People are often treated differently based on various factors, and women represent one group that has been prejudiced and neglected for a long time. As a result, female individuals have created a movement known as feminism to bring awareness to the difficulties they face. Feminism reflects an ideology meant to end sexism and sexist exploitation with a focus on issues encountered by women (Silver et al. 1). While having changed significantly over the years, contemporary feminism demonstrates that female persons remain frequently mistreated, but now the movement is finally joined by men.
Throughout history, feminism has transformed through several distinct but interconnected eras. The first wave of feminism started in the nineteenth century and is associated with the 1870s when many women began realizing that the commonly assumed feminine ideal was oppressive and unattainable (McGuirk 4). Accordingly, the discontent facilitated the development of reform-minded activist organizations across Europe and the United States and the subsequent rise of the Modern or New Women’s Movement (McGuirk 4). The early-feminist period confronted anatomical, physiological, and biblical perspectives that rendered female individuals as inferior, and the activists promoted women’s presence in public and professional institutions rather than simply in their households (McGuirk 4).
Furthermore, the second phase of feminism appears to have shifted its focus from oppression to equality, diversity, identity, and discourse (Scraton 4). The representatives of feminism’s third wave strived to continue the work of their predecessors. The era’s agenda concentrated on diversity and intersectional concerns (Jackson 34). Consequently, feminism began as a movement that criticized unrealistic expectations of female persons and encouraged women to pursue possibilities outside their homes, then focused on equality and later centered on diversity for the female population.
The current wave of feminism indicates that women are still facing challenges but is gaining support from men. Feminism used to be invisible and often maligned, yet it has become mainstream due to the effects of social media usage (Jackson 33). Young women are now especially involved in feminism through participation in wider activities via media and technology (Jackson 34). While modern female individuals share some similarities with the third era of feminism, having more equality with male persons has shifted the movement’s direction (Jackson 34).
Women are interested in sharing voices and engaging with global politics while striving for social change through online petitions and campaigns rather than traditional protest marches and sit-ins (Jackson 35). As feminism has become widespread, more men have joined the contest for women’s rights. Although feminists are typically female persons, male individuals who share pro-feminist views are supported and appreciated by society (Silver et al. 1). Nonetheless, identifying as a feminist is challenging for men, which may create obstacles for the movement (Silver et al. 2). Accordingly, contemporary feminism continues the pursuits of previous waves but extends the goals and ways to achieve them.
To conclude, feminism has changed over the years by expanding its focus and involving more people. The movement began in the nineteenth century as an opposition to oppression and unrealistic images of women who were expected to simply maintain the household. Upon undergoing more stages that centered on equality and diversity, feminists are now interested in increasing the participation of female individuals in matters on the global level, which the activists achieve by utilizing social media. Moreover, an important shift in feminism is that the male population is starting to openly support women’s rights to be involved in different aspects of life. Accordingly, men’s interest in modern feminism suggests a new course for academic conversation.
Works Cited
Jackson, Sue. “Young Feminists, Feminism and Digital media.” Feminism & Psychology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2018, pp. 32-49.
McGuirk, Hayley. “The Rebel: A Visual Representation of First-Wave Feminism in the Work of Frances Benjamin Johnston.” Women’s Studies, vol. 48, no. 5, 2019, pp. 1-23.
Scraton, Sheila. “Feminism (s) and PE: 25 Years of Shaping up to Womanhood.” Sport, Education and Society, vol. 23, no. 7, 2018, pp. 1-14.
Silver, Elisabeth, et al. “Feminist Identity in Men: Masculinity, Gender Roles, and Sexual Approaches in Feminist, Non-Feminist, and Unsure Men.” Sex Roles, vol. 80, no. 5, 2018, pp. 1-14.