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the third wave of feminism essay
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The social movement of third wave feminism began in the middle of the 1990s and started a new aspect of looking at the feminists perspectives in the world. The third wave of feminism is the beginnings of a social movement in regards to gender equality, sexuality and defining “womanhood”. Third wave feminism covers a broad spectrum however, not just gender equality, sexuality and defining “womanhood” but; crime against women, challenging women standards, the use of derogatory words that turn women against women, and the old school ideology of women being subservient to men, are just to name a few of the issues that cycle within third wave feminism. Because of this broad spectrum, many argue that third wave feminism is not a social movement at …show more content…
The first wave of feminism took place within the late 1800s and the early 1900s and, focused primarily on women’s legal rights along with women’s suffrage or, the right to vote. This first wave had two prominent women leaders; Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The second wave of feminism took place from the 1960s to the early1990s and focused primarily on the view as women as a minority group and, sexuality and reproductive rights were prominent issues at this time (Rampton, 2014). This wave is most commonly referred to as the women’s liberation movement and formed multiple feminist groups. For instance, the second wave of feminism gave birth to the radical feminist; a radical feminist is one that focuses on the patriarchy as a large reason to women’s oppression. Most recently the third wave of feminism has been attempting to make a strong social impact within gender equality, statements against women violence and breaking women talking down to women. This paper will explore the third wave of feminism as the prospects of social movement and the movement’s prominent figures and …show more content…
The interesting concept with these three leadership parties is that they all contrast one another yet, they all hold a responsibility within the third wave of feminism, “perhaps the most important function of social movement leaders is becoming the symbol of their movement” (Woodward, Denton, 2014, p.248). All three became a figure of the movement, all three symbolized a part of the third wave of feminism and the leadership is still growing
For decades now, women have been fighting to earn rights for political, social and economic equality to men. What made the diversity change many of the rights against women after decades of being treated unequally? The second wave of feminism started to evolve near the end of the second World War. More women were starting to achieve degrees to pursue a career which will provide them wealth and joy. The second movement mainly focused on gender equality such as voting rights, reproductive rights and political rights. Due to the feminism wave, women earned respect world wide by standing up to achieve legal rights and equality to men. Therefore, the second wave of feminism that took place in the United States during the 1960s helped bring equality for women in the areas of education, work and pay, reduced violence against women, and helped gain rights in their reproductive and political lives.
In “Building the Third Wave” Laurie Ouellette addresses her stance on feminism by passing the audience a question as to “why so many young women have shunned feminism”. Ouellette states her response of feminism by giving reasons as to why young women are not supporting feminism. Ouellette states that one reason is because they do not have role models to reach out to young people. Another aspect of the feminism movement that struggled involved a lack of support from the economically disadvantaged and women of color due to the silence of the upper middle class white females. Also, Ouellette mentions that women do not like hearing about the past because they feel as if have been lied to in regards to feminism. Ouellette concludes the article by explaining that it is responsibility of generations past to fight to get more young women into the feminism movement.
The goal of the first wave was to open up more opportunities women including being able to vote. The second wave of feminism occurred from the 1960s to the 1980s. This wave predominantly revolved around the wage gap, sexuality, and reproductive rights. The passing of the Equal Rights Amendment which was an amendment proposed to the United States Constitution guaranteeing social equality for both genders was a priority of the movement. The third wave of feminism began in the 90s and is still ongoing. This waves main focus is on patriarchy. Unlike the previous two waves, politics is not the main focus although it is a huge factor, third wave feminism is about breaking gender boundaries and old conceptions of what men and women should be. This wave is also all inclusive as I have mentioned before which is the biggest difference between the second and third wave. The third wave of feminism has redefined what the movement is, it used to be about politics and women only, feminism is now much
In the United States there have been three waves of women’s rights movements. The first movement was called the women’s right movement. This movement was mainly focused on white women and their right to vote as well as hold office. (Wood, p.62) The second movement was the women’s liberation movement, also known as radical feminism. This movement mainly impacted college students because college campuses were a great place for radical feminism to emerge. The radical feminists protested the Vietnam War and fought for civil rights. The women in this movement risked their lives and physical abuse just like the males did. (Wood, p.64) The third wave of feminism in the United States was known as third- wave feminism. In this movement woman with different ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, classes, appearances, sexual orientation and gender identities came together to fight for their rights as women. (Wood, p.74)
Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains to the social and legal status of women. One reached its goals while the other continues to fight for women’s rights.
