Introduction When we think of feminism we might all have different ideas of what it is and what it has the potential to be. There is so much to discuss when talking about feminism especially, uncovering stereotypes and explaining what feminism truly is. The history of feminism in the United States can be seen as early as the 19th century. Through feminist movements across the country, people have fought for equal rights, equal pay, careers, education, autonomy and so many other monumental things. The fight that feminism endures is a constant battle that sociologists would benefit from analyzing further. Throughout this blog I will begin to break down the history of feminism, what it means to be a feminist today, and I will be applying conflict theory to add further insight into these two things. The History of Feminism Feminism did not always look like it does now and that is because is has come in different waves. Feminism is described as "ideas and movements that have sought to achieve gender equality" but goes much deeper than just a short definition. (Healey, Stepnick, and Obrien, 2019, p. 395). First wave, second wave, and third wave feminism have all brought something new to the table. Although we talk about feminism coming in waves, it is important to note that each wave was a continuation of what the previous way fought for. Constance Grady, in the article on Vox, explains that "it can reduce each wave to a stereotype and suggest that there’s a sharp division between generations of feminism, when in fact there’s a fairly strong continuity between each wave — and since no wave is a monolith, the theories that are fashionable in one wave are often grounded in the work that someone was doing on the sidelines of a previous wave" in regards to understanding that each wave of feminism is interconnected (Grady, 2018). I will start off by detailing what each wave included. First-wave feminism The first wave of feminism, 1848-1920, began as a focus on women’s right to vote and economic independence. This wave was called the “women’s suffragist movement”. Some well-known individuals that fought for feminism were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. These individuals specifically helped draft the Declaration of Sentiments at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which included demanding for women’s rights. Along with voting, this wave of feminism pushed for economic independence. At this time white upper class women had more access to education, resources, and time which led them to be the face of feminism for the first wave of feminism. A major thing to note within this movement is the lack of intersection between the feminist movement and the emancipation movement at this time. The racism within the foundation of the movement is what alienated many women of color. Healey states "not all abolitionists believed in gender equality, and not all suffragists endorsed racial equality" (Healey, Stepnick and O'brien, 2019, p. 402). This was obvious in their racist rhetoric against black men when the 15th amendment, granting black men the right to vote, was passed. Women of color such as Sojourner Truth, Maria Stewart, and Frances E.W. Harper were major voices and did a lot of work for the feminism movement during this wave. Second-wave feminism The second wave of feminism is captured from 1963-1980’s. This wave of feminism is known as the women’s liberation movement. The book, The Feminine Mystique, was a catalyst to this second wave. The book opened up the eyes of many and led people to question these roles. Although these ideas were not anything new, the book reached far and wide spreading mass awareness. Suburban women questioned their roles in the household and why they were subjected to this oppression. Previously all women had known was being the property of their husbands and oppressive conditions in the household. This wave of feminism fought for equal rights, economic independence, reproductive rights, domestic equality, cultural feminism, gender reform, and most importantly social equality. Some accomplishments of this second wave included, but not limited to, Equal Pay Act, affirmative action, Title IX, and Roe v. Wade. Popular faces in this wave were Billie Jean King, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, Simone de Beauvoir, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde. This movement was rooted more in anti-capitalism and anti-racism however, women of color were often alienated from this movement because of problems they faced, such as forced sterilization, that white women did not bother to address. “The personal is political” was a big phrase used during this time to describe how systemic inequality is at the root of all personal struggles. Many stereotypes of what a feminist is began during this time. From bra burning to men-hating, this was the beginning of some of the awful labels women were given when standing up for what is right. Third-wave feminism Third wave feminism began shortly after what is known as second-wave feminism. This wave is best known as the post-modern and post-industrial movement for gender equality. Previous waves of feminism did not speak for everyone in the foundations of what they fought for. Third-wave feminism fought for multiracial feminism, or intersectionality, and steered away from how the feminist movement was geared toward white-middle class women and their struggles. Third-wave feminism is all about empowering every individual. It challenges the gender binary and advocates for a more complex and diverse understanding of what gender, class, race, age, and sexuality are. This wave of feminism has advocated for victims of work place sexual harrassment, sex trafficing, and sex workers to name a few things. Third-wave feminism pushes for women in positions of power. Popular pieces of literature from authors such as Angela Davis and bell hooks fueled a lot of strength for this movement. Angela Davis and bell hooks’ ideas were not limited to just feminism. They both express deeper oppressions than feminism addresses therefore but their work is highly appreciated within this movement. Feminism through a Conflict Theorist lens As we analyze feminist movements, we can acknowledge all the great strides that this movement has made. From the Equal Pay Act to challenging the gender binary, the movement has opened up doors for many people. Women finally have a seat at the table that they fought so hard to be at. Women have fought so long to be equal to men. At this point in time we see more than ever that women hold positions like CEO, lawyers, police, government jobs, and more. The question at hand is why did we fight so long to have a seat at the oppressor’s table? To refresh on what conflict theory is, this quick video gives a good run down. Through a conflict theorist lens we can see that the fight isn’t necessarily men vs. women. The primary fight will always be the exploiter/oppressor vs. exploited/oppressed. Right now, it is the capitalist and the bourgeoisie vs. everyone else. The people in power vs. the people they exploit. Lenin once said:
Down with the liars who are talking of freedom and equality for all, while there is an oppressed sex, while there are oppressor classes, while there is private ownership of capital, of shares, while there are the well-fed with their surplus of bread who keep the hungry in bondage. Not freedom for all, not equality for all, but a fight against the oppressors and exploiters, the abolition of every possibility of oppression and exploitation-that is our slogan (Lenin, 1917). Feminist movements have made accomplishments within their anti-capitalism and anti-racism intentions, but it isn’t enough to settle for a seat at the oppressors table. The oppressors table has always and will always be one that exploits for the sole purpose of power and wealth. The only way to get to the root of these social issues is to dismantle the ruling class. No matter how diverse the members of the table gets, the table will always be founded upon the same oppressive ideas. Lenin perfectly paints the picture that it is not enough to be a feminist. For real change to happen, we must be willing to fight for all those who are oppressed and against the oppressors. In the passionate words of Assata Shakur, "it is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains” (Shakur, 2014, p. 75). A couple of websites that have fueled my passion for this kind of change and constantly keep me updated include: https://www.liberationnews.org/ and https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/ References Conflict theory explained. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlw-biJcXvA Grady, C. (2018). The waves of feminism, and why people keep fighting over them, explained. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2018/3/20/16955588/feminism-waves-explained-first-second-third-fourth. Healey, J. F., Stepnick, A., & OBrien, E. (2019). Race, ethnicity, gender, & class: the sociology of group conflict and change (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Lenin, V. I. (2017). Soviet Power and the Status of Women. Retrieved from https://www.marxist.com/soviet-power-and-the-status-of-women.htm. Shakur, A. (2014). Assata: an autobiography. London: Zed Books.
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