Poll: Is the encouragement of Feminism/Women's Rights, a form of Cultural Imperialism?

[Craorach]

I love how this thread is full of people basically saying "it's okay because we're doing it and its our morals that are right!"

Morality, ALL morality, in every incidence of it, is inherently subjective and up for interpretation. There is no right, wrong, good, or evil. There is only what a society, and an individual, deems to attribute those tags too.

Societies very rarely consider themselves, and their beliefs, wrong. All through history, if you look at any society which was expanding you will find the same idea.. I suspect. "Our Way is the Best Way, What do you mean X group don't think so, we'll prove it... we can't prove it? We'll show them!"

The same thing is going on right now in the America-centric Western Culture. I'm not going to claim it's wrong.. or that it's right either... just that we should all grow up and accept that it is happening. We influence other cultures simply by existing, and through trade, religion, politics and cultural exchange our culture slowly affects theirs. In some incidences it is deliberate, others it is not, but it is happening.

Now, I believe in equal rights, human rights, and the right to do whatever you want until it hits the end of my nose... but I think that every last person who does so needs to accept and openly recognise the utter hypocrisy of saying we believe people should be free, while demanding that other cultures bow to our beliefs.

 

[DanielDeFig]

Forcing women to wear a burka, or not to wear one in public, are equally wrong things to do. People have a right to wear whatever they want.

However, when it comes to "traditions" and cultural aspects that directly violate human rights, people have a right (a duty, in fact) to say: "NO. This is wrong. Stop this".

I have very little respect for notions like "preserving the cultural heritage" and crap like that. Why? I have spent my entire life constantly travelling and moving to new homes every few years. I love finding out about new cultures and customs, and I pick and choose the ones I like to create my own lifestyle.
But I know both from these experiences, and from history, that culture is a dynamic and constantly changing thing. Trying to "preserve" culture, defeats the very purpose discovering new ideas and customs, sharing them between people, and thus creating new cultures for all people involved. What makes some cultures great is how they have incorporated more than one culture from somewhere else to create something new and unique.

What's happening now with the spread of gender equality is nothing new, and it should be encouraged because it promotes equality (both among genders, and in general), and discourages discrimination. Considering the fact that we are talking about the discrimination of HALF THE HUMAN POPULATION, discouraging that can only be a good thing

 

[tom-93]

this "issue" extends past just what we view.... for example look at the quran the burka is actually meant for women to show their appreation to the man for providing and looking out for them... in that culture women do not have equal rights...this is not fair on women but under those circumstances the burka is a gift for the man

take this, if you did something really sweet for your girlfriend/boyfriend and they then put on lingerie or something you really like, you'd be happy right? the man in the muslim world provides, protects and looks after the women in return the woman saves herself and her beauty for that only man alone...is that wrong?

this isnt a question about right and wrong this is really just misunderstanding and ignorance
before you say somethings wrong understand it and maybe its not wrong....because well what is the common "human rights and wrongs"?

they are merely opinion.

 

[Zeckt]

The countries that force the burka and stone their women to death for refusing sex is the real problem. Why the hell should we live and let that live? Any society that views you not as an equal just for being born whether man / woman or black / white is pathetic, imperialism or no.

Theres culture, but then theres treating your fellow person with @##@ing respect. Culture is no excuse for treating anyone as a lesser, and they accuse their wives of adultery and get them killed just because they want a new sex slave. How would YOU feel if you were born into that? How many lives have to be lost before people get a damn clue?! culture is NO Excuse for murder, and if it is it should be STOPPED

 

[Hagi]

It is, but that doesn't mean that we don't have a good reason for doing so.

But then I have to ask, if its for the greater good (I'm just assuming that's your argument) then where do we draw the line as to what we can tell them to do? Can we go too far in an effort to try to protect human rights?

As far as you can. The Declaration of Human Rights include this wonderful clause:

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

It's impossible to go too far in protecting human rights. The moment you go too far you're no longer protecting human rights, you're violating them.

 

[Sandernista]

No doubt.

The real question is 'Do I think it's wrong'?

No I do not.