Class Overview Quiz Politics of Women’s Studies U.S. Feminist Movements- 1, 2, 3 waves Film- Is Feminism Dead?

Politics of Women’s Studies Claiming an education “Neutrality” –Is knowledge neutral? –Can education be neutral? Should it be? –HB 837 Voice, opinion –Speaking out, self-definition

Claiming An Education by Adrienne Rich “You cannot afford to think of yourselves as being here to receive an education; you will do much better to think of yourselves as being here to claim one. To claim is to take as the rightful owner and to receive is to act as a receptacle or container for. The difference is that between acting and being acted upon.”

Key Terms Feminism –“The belief that women and men are inherently of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between men and women, with an understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies.” Estelle Friedman –“I think the alternative to being a feminist is, in some sense, being a masochist. Either we’re whole human beings or we’re not.” Gloria Steinem

U.S. Feminist Movements 1 st Wave- 1840s –Suffrage, abolition –Elimination of barriers to women’s participation in public life 2 nd Wave – 70s –Civil rights, women’s rights –Equality with men, entering male-dominated fields, male world –Gender was major site of discrimination

U.S. Feminist Movements 3 rd Wave ??? –Sexism, racism, homophobia –Multiple identities, oppressions –Body image, beauty, animal rights, environmental justice –Critiquing men, patriarchy and women and feminism –More individually-oriented, expression –Embracing the “feminine”, valuing the feminine, “girl”