Feminist theory aims to define and advance political, economic, personal, and social rights for women. It seeks to establish equal opportunities for women in areas like education and employment. The history of modern western feminist movements is divided into three waves - the first wave focused on women's suffrage in the late 19th/early 20th century, the second wave promoted legal and social equality starting in the 1960s, and the third wave began in the 1990s as a reaction to perceived failures of the second wave. There are three basic forms of feminism - liberal feminism focuses on individual choice and action, socialist feminism addresses both public and private oppression, and radical feminism seeks to abolish patriarchy through challenging social norms
3. Definition
Feminism or feminist theory is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements
that share a common goal which is
to define and advance political, economic, personal, and social rights for women.
This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment.
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5. History
Charles Fourier, a Utopian Socialist and French philosopher, is
credited with having coined the word "féminisme" in 1837.
Fourier believed that all important jobs should be open to women on
the basis of skill and aptitude rather than closed on account of
gender. He spoke of women as individuals, not as half the human
couple.
6. History
The words "féminisme" and "féminist" first appeared in France and the Netherlands in
1872.
Great Britain in the 1890s,
and the United States in 1910.
7. Feminist Movements
The history of the modern western feminist movements is divided into three "waves”
Each wave dealt with different aspects of the same feminist issues.
8. First Wave
The first wave comprised women's suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, promoting women's right to vote.
9. Second Wave
The second wave was associated with the
ideas and actions of the women's liberation
movement beginning in the 1960s.
The second wave campaigned for legal and
social equality for women.
10. Third Wave
The third wave is a continuation of, and a reaction to,
the perceived failures of second-wave feminism,
beginning in the 1990s.
11. 4 Basic Principles in Feminism
Working to increase equality:
Feminist thought links ideas to action, insisting we should push for change toward gender
equality and not just talk about it.
12. 4 Basic Principles in Feminism
Expanding human choice:
Feminists believe that both men and women should have the freedom
to develop their human interests and talents, even if those interests
and talents conflict with the status quo.
For example, if a woman wants to be a mechanic, she should have
the right and opportunity to do so.
13. 4 Basic Principles in Feminism
Eliminating gender stratification:
Feminists oppose laws and cultural norms that limit
income, educational and job opportunities for women.
14. 4 Basic Principles in Feminism
Ending sexual violence and promoting sexual freedom: Feminists feel that women should
have control over their sexuality and reproduction.
15. Types of Feminism
There are three basic forms of feminism:
• Liberal Feminism
• Social Feminism
• Radical Feminism
16. Liberal Feminism
Liberal feminism is an individualistic form of feminist theory, which focuses on women’s
ability to maintain their equality through their own actions and choices.
Liberal feminists argue that society holds the false belief that women are, by nature, less
intellectually and physically capable than men
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18. Socialist Feminism
Socialist feminism is a branch of feminism that focuses upon both the public and
private spheres of a woman's life and argues that liberation can only be achieved by
working to end both the economic and cultural sources of women's oppression.
19. Socialist Feminism
Socialist feminism is a two-pronged theory that broadens
Marxist feminism's argument for the role of capitalism in
the oppression of women and radical feminism's theory of
the role of gender and the patriarchy.
20. Radical Feminism
Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical reordering of
society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts.
21. Radical Feminism
Radical feminists seek to abolish patriarchy by challenging existing
social norms and institutions, rather than through a purely political
process.
This includes challenging the notion of traditional gender roles,
opposing the sexual objectification of women, and raising public
awareness about such issues as rape and violence against women.
