History Of Third Wave Feminism

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2.3.2. Second wave feminism
Second-wave feminism (late 1960s - 1990s in the USA, but ongoing in various parts of the world) is concerned about the self-consciousness of women, their sexuality and reproductive rights in conjunction with seeking social equality for women (Rampton, 2014; Baxandall & Gordo, 2005: 415). Second wave feminists are concerned about the sexualisation of women in the media both on the cultural and political levels (Hollows and Mosely in Hatton and Trautner, 2013: 65). In the history of America the woman’s movement during the 1960s and the 1970s was the largest social movement of all women’s movement in the world (Baxandall & Gordo, 2005: 415). America women’s movement developed in two separate streams, which are founded …show more content…

“For many of us it seems that to be a feminist in the way that we have seen or understood feminism is to confirm to an identity and a way of living that does not allow for individuality, complexity, or less than perfect personal histories.” (Rebecca Walker quoted by Akaas and McCabe 2006: 71). Third wave feminism is mainly concerned about breaking boundaries, by celebrating issues such as class, sexuality, ethnicity, identity, sexual orientation, and the like (Rampton, 2014). It is argued that reality is considered not so much in positions of permanent structures and power relations, but in terms of performance within possibilities (Rampton, 2014). In other words, third wave feminists believe in their own strengths and look forward to having the luxury of choice – something earlier feminists thought was only reserved for men (Hatton & Trautner, 2013: …show more content…

Whether or not third wave feminism will remain a single movement or it will have different branches with their own ideologies and goals, it has not been well-defined as yet (Wood, 2010: 78). Feminist theory took for granted that there is some existing identity understood through the category of women, who initiate feminist interests and goals (Butler, 2010: 2). This particular wave of feminism places great emphasis on agency, and this has an impact on an individual’s