’t think is right at all.”

Sophomore journalism major Caroline Laganas said she is sometimes hesitant to describe herself as a feminist because she had a stay-at-home mom and sees some feminists disagreeing with that choice.

“Family — that’s the extent to where feminism gets dangerous,” she said.

The question of whether married women should stay at home if their husbands could support their families had the greatest percentage of students who were “unsure” out of all poll questions, with 23 percent. Some 12 percent said yes, and 65 percent said no. Out of all the poll questions, this one had the most division between answers.

Unspoken, unaware, uninterested

All eight students interviewed said they do not see feminism playing a large role on the Pepperdine campus, nor do they see sexism playing a large role either.

“(People) are largely indifferent to it,” junior psychology major Stuart Slayton said.

Pepperdine’s professors lean male, making up 55 percent of the faculty to 45 percent female. However, 55 percent of the staff are female. The student body is majority female, with 59 percent to 41 percent male students, according to Pepperdine Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

“With the ratio, I feel like I should be hearing more about feminist groups or clubs,” said Paul DiRico, a freshman media production major. “But there isn’t really anything like that that I’ve heard of. I’m surprised.”

DiRico is not the only student who is surprised by the lack of outspoken feminist on campus. Riley said that most Pepperdine students do not realize it is still an issue on campus or do not comprehend that something they have experienced may have been discriminatory. While issues of racism have been brought to light by comments on YikYak, sexism on campus is often expressed in less public ways, such as using language that belittles women.

Osborne said feminism is ignored at Pepperdine, especially amongst her female students. She said the feminist content of her classes is “feminism 101; there’s nothing revolutionary about it.” However, Osborne explained when it is taught in an official class setting it can seem more revolutionary.

“The question I have to ask myself is ‘Why?’” Osborne said. “What is it about the Pepperdine environment that makes this seem so revolutionary?”

Zoë Womack, junior nutritional science and political science major, said that in  “in chem lab, we all had to wear men’s lab coats because they didn’t have female ones.”

Acceptance of all opinions

Of the 160 students polled, 51 percent think feminism is making a positive difference, whereas 22 percent thought it was not and 27 percent said they were unsure.

Written survey responses of the definition of feminism included: “equality,” “crazy women trying to free the nipple and find an excuse not to shave,” “the desire for women to be treated equally, socially, economically and politically as men,” and “disaffection toward the male and maleness,” as well as a few Beyonce references, such as “all my single ladies, put yo hands up!”

Overall, the 11 Pepperdine community members interviewed believe that everyone should personally educate themselves on inequalities at Pepperdine, and form their own opinion about feminism and gender equality on campus and in general. Opinions range across the spectrum, including one male student who identified as being a strong anti-feminist and 50 who identified as neutral.

“Read,” Osborne said. “Read literature. Take a humanities class. Take a critical theory class. Learn. Listen. Be open to hearing other voices that may not always be heard.”

In addition, students like Peters and DiRico see Pepperdine’s Christian mission as a call for acceptance of diverse individuals.

“Be yourself,” said Devon Ciby, a senior political science major. “Don’t force your opinions on other people. Be tolerant.”

Caitlin Raines completed this story in Dr. Christina Littlefield’s fall 2015 Jour 241 class.