At the beginning of this semester, I was very interested in feminist conflict and the questions that fuel feminist debate. One of these such debates was regarding the sex wars. This was one debate that I thought sparked a very interesting discussion in class, and I am continued to be interested in this topic, as it is the topic of my final research project for this class. I think the fact that I have continued interest in such feminist topics, and that these debates are almost never fully settled, shows how we framed feminist conflict in this class. Feminist conflict is essential to progress and change; conflict is the jumping off point for making positive change. Just like some of the questions and debates we addressed in class that aren’t close to being resolved, conflict will always exist and be apart of the feminist movement, and this is the new perspective I’ve gained on feminism.
The change in how I view conflict has been very important to me. Specifically, I think this was brought about by the text we read for class, Feminist Accountability. This text showed me how important it is to be accountable within our communities, and that if we want to make change, we have to confront those issues within our communities. It is especially important to be aware of conflict within these spaces. This book showed me the importance of seeing conflict in my everyday life as a generative force for growth, which I think is a crucial lesson that I won’t forget.