Post Modern Feminism

A Brief History 2nd wave feminism motivated

Known as the “Second Wave Feminism Movement”, many individuals targeted the areas of equality and discrimination. These included rights within reproductive health, the wage gap, and harassment within the workplace. Unlike the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920s, women in the 60s and 70s felt the need for a more liberating movement. They had many of the same ideals as the CIvil Rights Movement, using sit-ins, marches and picketing protests. This movement also ultimately led to the expansion of many rights for women.

Women in early mid-1800s started to fight for equal rights more than ever. Since American males have been granted more rights since the American independence, women started to question the reasons behind why they are not getting the same rights as men. This started a generations of women fighting for their equal rights. From the arguments presented by first wave feminists for women’s right and the evidence against inclusion by their detractors, the first wave feminists for women’s right had a better convincing argument because they did not over exaggerate their arguments and evidence to the arguments that they made.

(Schmalleger, F. 137) The third form is Socialist feminism these people sees gender domination as a significance of the economic structure of society also examines social roles and the gender based division of labor within the family seeing both as a significant source of women’s subordination within society. The fourth form is Marxist feminism which sees capitalism as perpetuating economic inequality, dependence, and political powerlessness, ultimately leading to unhealthy gender relations. Proponents of each advocate eliminating male domination and restructuring power relationships to reduce crime rates for women and because it ultimately leading to unhealthy social relations between men and women. (Schmalleger, F.

The Women’s Movement The Women’s movement in the 1960s or the “Second wave of feminism” stemmed from every women’s limitations in almost every aspect of life. After the first wave feminism which focussed solely on gaining women’s suffrage, the second wave moved on to different every day discriminations. From family to work, a woman lived by her expectations. She was to marry in her early 20s, so that she could start a family early and devote her life to being a housewife, no chance at a career, that was considered a mans job.

Gloria Steinem can ultimately be said to be a leader of the feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Her involvement in the movement shaped the way feminism is viewed in the USA today, especially considering her role in causes such as abortion, and women in journalism, specifically Ms. Magazine. While she was not solely responsible for any part of the Women’s movement, as she was part of different groups of women who “led” the movement, her influence is undeniable, and most certainly pivotal to how modern feminism is viewed today. Second wave feminism came as a response to the reinstatement of the domestic role of women as women’s sole role in a post-World War Two society. A male centred society and the patriarchy were once again being accepted as the norm and perpetuated.

Moreover, it challenged the compulsory heterosexuality, a woman can only be successful in society if she is married to a man and be a good ‘housewife,’ which consolidates patriarchy. Radical Feminism challenged many social ideas from reproductive rights to workplace which inevitably led them to examine the traditional gender roles. Finally, Third Wave Feminism, or Transversal Feminism, ultimately seeks to overthrow essentialism, that there exists a single definition of man-ness and woman-ness. Instead, gender is a spectrum of

Feminism: Viewing feminism from all aspects From the following classic definition of a “feminist” by believing the idea of equality, there is an added responsibility of delivering the idea, convincing people, and helping people realize the occurrence of feminism. Being a feminist by any means is not an easy task. As the idea of feminism is rapidly developing across the globe, it refers to various questions, misconceptions, and sometimes extreme detestation directed towards the feminists. Society still doesn’t understand the essence of feminism, and the true meaning of it. Some believe that a feminist fight for women's equality, while others believe that women should be able to fulfill their highest potential.

Feminists emphasized, and continue to emphasize, that gender roles are social constructions that amount to a system of oppression. Feminists argued for equality, both political and social, for women, as well as fundamental changes in their roles in the home. The questions raised about gender also paved the way for entirely new movements, such as the movement for gay rights. Some of the issues taking frontline in discussions for women rights in mainstream Western societies today include reproductive rights, pay equality, and equality of educational

As another example, feminism is a movement that fits in this school of thought. Feminism focuses on the subordination of women (a group conflicting with another more advantaged group [men]) and looks at how the relationships among the two groups are defined, perpetuated, and

The first wave of feminism has been a revolutionary social movement in terms of that it could lead to an overcoming of the previous social order (Newman, 2012 p. 487) through its social agents and create, through this, a new social ordering of time and space. Moreover, through reaching their previously described aims, the first wave of feminism has been able to literally “overthrow the entire system itself, (…) in order to replace it with another one.” (Skocpol, 1979, as cited in Newman 2012, p. 487). Thereby, one can even state that a new ordering of time and space by which routines and routinised behaviour has been challenged as well as changed took place. The interactions influenced the way how societies work today.

(Coakley, 2003, p.28). Feminist theory is modelled on the idea that “social order is based primarily on the values, experiences, and interests of men with power. Social life and social order is gendered and based on patriarchal ideas.” (Coakley, 2003, p.29).

THE UNDERSTANDING OF FIRST WAVE OF FEMINISM "Feminism is the

feminism According to Wikipedia, “Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social rights for women”. Contemporary feminism As defined by Wikipedia, contemporary feminism is also known as third-wave feminism, began since 1990 to present. It involves a wider range of issues such, most importantly

It is a revolution that includes men and women who wish for the world to be a place of equality between genders. Feminism is amongst the many terms that are perceived differently according to each individual 's own view of how the world is and how it should be. directed towards advocating for gender and sex equality for women. Feminism is a movement that seek to achieve equality and social rights for women in all key areas which includes education, personal, economic, employment, and cultural sphere of human endeavours. Activists of the feminist movements usually social and political theories to campaign for women’s rights and freedom where sexuality and gender-based political thinking have created imbalances and inequality for the women in