Om den ofeministiska jämställdheten och den ojämställda feminismen: en diskursteoretisk analys av en feminismskritisk jämställdhetsrörelse verksam på nätet

Abstract

This essay analyses text written by a gender equality movement critical of feminism. The movement is active on the Internet and through this essay I would like to show the tensions in contemporary political debates on gender equality and feminism. 350 blogposts have been deconstructed through discourse theoretical method. In the analyses I have shown the discursive struggle that is going on within the movement in giving meaning to concepts as knowledge, society, gender, politics, feminism and gender equality. The movement is using the technical potential in blogs and common Internet forums to create a common political we. The movement’s political identity is created in direct opposition to feminism. Knowledge is by the movement understood as neutral, objective truth and society is manifested as consisting of free, rational individuals. Politics is understood through liberal political values. Gender is articulated through a conservative discourse where men and women are biologically different and this has a major influence on their positions in society. Feminism is seen as an ideology that is not grounded in reality, that is evil and create hatred and contempt among both women and men. The gendered power structure is manifested as a feminist imagination and contemporary gender equality politics and mass media is seen as governed by radical feminism. Gender equality is defined as equal worth and equal rights and obligations. Through this essay I show that tensions in political debates, regarding feminism and gender equality, is created through the different political actors different understanding of society, people and politics. These different starting points generate a specific view on what gender equality is and how we should reach gender equality.