Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Feminism

The concept of feminism is not universal and has many forms (e.g., liberal, radical, womanism) and definitions. However, there are three characteristics that are shared by most, if not all, forms of feminism. First is the recognition that women are treated differently than men, and are in the subordinate role in society. Second, feminists view gender and gender roles as socially constructed (and thus capable of change) and as differentially valued within society. Third, feminism holds that women can be autonomous and self-reliant. The main goal of feminism is gender equality.

Brief History

Discussions of women's position relative to men's go back at least as far as the 12th century, although “feminism” did not emerge until the mid-18th century. Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women, published in 1792, is considered the first feminist text. Early North American feminists struggled with competing loyalties: family vs. self, abolition vs. suffrage, and change vs. comfort, among others. In 1869, John Stuart Mill published The Subjection of Women, which distinguished between women's biological abilities and social construction; for example, it differentiated between the ability to bear children and the need to stay at home. It is a critical text because it was written by a man and therefore considered more credible by a male-dominated society.

Modern feminist movements are referred to as “waves.” The waves of feminism in the United Kingdom and the United States have similar timelines, although other countries have their own progressions. The first wave in the United States lasted approximately 60 years, from 1860 to 1920, and focused on gaining the vote for women. The second wave, in the 1960s and 1970s, is often prominent in definitions and descriptions of feminism. While many actions of the second wave were attempts to make family life more equitable for women, there were also extreme changes in society, both within and outside the feminist movement. The movement of the 1960s left out many women of color, often focusing on White, middle-class issues such as the right to employment and the distribution of household labor. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade in 1973 made abortion legal, granting women control over their own bodies, and sparking a debate that has continued for over 30 years. Extreme actions covered by the media (e.g., marches, bra-burning, single-issue protests) managed to alienate more moderate feminists, distancing more women from what became a very political label. The political climate during the 1980s and 1990s was difficult for feminism, and women continued to avoid the label “feminist” into the next decade. This is the era during which the third wave of feminism began.

Relevance to Intergroup Relations

Women constitute half of the world's population, and the majority hold a socially subordinate role to men. Compared to men, women experience inequalities in social, political, economic, and domestic realms. Feminism has brought to the forefront several issues relevant to intergroup relations, including (a) feminist identities; (b) stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against women; (c) rejection of dominant ideologies; and (d) collective action and social change.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution