I’ve considered myself a feminist for a long time. I’ve always thought that women’s rights were just as important as everyone else’s. All my understanding of feminist theory came from Tumblr and my friends who also got most of their information from the same source. So as I furthered my life living what I thought to be a well-educated feminist, I thought I knew all there is to know about feminist theory.
When I had the opportunity to take a gender and women’s studies class, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought doing this would further what I had already known and I would be the star student. I was soon sorely mistaken after a couple of classes.
I was thrown so many new feminist theories and texts that supported the ideas I had learned previously throughout. I was introduced to all the deeply ingrained forms of patriarchy and how I still take part in the enforcement of the patriarchy. I cannot express how much this has improved my feminism for many reasons. Not only does it give me text to back up my ideas, but it has also given me more courage to speak out about the things I find inappropriate. I feel so much more confident in my ability to educate and explain my feminist perspective.
If anyone has the opportunity to take a gender and women’s studies class, I highly recommend it. No matter what you think you know, there is so much more you can learn about being a woman or being around women. I am so lucky to have this opportunity to be in this class and have these experiences. The semester isn’t over yet and I have so much more learning to do, but I am blown away and excited to see what else is in store for me during this semester!