In order to have a better understanding of this question, this week’s class focused on a couple of different readings that analyzed movements and the reason of their downfall. In their own way, these readings show why movements have failed and the reasoning behind it. The first reading that analyzes this question is “The Decline of the Women’s Movement” by Barbara Epstein. She focuses her analysis on the first and second wave feminism and the reasons they didn’t succeed. The First Wave movement mostly consisted of white middle class and upper class women and began during the abolitionist movement where women affiliated themselves with anti-slavery and anti-racism movements. When the Civil War ended and women weren’t extended suffrage, they abandoned their alliances with the blacks. This movement was then based on women’s suffrage and the right to vote. The problem this movement faced was, “First wave feminism also moved, over the course of its history, toward a narrowness of vision that isolated it from other progressive movements” (pg.377). Even though this movement changed many views in society, the reason they failed was because they pulled back their alliances. Not long after the second wave of feminism began and sexuality became their main goal along with a broader view concerning the workplace, family, and reproductive rights. Women focused their energy on passing the Equal Rights Amendment which would guarantee them social equality and the right to have freedom in the choices they make. “Radical feminists wanted gender equality in the workplace, and most liberal feminists wanted a more egalitarian society” ( pg.379). The second wave used a more of a rebellious approach; the radical feminists viewed patriarchy ...
...ithout discrimination. Often using the media as a way to quickly generate and spread new theories and ideas, Third Wave feminism is morphing into what is known as ‘Pop feminism.’(Page 82) Increasingly more people are getting involved with the feminist movement, and realizing that people of all ethnicities, social backgrounds, and sexualities should be treated with respect.
Feminism is a political movement that seeks equality between the sexes. Motivated by the search for social justice, feminist analysis provides a wide range of perspectives on social, cultural, economic, and political ideologies. Important topics for feminist politics and theory include: the body, class and work, family life, globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, reproduction, sex work, human trafficking, and sexuality. From early beginnings, to its current state, feminism has been a pervasive movement that has incited social, political and economic change and advancements. Generationally speaking, over the decades feminism has taken on many different meanings. Feminism has become a spectrum; each generation, or wave,
The feminist movement in USA was one of the most remarkable movements in its history. Women raised their voice and protested to achieve their basic rights which they were deprived of. Every women worked collectively for its success. The history of feminism is primarily described in three secular “waves” - as they consider every aspect of feminism which include the success and failures, goals and accomplishments in that particular period of time.
Even after the “first wave of feminism” movement in the early twentieth century, women demanded a change in their roles in American society. Suffragists fought for the passage of The 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920, but later generations still sought for more. These women, who were the decedents of the original suffragists, would go on to create the “second wave of feminism” throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. This wave would go on to not only gain more equality for women, but shifted gender roles dramatically, in areas including the government, the workforce, and popular culture.
Throughout the history of mankind, there has always been a common belief that women exist inferior to men. The Bible demonstrates that God made the first woman Eve from the rib of Adam and God “[does] not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11-15). However, understanding their important role in the family and society and feeling tired of being undertreated by men, women finally stood up for themselves. In the 19th century, the Feminist Movement emerged and completely changed the lives of millions of women in the United States until this day. The Movement provides the new perspectives and protects the rights of women in social and political aspects.
We have to truly take initiative in order to express our ideas regarding our feminist movement. We must take all our concerns in order to foster personal liberation and growth. The archaic social, psychological, and economic practices that discriminate against women must be ordeals of the past. We must compose new practices in order to develop a post-revolutionary society. This movement will require strategy, organization, commitment, and devotion; it may be a long battle, but I believe that we will end in triumph.
Feminist political ideology focuses on understanding and changing political philosophies for the betterment of women. Studying how the philosophies are constructed and what makes them unjust, this field constantly generates new ideas on how these philosophies need to be fundamentally reconstructed. Liberal feminism, for example, was built around promoting economic and political equality for women. By arguing the older concepts of the split between public and private realms as a way to politically protect male domination of women as “natural”, and ideas about a women’s place in the household, came evidence that supported legal cases leading “to the criminalization in the United States of spousal rape” (qtd. in McAfee). Another completely different approach is radical feminism, which advocates a separation from the whole system, perceiving that the sexual relations between male and female as the basis of gender inequality and female subordination (qtd. in McAfee). Democratic femin...
The first wave was in the year of 1789 which was organised to promote women’s rights by the first group of which included a wide range of women directly after the French revolution. The revolution had been fought in the 1970s on the basis of equality and freedom for women; as a result of this many women had then formed clubs mainly in Paris and also in major cities. The main principal for these clubs was to form a meeting place for women; as a result of these meetings it caused the development of political programmes regarding many issues such as rights in education. (Quidlen, 2001) First Wave Feminist activism grew out of abolitionism, thus leading to the rise of a suffragist movement in which was to ensure that slavery was put to an end if they received the right to vote. (Giddens,
“A feminist is one who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes” (Adichie, 2013). Feminism is not the belief that one’s sexual orientation or one’s power is superior over another. The very meaning of feminism demonstrates a complete resistance to this belief. Throughout the years, a range of categories of feminism philosophy have developed. They consist of goals in objectives, methodologies, and affiliations. Many feminists distinguish themselves with many branches of women 's activist thought. The three forms of feminism that this essay will consider are liberal feminism, socialist feminism, and radical feminism. This essay will argue that liberal feminism is the most valid theory of feminism as liberal feminist’s