The First Wave Of Feminism - 767 Words

Sociology – Unit 4 Assignment Unit 4 Assignment is worth 50 points Assignment – What is feminism? Describe how it has evolved in the United States and include the three phases. The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities organized activity in support of woman s rights and interests The first wave of feminism took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, emerging out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. The goal of this wave was to open up opportunities for women, with a focus on the right to vote. The wave formally began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 when three hundred men and women rallied to the cause of equality for women. Elizabeth†¦show more content†¦The third wave of feminism began in the mid-90 s and was informed by post-colonial and post-modern thinking. In this phase many constructs were destabilized, including the notions of universal womanhood, body, gender, sexuality and â€Å"heteronormativity the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with natural roles in life.) An aspect of third wave feminism that mystified the mothers of the earlier feminist movement was the re adoption by young feminists of the very lip-stick, high-heels, and cleavage proudly exposed by low cut necklines that the first two phases of the movement identified with male oppression. Pink floor expressed this new position when she said that it s possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at the same time. The fourth wave of feminism is still a captivating silhouette. A writer for Elle Magazin recently interviewed me about the waves of feminism and asked if the second and third waves may have â€Å"failed or dialed down† because the social and economic gains had been mostly sparkle, little substance, and whether at some point women substituted equal rights for career and for ones self. I replied that the second wave of feminism ought not be characterized as having failed, nor was glitter all that it generated. Quite the contrary; many goals of the second wave were met: more women in