Feminism can be defined as 1.) The theory of the political, economic, and social, equality of the sexes. And 2.) The organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests. I the United States within the last 130 years, there have been a series of waves of Feminism.
The First Wave of Feminism started in the late 19th century when women began to fight for the right to vote. At that time there was a sort of clumping together of causes: prohibition, feminism and an awakening awareness of civil rights. The women involved tended to be upper class white women. This wave is generally thought to have lasted until the 1920s, when the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution granting Women’s Suffrage was passed into law.
The Second Wave of Feminism involved mostly middle class white women. It was about raising consciousness of the impact of the patriarchy on society, insistence on birth control and women's control of their reproductive rights. It was characterized by the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and rights for women in the workplace..
The timing of the era of the Third Wave of Feminism is disputed. Just about every source agrees that it began in the mid-1990s. Rebecca Walker first used the term “Third Wave Feminism” in 1992 for her article in Ms. magazine entitled “Becoming the Third Wave”, motivated by Anita Hill’s claims of sexual harassment during the Supreme Court confirmations hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas. This wave was, in large measure, made up of the daughters and granddaughters of the Second Wavers coming of age. There is a great deal of dispute as to whether it ended in the early teens of the twenty-first century, or if the Third Wave is still ongoing.
Third Wave Feminism is activism for women’s rights but is a very different kind of activism than the earlier waves. The first two waves were very organized and well coordinated. They were marches and protests. The causes were clear and relatively focused. The Third wave is very broad in scope, and not at all unified like the earlier waves.
Third Wave Feminism is much more an era of activism with various subgroups of activists, not all of which are even women. The demographic of the Third Wave is much more inclusive of women of color, of varied socio-economic levels and of various sexual orientations and gender identities. There is not a universal agreement on the most important issues or goals of the movement. Some activists view Feminism as a thing of the past. Because of modern technology and social media platforms, Feminism has become much more widely discussed and therefore reflective of many more viewpoints. Because of this, it is less focused and specific as to its goals and, in fact, even of agreement among participants of the definition of the movement itself. As was the case in the First Wave of Feminism, there is a grouping of causes and that could be claimed to fall under what has traditionally been Feminism. The title Feminism itself is disputed as some of these causes are about diminishing the binary gender dynamic in society altogether, and focusing on quality of life issues for many sub groups of society.
Third Wave Feminists may be very politically active. They may be motivated by societal norms regarding standards of beauty and acceptable body image. Their choice of music may be by Riot Grrl, or Girl Power Punk Rock. Third Wave Feminists might read Zines or books like The Beauty Myth, or they may join street protests against sexual harassment and unequal pay.
While Second Wave Feminists burned their bras as symbols of liberation from the patriarchy, some Third Wave Feminists fight for the right to choose whatever wardrobe they wish while pursuing whatever activity they wish. Pinkfloor is quoted as saying, “It is possible to have a push-up bra and brain at the same time.”
The #MeToo movement, and current events regarding sexual harassment, and the sexual assault of women in the workplace are at the heart of the ongoing evolution and definition of Feminism today.
Sources
https://www.pacificu.edu/about/media/four-waves-feminism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminism
https://youtu.be/1GqmlDcJKyc
The First Wave of Feminism started in the late 19th century when women began to fight for the right to vote. At that time there was a sort of clumping together of causes: prohibition, feminism and an awakening awareness of civil rights. The women involved tended to be upper class white women. This wave is generally thought to have lasted until the 1920s, when the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution granting Women’s Suffrage was passed into law.
The Second Wave of Feminism involved mostly middle class white women. It was about raising consciousness of the impact of the patriarchy on society, insistence on birth control and women's control of their reproductive rights. It was characterized by the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and rights for women in the workplace..
The timing of the era of the Third Wave of Feminism is disputed. Just about every source agrees that it began in the mid-1990s. Rebecca Walker first used the term “Third Wave Feminism” in 1992 for her article in Ms. magazine entitled “Becoming the Third Wave”, motivated by Anita Hill’s claims of sexual harassment during the Supreme Court confirmations hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas. This wave was, in large measure, made up of the daughters and granddaughters of the Second Wavers coming of age. There is a great deal of dispute as to whether it ended in the early teens of the twenty-first century, or if the Third Wave is still ongoing.
Third Wave Feminism is activism for women’s rights but is a very different kind of activism than the earlier waves. The first two waves were very organized and well coordinated. They were marches and protests. The causes were clear and relatively focused. The Third wave is very broad in scope, and not at all unified like the earlier waves.
Third Wave Feminism is much more an era of activism with various subgroups of activists, not all of which are even women. The demographic of the Third Wave is much more inclusive of women of color, of varied socio-economic levels and of various sexual orientations and gender identities. There is not a universal agreement on the most important issues or goals of the movement. Some activists view Feminism as a thing of the past. Because of modern technology and social media platforms, Feminism has become much more widely discussed and therefore reflective of many more viewpoints. Because of this, it is less focused and specific as to its goals and, in fact, even of agreement among participants of the definition of the movement itself. As was the case in the First Wave of Feminism, there is a grouping of causes and that could be claimed to fall under what has traditionally been Feminism. The title Feminism itself is disputed as some of these causes are about diminishing the binary gender dynamic in society altogether, and focusing on quality of life issues for many sub groups of society.
Third Wave Feminists may be very politically active. They may be motivated by societal norms regarding standards of beauty and acceptable body image. Their choice of music may be by Riot Grrl, or Girl Power Punk Rock. Third Wave Feminists might read Zines or books like The Beauty Myth, or they may join street protests against sexual harassment and unequal pay.
While Second Wave Feminists burned their bras as symbols of liberation from the patriarchy, some Third Wave Feminists fight for the right to choose whatever wardrobe they wish while pursuing whatever activity they wish. Pinkfloor is quoted as saying, “It is possible to have a push-up bra and brain at the same time.”
The #MeToo movement, and current events regarding sexual harassment, and the sexual assault of women in the workplace are at the heart of the ongoing evolution and definition of Feminism today.
Sources
https://www.pacificu.edu/about/media/four-waves-feminism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminism
https://youtu.be/1GqmlDcJKyc