The Third Wave of Feminism
By: Sharon White
It is hard now to clearly distinguish or even name all of them, however the most powerful and significant opposition was declared by four of them – Marxist feminism, liberal feminism, ‘black’ feminism and radical feminism. Although all groups had the similarity in fighting for women’s rights the approaches to classify the problem and define the methods to improve the women’s position were quite unlike.
Any idea which is worth existence in society is inevitably to create an interest group and be originated from political system. Feminism was not an exception. Thus, two confrontational ideas of political system – Marxist and bourgeois – gave the names of the two feminists’ groups which argued different approaches to women’s freedom and equal rights.
Comparing with Marxist approach liberal feminists had quite an opposite focus. While Marxists desired to change a society as a structure liberalists focused on changing individuals in their society. Liberal changes were founded on justifying the women’s low position as a result of inborn biological difference in gender. Girls initially are given different development and education based on bringing up mother-like householders who are biologically subordinate to males. Thus, changing attitude to sex attribute would inevitably lead to changing attribute to the women’s place in society.
The question arose: “What is the reality now?” Women, indeed, felt the consequences of the greater errors of their older sisters and decided to not support any of the earlier approaches. Some of them classified and selected the best ideas from all previous branches of feminism, some call the new ideas. The only similarity is that all of them has called their strivings and desires “The Third Wave”. The Third Wave Foundation started in May 1992 by Walker and Shannon Liss is the response of several unfair trials on rape, abortion and family violence. The Foundation keeps traditional ideas of feminism to promote women’s active social and political life and educate young women how to protect their rights in the modern society.
The modern feminists’ wave has to inevitably recognize the past feminism movement partial win in a few spheres of social life such as gender equality in sexual relationships, parenthood and education. It also has to recognize the great losses in collapsing patriarchy and male dominance at the highest levels of political, economic and social spheres.
The women’s dissatisfaction with the previous feminism experience regardless their different approaches has helped them to understand the priorities of the modern feminism direction.
Unlike the previous experience of gathering women in special groups aimed to lobby their interests in society the modern feminism unifies.
Can the modern feminism approach be a signal of considerable changes in society? Are women able to come to reality when males end up their criticism of female starting her own business or great career of vice president of big corporate body? Yet, these questions will remain without an answer for at least a couple of decades. However, the accepted approach of the modern feminism can keep human minds optimistic and success believable: ‘improve yourself and change your mind if you want your society to be improved.’
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