History of Feminisms in the US - S6

Feminism

A political and social movement advocating for equality between the sexes, challenging notions of republic, democracy, and citizenship at the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and race.

Suffragism

The belief that the right to vote should be extended to women.

Women’s rights

The rights of women to be treated equally to men in all areas of society.

Protofeminists/Prefeminists

Concepts anticipating modern feminism in eras when the feminist concept was still unknown.

Feminist-abolitionists

A branch of feminism advocating for the elimination of the prison industrial complex.

3 waves of feminism

Traditional metaphor categorizing feminism into 1st wave (suffrage focus), 2nd wave (patriarchal structure denunciation), and 3rd wave (multifaceted and intersectional).

Intersectionality

Describes how race, class, gender, and other characteristics intersect and overlap.

Gender studies

Academic field focusing on the social construction of gender and its interactions with other categories.

Sex vs

Sex refers to biological characteristics, while gender is the social construction of behavioral traits.

Angel in the house

Image constructed against the Jezebel stereotype, portraying women as sexually pure and submissive.

Female hysteria

Once a common medical diagnosis for women, linked symptoms to normal female sexuality.

Bloomers

Divided women's garments developed in the 19th century as a healthful alternative to constricting dresses.

Cult of Domesticity

A system of beliefs governing gender roles in the 19th century, emphasizing purity, piety, submissiveness, and domesticity for women.

Split in the women's rights movement

Division post-Civil War over issues like the 14th amendment and black suffrage.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B

Prominent figures in the women's suffrage movement, developed racist views to promote female suffrage.

American Woman Suffrage Association

Moderate group advocating for woman suffrage through a state approach.

National Woman Suffrage Association

More radical group open to a wider range of issues, advocating for a national approach to suffrage.

NWSA Interpretation

The NWSA proposed an inclusive interpretation of the 14th and 15th amendments, arguing that women were already enfranchised as citizens, and denying them the vote would violate equal protection.

Radical Feminists

Victoria Woodhull, a supporter of free love, was the first woman to run for president in 1872 and advocated for women's rights through the Woodhull Memorial.

Minor v

The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution did not intend to grant voting rights to all citizens, stating that such a significant change would have been explicitly declared if intended.

Rise of the New Woman

The concept of the New Woman emerged in the late 19th century, representing an empowered, educated, and often single woman involved in various institutions beyond the family.

Women's Networks

The rise of women's associations, clubs, and organizations, such as Hull House founded by Jane Addams, played a crucial role in women's civic engagement and social reform efforts.

Suffrage Race and Class Issues

The question of whether feminism was solely a white middle-class movement arose, prompting discussions on the intersectionality of race and class within the suffrage crusade.

Second Wave Feminism

Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963 marked the beginning of the second wave of feminism, focusing on issues like gender roles, equality, and women's dissatisfaction in the 20th century.

Third Wave Feminism

The ongoing third wave of feminism, characterized by inclusivity, paradoxical ideologies, and a reappropriation of traditionally feminine aspects, aims to address modern challenges shaped by technology and global capitalism.