Feminism Y: A New Approach to Activism by Nicole Defenbaugh

I was once asked by an educator, “How would you describe today’s college students and how do you teach them?” In the last ten years since I started teaching, I have been asked questions about my teaching philosophy, new courses, and research interests. But I have rarely been asked about the students I teach and how I would describe their generation. Often the answer is given to me, “Today’s students are lazy and apathetic. They don’t read the textbook, and they often waste class time texting their friends.” Countless colleagues have given a similar remark over the last few years. And although I have agreed with them in the past, I have recently stopped to ask myself why the latest generation of college students, Generation Y or the Millennial generation (born 1985-2005), is portrayed in such a negative light. Is it technological distraction and educational apathy or is there more than meets the pedagogical eye? I am only a decade older than my many of my students and a decade (or two) younger than most of my colleagues so I hear both sides of the “your-generation-doesn’t-understand-us” argument. As a Generation X-er I remember similar comments made by parents and grandparents that I now find myself repeating. But each fall semester as I look out over the room of new Gender Communication students, I wonder if I’m making a fair assessment of this generation. I wonder if my/society’s perception of college students, especially budding feminists, as apathetic and narcissistic is justifiable or unfair. Or is the method of feminist activism merely different/unrecognizable to the rest of us?

If you search the internet for information on Generation Y you will find articles such as “Generation Y Disappoints Employers” (ABC News, 2007) and “Is Gen Y Really All That Narcissistic?” (Erickson, 2008). The media frequently labels Generation Y as “incapable of acknowledging or appreciating others’ points of view,” (Erickson), impatient, bad communicators, unable to take criticism, and demanding. The negative criticism, however, is not unique to this generation as it also plagues young feminists, reprimanded for being self-absorbed and indifferent to the rights their second-wave counterparts worked so hard to earn. But are Generation Y feminists unconcerned and unappreciative or is their approach simply different from past wavers? I have heard from second-wave feminists, for example, that third-wave feminists take for granted the rights their aunts, mothers, and grandmothers protested for in the 60s and 70s. But feminists of this generation are protesting. A few years ago I participated in a free choice abortion protest with many feminists younger than myself. Codepink, for example, is an anti-war group where you can engage in vigils, protests, and sit-ins. In an article entitled, “Go, Young Feminists, Go!” posted on Feministe, a 17 year old Canadian girl raised $2,000 for Eating Disorder Awareness Week to “help them [those with eating disorders] with future education.” But for Codepink, N.O.W. and other groups, involvement is not only socially visible, it can also be virtual. N.O.W. (National Organization for Women) has a section of its website devoted to young feminists regarding conferences, workshops, and campaigns. Allgirlarmy.com, a site for “young feminist[s] looking for a vital community, peer and mentor support, energized discussion and a great place to be seen and heard” has mostly blogs and posts like the website Feminism101 blog and the “Young Feminist Task Force” on MySpace. Feminism is alive as the article “Young Feminists Fight Back” (AlterNet.com) proclaims, reminding us that although this generation’s definition of feminism may not look like your mother’s/grandmother’s, it’s still feminism...no matter how you dress it up.

So how do we connect with Generation Y feminists who may embody aspects of third-wave feminism while engaging in acts of the new fourth-wave (e.g., political activism and spirituality), through mediated methods? The same way past feminist generations did: be involved, listen, and maintain an open mind. Young feminists, like myself, often search for mentors—those with vision and passion for change. They want to connect with others and discuss the inevitable change happening both to them and around them. What better way to stay connected than through advances in technology. Is the blog entry or text message a means of distraction and boredom or a way to stay active in distance communities/cultures? Is the zine a form of expression or social activism? Why not both? Considering a zine, blog, or even text message as an act of protest is worth considering, especially in this increasingly technologically-advanced age. I still don’t know how to describe today’s college students or feminists and that’s o.k. I don’t want to define, label, or offer a cookie cutter response to colleagues’ inquires. I want them to discover the answer for themselves. As for myself, I know if I want to reach emerging feminists in the classroom, I need to consider different forms of communication, keep an open mind and, as Barbara Finden wrote, “listen up to the voices from the next feminist generation” (even the blog, zine, and text message have a story to tell).