12 while the contra said that post-feminism is an anti-feminist movement
Pilcher, 2004, p: 106. Brooks 1977, argues that “it is not a question of depoliticizing
feminism, but of marking the conceptual shift from the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ form of debates around the revivified and theorized concept of
difference”. The conceptual shift means here is about accepting pluralism to shape equality than create equality. In addition, Brooks states that post-
feminism represents feminism’s maturity, a development into a confident body of theory and politics, representing pluralism and difference.
Mills 1989, notes that the frame of post-feminism is useful to signify how feminism becomes rewritten, depoliticized and incorporated
into media accounts of contemporary culture. Furthermore, Brooks states that feminism is not necessarily anti-feminist. Based on this border
perspectives, Braithwaite stated that post-feminism are not simply reactions against or anti-feminism as cited in Brooks 1977: p. 27.
In addition, Gill 2007 states that post-feminism should be thought of as a sensibility. Besides, post-feminism also should be acknowledged
to be the cultural mood regarding gender that pervades Western countries in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century.
Post-feminism itself has some flows with their own uniqueness. The first is Postmodern Feminism known as Posmo. The idea of Posmo
is antiabsolute and anti authority. This flow found that ‘gender’ does not
mean as significant identity or social structure automatically. Posmo PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13 Feminism illustrates that the differences between men and women need to
be accepted and nurtured. More specifically, this flow rejects the authority.
The second flow is Multicultural Feminism. Multicultural feminism focused on the view that not all women are created or
constructed equally in a country. They are different in all aspects of life; not only on races and ethnicities differences’, but also different from
sexual identity, gender identity, age, religion, education level, occupation, and marital status. This flow is generally identifying as the social-
intellectual movement that promoting the value of diversity as a principle key. Multicultural also emphasize that all cultural groups must be
respected and treated equally. The third flow is Global Feminism. Global Feminist claimed that
the oppression of women can also be caused by an unfair system. The global feminist highlights the inequality between first world countries and
third world countries which have a different system of government. Thus extending the global feminist agenda into a cross-country-
women’s liberation and nation.
The fourth flow of post-feminism is Ecofeminism. This flow is a movement that seeks to create and preserve nature and the environment
with based femininity. Baxter 2006, tried to arouse and knock the heart of feminist to pay more attention to their natural environment.
14 Ecofeminism assumes that this natural phenomenon occurs because the act
of masculine hegemonic and exploitative.
2. Post-feminist Characteristics
As an ideology of life, post-feminism also has some
characteristics. This research found some characteristics of post-feminism from some writers. Here, the researcher chose feminist characteristics by
Faludi’s: backlash theory, Grant’s: advice manual and some addition from Braithwaite Journal. There are four characteristics of post-feminism found.
a. General Rejection on the Second Wave of Feminism
Braithwaite’s theory states that woman of this characteristics are grateful for the freedoms and equalities made possible by the feminist
movement, but at the same time blame it for making them miserable with pressures and high expectations. Women feel forced to apply what
feminism won for them; juggling a bona fide career and a family Braithwaite, 2004, p; 21-22. In addition, Grant asserts that woman who
focuses her energy to shape her career has her time left over to improve her relationships, to support her man, and to raise her children. Besides,
Faludi 1992 in her book said that many contemporary women are supposedly angry that feminism has weighed them down with high
expectations, specifically with balancing a career and home or family life. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15
b. Female Identity Crisis
This characteristic states that women today are not familiar with the term womanhood, because ‘feminism did not prepare them for the
roles as women’ Friedan, 1997, p: 75. Feminism has promised her- ‘women’-a stronger sense of her own identity. Feminism also has given
her little more than an identity crisis, the best-seller advice manual being a Woman asserts. Grant asserted that contemporary women have a real
course because feminism placing so much emphasis on career and taking not enough attention on marriage and motherhood. In addition, Grant
explained that the dilemma of the contemporary woman is shown when she tries to decide whether she want to be a single career girl or to be a
motherhousewife. It happens because the price she has had to pay in order to gain the whole world often feels like the loss of her very soul.
c. Focus on the Individualism
The third character of post-feminism is focused on the individual for personal pleasure. These may include fashion, beauty, sexiness, fun,
pleasure, and even include self- existence; “Look… I am a woman, and I
can do it better than men’s”. This also signifies of indulgence that considers ‘a rebellion against the old regime of feminism’ and ‘lifestyle
choices and personal consum er pleasures’ Braithwaite, 2004, p: 23 and
24. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
16
d. Revival of Traditional Femininity
In this last but not least characteristics of post-feminism, post- feminism’s eagerness to participate in the revival of traditional femininity.
It can be shown through motherhood and domesticity-men, children, family, and life at home, which is not in the plot of feminism. This
characteristic is also fighting for a normal family life as it should be. On one side a mother could have had a brilliant career outside the home, but
on the other hand, she also became a brilliant mother and wife inside home as befits a traditional woman.
Faludi 1992 mentioned that women had enough of the need for equality and they started claiming that they only
wanted to be the guardians of motherhood and domesticity, the housekeepers of national politics Faludi, 287. Besides, feminists failed
women by promoting the Equal Rights Amendment, pushing for no-fault divorce laws, and ignoring motherhood. Women today are now realizing
that this is considered as one of the alternative lifestyles.
3. Social Reactions Theory
Labeling is a definition when given to a person will become the
identity of that person, and explain how the type of particular person. By labeling a person, people tend to see him as a whole personality and not
the behavior one by one. Lemert in Sunarto, 2004 states that labeling theory is the deviation caused by the labeling of society to someone who
then tends to continue these deviations. The labeling theory inspired by PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
