I'm sorry - it's me, Sungold. I need to figure out this OpenID business, I suppose.

I totally agree that feminism is a practice. The field of study is women's and gender studies, which deals with the history and current sociology of feminism as part of its subject, and which uses insights/standpoints from feminism to frame its scholarship. Actually, for some people, even that nomenclature is contentious - some still argue that adding "gender" de-centers women and depoliticizes the enterprise. I don't agree; I think that the category of gender offers a chance for deeper, and thus more radical, analysis.

I complete agree, too, about incivility being the problem. I love a good, respectful argument. This past quarter, I had politically active, conservative women in each of my classes, and because they were smart and respectful, we got along great. I am hoping they'll grow up to replace Ann Coulter.