53 pages • 1 hour read
Germaine GreerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Timeline of Feminism
1. First-wave feminism: 1900-1959
a. Primary focus:
I. Legal rights (vote, run for office, own property) through existing legal channels
b. Characterized by: suffragettes, liberalism
c. Limitations: legal rights largely for white women only
2. Second-wave feminism: 1960-1989
a. Primary focuses:
I.Bodily reclamation, especially reproductive rights by dismantling informal modes of discrimination (i.e. social norms)
II. Access to equal rights at work
b. Characterized by: existentialism, radicalism, post-colonialism
c. Limitations: expresses anti-gay/trans or racist biases (at times)
3. Third-wave feminism: 1990-2009
a. Primary focuses:
I. Acceptance of diversity
II. Furthering legal progress, especially through more representation of women in education, jobs, and the media
III. Re-appropriation of “femininity” as a positive concept
b. Characterized by: intersectionality, the rise of the internet, and sexual/body positivity
c. Limitations: said to lack cohesive/definitive ideology
4. Fourth-wave feminism: 2010-modern day
a. Primary focuses:
I. Illustrates that patriarchal structures damage everyone
II. Combats sexual harassment and assault
III. Gender and sexuality on a spectrum
b. Characterized by: “Me Too” movement, use of social media, increased involvement of non-women in the movement