The feminist movement of the 1960s changed the way our modern society works. Women prior to that time had fought for suffrage and equality with much success, but a rebirth in the movement in the 1960s shaped the parents and grandparents of today's youngsters, who are keeping the movement going strong. A sense of equality among men and women has solidified but there are still strides to be made. Some people are critical of feminism and it is hindering a more equal world.

Relationships with others can either advance the notion of feminism or set things back to a prehistoric time. Many factors are involved in the interactions between two people. Among those factors are upbringing, psychosocial experiences, personal beliefs, and intelligence. Someone who is intelligent, had limited interactions with others, and believes in a staunch traditionalist view where men and women enjoy set roles during interaction might be critical of feminism and come off as prejudiced to the idea. They may or may not openly reject the viewpoints of others and take their stance to be superior. To go with this can be criticisms and generalizations concerning women, men, and relationships. They might also be discriminatory or offensive. Now take the same individual who has been raised under the exact same circumstances except they had parents who educated them about the women's movement, and this person embraced the progress and believes in feminism. They might choose to be extreme and protest unequalities on a political or social level in a way to change others. They could also simply have their views and quietly divulge them only when they feel the need to assert them while upholding feminist principals. The interesting thing about both of these people is that either version can be male or female. Indeed, there are women who exist now who balk at the idea of feminism and consider it to be overbearing, while there are men who are strong supporters of the feminist movement.

Women who are critical of feminism and support a traditionalist view of women in traditional roles may or may not have been raised in an environment that countered feminism. Sometimes they feel more comfortable in a role as a traditional wife and mother. This might be because they
grew up in an untraditional environment and did not experience a strong female role; this is what they consider to be the proper role for a woman. There is nothing wrong with being a traditional housewife and mother, and it can be very rewarding. In the same vein, being a radical feminist who strongly supports through protest and volunteering is acceptable also. A woman might grow up to be a radical feminist if she was exposed to others who were critical of feminism and was not permitted to openly express herself or was only allowed to exist within narrow rules. The only time either adaptation can be a problem is when it affects others in a harmful or invasive way. Ideally, each of us is entitled to an opinion and should be allowed to indulge our own minds and free wills, but within reason. Men can take these same viewpoints, for similar reasons or for different reasons yet, but no matter who we are and what are choices may be we need to recognize the validity of feminism. We also need to respect others, and this is an essential idea that has nothing to do with just feminism: it has to do with being human.