Intention

Bibi van der Zee’s stated intention with her article “A feminist’s guide to raising boys” is to provide parents of boys with a practical guide on how to raise their sons in an environment where issues such as gender discrimination and biases are still heavily present. This is also suggested from the title.

To do this, van der Zee provides several practical guidelines that might be of interest to parents. For example, she explicitly gives advice on how to tackle important gender issues: “You have to talk to your sons and then talk some more. Be prepared to argue”. She also offers information about unconscious gender biases that still exist in society. By admitting that she used to be guilty of them herself without realizing it, van der Zee appeals to ethos, as she comes across as humble and willing to acknowledge her own mistakes.

Van der Zee also uses anecdotes to give readers her personal experience as a feminist mot...