Feminism is a political stance and movement that not only seeks equality and justice for women but attempts to enquire the importance of all living human beings, especially those who are marginalised having equal footing and presence in the discussions about them and what will come of the future (Moon & Holling, 2020). This seemingly life-changing idea however faces difficulty in its application in reality and is not fully understood, especially when the concept of intersectionality that introduces race, religion, region, age, income, sexuality is added into the mix (Rama, 2017). Hankivsky (2022) states that inequalities faced by humans in the hands of other humans is not a by-product of a singular factor but rather tends to be a combination of identity specific categorisations and socio-economic circumstances. Which is where white feminism that places heavy focus and push towards the needs of western white women, splits from the actual ideas of feminism, as whiteness or its proximity to it historically and currently is placed above all in hierarchy of race which trickles down into the feminist movement. White feminism although the catalyst of women receiving a voice towards the rights of their bodily autonomy, social life, education and daily life, has always put aside the needs of their minority counterparts and continues to do so on social media especially towards humanitarian needs, representation and activism.

 

The ideology of feminism which gained major traction in the early 1900s, known as the suffragette movement, nourished the current version of womanhood as we know it, the movement saw women protest and fight for the right to vote, or better known as suffrage (Museum of London Dockland). The protests of the suffragettes opened up women receiving voting rights, better social circumstances through working and educational opportunities, which saw none of their marginalised groups receive the same warrants. Instead of using this significant movement to better living circumstances for all, the suffragette movement was built on and emphasised how the White Women (WW) were at an unequal footing with their male counterparts and did not seek for universal suffrage, the right for all to vote. Drawing similarities with current day trends and discussions on social media where criticism on the frame of feminism takes on the opinion of developed nations, which have a higher concentration of the White population lowering intersectionality possibilities and lacks understanding of that feminism in developing countries is itself a developing idea (United Nations, 2014). The lack of intersectionality then leads to the lens of what is wrong and right aligned with what is important in the eyes of Whiteness, which takes away the visibility, opinions and representation of those who do not adhere into such characteristic and encourages thoughts of white supremacy in alignment with feminism.  

 

 

Recognising the effects of feminism solely rooted in whiteness creates an emphasis on the importance and the understanding of intersectionality, as its constructs an environment that empathises and acknowledges the differences that each individual has in accordance with their identity. The understanding then allows room to not measure circumstances based solely on personal experiences but rather applies said experiences and a multitude of factors in accordance to the individual. Which with the rise of social media, has equally created communities that take on this notion, of speaking up about issues that do not have direct correlation to them but and their identity in the ideology of feminism whilst others choose their personal beliefs above all. The later has recently been expressed on X against Palestinian women due to their outward expression not adhering to the expected standards of western White feminists according to white supremacy ideation.

 

The reaction of White feminists on social media towards the genocide that is occurring in Palestine has shed light into what white feminism is about, taking away that every woman has their own way of feeling and being empowered which is essential towards feminism. The acceleration of destruction and harm that has come about in Palestine the past six months, has seen major uproar and discord into what we the people can do to help or minimise the horrors that is coming about towards the native people of Palestine from the genocide. Simply thinking about donating or finding ways to interact with the government to cut the political ties and send aid to those suffering would be the first steps one would think of, especially those who align as being feminists due to this being something that seeks justice and equality for all. However, the premise of white feminism which also adheres towards thoughts of White supremacy puts somewhat of a checkbox of similarities between beliefs, values and outwards appearance on which of individuals should receive aid and what actions to take. Aziz (2023) states that the country of Palestine has no electricity and is unable to receive aid for necessities such as food, water and medical supplies. Equality towards all and betterment of life for all is the purpose of feminism and what its roots are from but instead of working towards that cause, people sought to find reasons as to why aid was taking time or dismissing the seriousness of what the people are going through by focusing on something that is an identity choice than the humanity of a person.

 

User @Phlegmbuoy who tweets in response to men using their shirts as a replacement for a hijab for the woman they are saving, the user states that by doing so it is the patriarchy at work and puts those who do not conform into societal forms of gender expression in positions of self-doubt of worth and that the choice to do so is the idea of the men to reinforce unfair standards. This stance chooses to not focus on how this moment was important to the woman who earlier in the video shows signs of discomfort in her appearance and attempts to find any material big enough to cover the hair that is on display. This approach towards an incident mix in personal beliefs that view religion but in this specific case the Islam religion negatively and those who try to uphold such beliefs as being foolish. The reaction although taking away from the fact that a human was saved and treated in a manner that allowed them to be more grateful for being alive does raise a point of how the safety of the individual should be above all and how the views of feminism incline towards men not dictating the appearance of a woman. This thought process, however, does not take into consideration the region and religion that the genocide is occurring in, as feminism should be adapted to the people in a region. Rather than isolating and somewhat placing blame on the choices a woman is making towards their personal identity and emphasising how said choices do not align with ideas feminism in the eyes of white feminists, these choices should initiate a stronger wave of feminism. This wave should include and works towards equality for all acknowledging the differences that come about with intersectionality, which will encourage conversations, creation and seeking of communities within those who are like minded.

