Arguments

Rhetoric, it is seemingly a very powerful concept. Some choose to void it at all cost, some use it at every opportunity possible, and others put forward their input and argue only when and where they feel necessary. There are three types of people when it comes to rhetoric, argument, and the art persuasion. First, there is the type of person who avoids argument at all cost. This person would rather keep to themselves then to stir any emotions regarding someone else’s opinion or idea. Next, there is the person who chooses to argue at every given opportunity. This arguer will put forward some type of persuasion, regardless of whether or not he or she agrees or disagrees with any random concept. Finally, there is the person who selectively argues an idea, opinion, or concept exclusively to when controversy is brought up. Holding true to his or her beliefs this third person will argue matters simply on the basis that they feel strongly about about them. I would consider myself to be someone who argues more specifically when I feel passionately about any specific topic.

           Last semester in my Woman and Gender Studies class, argument was a major component to the issues discussed; everyone’s opinion was unique to their own experiences and therefore not everyone saw every topic eye to eye. In this very class I felt the need to argue what I believe is the true meaning of feminism, the concept that accepts who you are, regardless of your sex, race, physical appearance or gender, etc.

In one class specifically, my professor had asked the class to right down what each of us thought the word feminism meant. He collected our papers and said that only two out of the seventeen students in that class had defined feminism correctly. So then after, we read aloud what we each of us thought the word feminism meant. It was evident that everyone had a completely different understanding of feminism. Some people thought and argued that it meant that woman were better than men. Others thought and argued that it was something only woman can be. After a long and heated discussion filled with much argument throughout, our professor finally broke up the debate and clarified that feminism is believing that men and woman should have equal rights.

Throughout our discussion, I noticed that our professor would question our ideas, leading us to argue our opinions even further. At the time, I felt very strongly about what I thought feminism means. So badly, I wanted everyone to view this concept similarly to how I view it. However, giving your opinion alone can only get you so far.

            Almost every male in the class expressed that they believed that only woman could be feminist. In reality it is anyone who believes in equal rights between men and woman. Everyone seemed very shocked about the definition and the fact that anyone can be a feminist. However, if this topic was not argued and encouraged to be talked about by our professor, many of us would still be short to the true definition of feminism. We talked about why people argue and came to a conclusion that this often occurs due to miscommunication about a topic being argued. That is why it is so important to back up your argument not only with opinion but with support. With this support, others can view and understand your side of the argument more clearly, opening up greater perspectives for everyone.