Gender
You're Probably Being Sexist
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Inspired by some of the posts which have recently frequented my Facebook feed, today I would like to talk about internalised misogyny. When I mention the phrase 'internalised misogyny,' I am usually met with blank expressions so it might be apt to begin with a simple definition: internalised misogyny is the "involuntary internalisation of the sexist messages that are present in their societies and cultures." What this definition highlights is the fact that these misogynistic views are not inherent from birth, but learnt through observation of the world we live in (much like our genders, attitudes, opinions... the list goes on) - a process called 'socialisation.'
Erin McKelle rightly
stated that "We all can be complicit in our own
oppression. It’s not always other people or other genders that are
responsible for sexism. Sometimes, it’s actually you" ('On "Choice" Feminism and
Internalised Misogyny: Why We Participate in Patriarchal Oppression'). The most troubling thing about it
internalised misogyny, then, is that it penetrates our understanding of the
roles we should pursue, forcing us back into those broken gender binaries. In
addition, we learn to perceive ourselves as limited by our genders which are,
themselves, a social construction. If you have ever caught yourself thinking
something as seemingly quotidian as ‘that’s a girl’s car,’ or ‘that’s a man’s
job,’ you have exhibited internalised misogyny – and you are not entirely to blame.
A more tangible example of internalised misogyny comes in the idea that "women who slap it on that thick should be done for false advertisement." Our lives are saturated by images of beautiful women and, a lot of the time, those photographs have been subjected to countless hours of retouching. In lieu of this, the notion that these women should be "done for false advertisement" is ostensibly feminist because it criminalises the falsity in fashion and promotes positive body image. Simultaneously, however, this thought is damning to women who choose to use make up as both a creative outlet and a method of (sometimes literally) covering insecurities; "make up in itself is
objectively neutral. All the meanings that we attach to it are socially
constructed. Even though those meanings are socially constructive, they still
can have very real effects on the way that women are perceived and
judged" (Marina Watanabe - 'Stop Telling Women What To Do With Their Faces'). The use of what is deemed to be 'excessive' make up is thus problematic because there are many people capable of using lots of different products to achieve a very natural look. This goes hand in hand with embracing 'natural' beauty but that topic is for another time.
To give another example, I highlight the exasperated-looking woman on the top left hand side of the image above. When women claim that they are "not like other girls" as a way of differentiating themselves from stereotypically feminine characteristics (cue gender roles), they choosing to adopt a marginalised identity whilst also belittling their own gender. This is, fundamentally, a representation of internalised misogyny because these women and girls have fetishised the idea of being othered from women/girls as a whole and - when you consider the negative portrayal of women in our patriarchal society, it is unsurprising that they want to distinguish themselves as dissimilar. Nonetheless, if we want to come to any kind of solution, it is obviously not to exhibit further sexism.
Internalised misogyny is so deeply entrenched into our culture that, unfortunately, there is no easy way out. I would suggest being mindful of your words and thoughts in order to start avoiding this kind of behaviour to allow for a more open-minded and safe society. After all, how can we consider ourselves to be feminist allies if we're still consciously distancing ourselves from the oppressed?
To give another example, I highlight the exasperated-looking woman on the top left hand side of the image above. When women claim that they are "not like other girls" as a way of differentiating themselves from stereotypically feminine characteristics (cue gender roles), they choosing to adopt a marginalised identity whilst also belittling their own gender. This is, fundamentally, a representation of internalised misogyny because these women and girls have fetishised the idea of being othered from women/girls as a whole and - when you consider the negative portrayal of women in our patriarchal society, it is unsurprising that they want to distinguish themselves as dissimilar. Nonetheless, if we want to come to any kind of solution, it is obviously not to exhibit further sexism.
Internalised misogyny is so deeply entrenched into our culture that, unfortunately, there is no easy way out. I would suggest being mindful of your words and thoughts in order to start avoiding this kind of behaviour to allow for a more open-minded and safe society. After all, how can we consider ourselves to be feminist allies if we're still consciously distancing ourselves from the oppressed?
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