 

 

Communities are distinctively known and viewed as areas that people of all backgrounds come together, where those with similar beliefs, ideology or understandings of topics assemble and interact with one another (Mcqueen et. al, 2001). These spaces often reflect individual identic characteristics including physical traits such as skin colour, the demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation and their personal interests that focuses on preferences in music taste, movies, tv and book genres. The introduction of social media however, has shifted the emphasis towards gathering communities based on interests, with the option of anonymity online, overlooking other characteristics, particularly in fandom spaces. While the people initially interact to expose their interests, particularly fans of musicians, there is stronger engagement due to the music and performances an artist may release as well as the desire to interact with those like-minded (Pop Pulse Magazine, 2023). However, as music is a form of expression, people resonate to particular genres and artists due to seeing reflections of themselves.

Fan communities play a pivotal role in the influence and success an artist has within the music industry, and with the presence of social media specifically X, these communities have no limits and interact internationally with no geographic boundaries (Pop Pulse Magazine, 2023). Globalisation has created and encouraged space for clashes among fandoms to heighten, where minor issues evoke large reactions in support for their artist. This is seen with the recent revival of the feud between the fans of Beyonce and Taylor Swift.

 

Beyonce as an artist is influenced by her country roots that centre on her on experiences as Black Women and her navigation in the USA, while Taylor Swift writes from the experience of white woman from the southern parts of USA (Keating, 2023).  The distinction in their artistic expression, both shapes their sound and also their target demographic. The difference has now allowed discussion about who has a greater impact in the industry to be fuelled towards the context of white feminism skeleton and understanding of success. This was evident in the recent the feud between Taylor Swift and Beyonce recently flared as Swifts fans (Swifties) reacted with intense scrutiny and disbelief to the publications of Beyonce being the best-selling tour of any woman artist at the time (BuzzingPop, 2023).

 

The essence of such revelation and discussions lies the foundations white feminism which often elevates narratives that uphold whiteness, overlooking the efforts and abilities of those who do not fit within this framework.  This then amplifies white voices and perspectives in music, creating room for scepticism and disbelief towards the achievements of non-white artists. Seen by the scrutiny faced by Beyonce, a Black woman for the commercial success she has achieved and the depth of her impact, especially from Swifties a fan base with 75% of the individuals identifying as white (Kaplan, 2023). This then puts emphasis on how personal beliefs and self-evaluated definitions of success limit support towards artist such as Beyonce, who do not fit within this frame.

 

This brings us back to the perspective that there is no definitive way measure who is greater in music, as impact tends to be biased towards the person or demographics it tends to be released for. This, however, does not stop fans using statistics as an even ground to support their favourites, with both sides citing Grammys, Emmys and Billboard Awards as evidence. The reliance of these award shows is problematic due to their historical ties with white supremacy which continue to influence their outcomes of these shows. This is seen with the creation of categories that are stereotypically assigned to Black artists such as R&B, Urban or Hip Hop emphasising this bias. This bias is exemplified in the wins Beyonce has under the Grammys, where 70% of said wins fall within these categories, which overlook her as a pop artist characterise her solely on her being Black (Herrin, 2021 & Grammy Awards). This reinforces the importance of intersectional feminism, highlighting how white feminism allows the industry to be shaped in a way that accepts and encourages inequalities towards non-white women as long as the artist they support receives recognition or treatment typically reserved for men.

 

The inequalities once again point out how comparisons, pertaining to the influence and impact between the two in the music industry are problematic as the frameworks are built and skewered towards white ideologies. User @daymare19891213 states the lyricism style and topics Taylor Swift sings about are more meaningful and abstract, making them digestible whilst mentioning how overrated Beyonce as a writer is. Dismissing that both the artists frequently sing about their relationships and being women. This brings forward the hypocrisy that occurs against Black women in music, as displayed by fans of a well-known feminist actively seeking ways to empower their artist via the disempowerment, undervaluing and minimisation of another woman. Things that go against feminism but are fall into white feminism spaces. Especially when the major difference is that similar topics are introduced from an intersectional perspective of being Black and a woman.

 

This highlights the issue of segregative fandoms, as they are echo chambers of people who seek those with similar interests and opinions in regard to other artists. Which allows criticism edge towards hatred based on something the other individual cannot change. However, it can be argued that due to humans not being monolith even with similar interests, that the exposure and interactions of said criticism in such a social sphere encourages individuals to understand differences and look further into altering their personal opinions and how they approach circumstances.

 

White feminism is a concept that continues to work in the current communities around us, seen through segregated groups of people who support artist allowing certain behaviours and thoughts that are unfiltered to occur with minor consequences and creating spaces for the behaviour to exist and be implemented with newfound normalcy whilst also being prevalent in circumstances of current world issues and in the judgement of what and who is worthy to receive aid and understanding. The concept that heavily relies on proximity to whiteness above understanding and being inclusive of all human beings through humanising or acknowledging the different experiences they go through gives the wrong idea of what it truly is to be a feminist, it takes away the rights for each individual especially those marginalised from being involved and participating in the movement that could better their future and the positions they are in. It instils the hierarchy of the race placement of whiteness, due to final decisions of what is wrong and right or what has to be done coming from one group and essentially being rigid in the understanding of the complexity that comes with those living with in areas that present a person intersectionality.

 

 

References

 

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