Chivalry

The Death of Chivalry

          Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights. In the modern world, feminists have made great strides. They have earned their freedoms in the educational, professional, personal, and sexual fields. However, these freedoms have come with a cost. As a consequence for independence and equality, they have discarded long held values and traditions. Some of these social norms were beneficial to the healthy gender relationships. For example, feminist view chivalry as an outdated concept. It places women in gendered roles that were defined by a patriarchal society. These gendered roles were necessary in the past. They helped solidify unstable relationships. Chivalry was a social structure that helped make men more respectful to women. Yet, feminist excision of gender differences removed this leaving confusion and disappointment in relationships.

Chivalry Needs to Return

          In April 14, 1912, the Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. ¾ of the women on the ship survived while ¾ of the men died. A memorial was erected to those that sacrificed themselves so that the women and children could live. On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia befell a similar accident. It hit a rock and sank off the coast of Isola del Giglio. Men shoved their way through the crowd to save themselves.

          With the demand of the equal treatment of women, feminist dismissed chivalry as benevolent sexism. It is benevolent because it gives women preferential treatment; but, it is sexist because it is based on the idea that women are weak and need the protection of men. Due to women’s inconsistent stance on chivalry, men are uncertain as to how to treat them.

        “Feminists want men to treat women as equals; traditionalists want men to treat women like ladies. Are the two mutually exclusive?” Chivalry is about respect. Its core aspects revolve around serving others, being polite, and being courteous.  In modern terms, it would be classified as civility. With the re-inclusion of chivalry, relationships would reach a mutual respect for each other.

My Take

          After reading both points of view, I’m leaning towards the first article. Chivalry, for the most part, is dead. With the rise of the feminist movement, the independence and equality of women directly contradicts the core belief of chivalry. Chivalry focuses on men’s subservience and protection of a women. As much as I want the second article to be viable, it just seems too naïve. She wants women to be independent and equal while being placed on a pedestal. It seems unreasonable. There is one thing I agree with in both articles. The lack of gender roles has destabilized relationship statuses. Men are uncertain as to how to treat women. Women are disappointed with how they are treated. I’ve had to sort out several situations like this as a liaison. Sadly, this isn’t restricted to only new relationships. As much as I like chivalry, it’s dead without either a complete overhaul or some way to balance it the diametrically opposed concept of independence. Do you think it’s possible to balance both? If so, how would you do it? If not, which would you prefer? These questions don’t always have a simple answer.

Schaeffer, Sabrina. "Chivalry Is Dead, Long Live Feminism." The Federalist. N.p., 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. <http://thefederalist.com/2014/10/30/chivalry-is-dead-long-live-feminism/#disqus_thread>.

Smith, Emily Esfahani. "Let's Give Chivalry Another Chance." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/12/lets-give-chivalry-another-chance/266085/2/>.