Third Wave Of Feminism
Sometime in the early 1990s, a movement called Riot grrrl emerged from Washington, DC. It aimed to give women a voice, one that that can use with artistic expression. Just a year later, in response to the Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas controversy, Rebecca Walker published the article “Becoming The Third Wave” in Ms. Magazine. She spoke about how women were being limited by men in terms of power (Walker, 1992). The case was very significant for the movement because it showed how Thomas’ position in the Senate played a role in how the case went. In her piece, she wrote how she was not part of post-feminism, she defined the third-wave.
Third-Wave Feminism is a term that was coined in response to the Second-Wave of Feminism (Dicker, 2008). Instead of being a vacuum that was created because of someone, it is actually a response, or an answer to the short-comings or the gap found in the Second-Wave. This particular wave is said to be founded around the 1990s, however the exact date is not yet certain. The movement really arose because of the backlash received by the previous movement. This wave challenges or avoids the initial definition of femininity which was often defined by middle-class white women (Dicker, 2008). This wave claims that women can incorporate their own identities into the system, as defined by Manifesta, written by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. This type of thinking is unlike any other feminist movement which allows every generation and each individual to change according to themselves. There are also some third-wave feminists that prefer not to be called feminists at all. This is due to the misinterpreted term or misconception that comes along with the name (Baumgardner & Richards, 2000). This can be seen in the introduction of their text, Manifesta where they defined liberalism.
The prominent issues that this wave defines are gender violence, reproductive rights, reclaiming derogatory terms, rape and other issues. These are the challenges that help define this particular wave. Gender violence is one of the central issues of third-wave feminists. There are a lot of efforts to try to end this issue. Things such as V-Day and The Vagina Monologues are efforts in order to create awareness about this problem in society (Dicker, 2008). The goal of third-wave feminists is to change the traditional notions of sexuality. They want to uncover the true feelings of women about sexuality which includes vagina-centered topics including those about orgasms and other concerns that were once considered taboo. These issues also involved domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women. Also recently, reproductive rights including contraception and abortion were an issue. This wave of feminists believe that only the woman herself has the right to control her own body. The ban on abortion or the attempt to uphold partial abortion is seen as a restriction in the rights of women. Besides these issues, another important part of defining this wave is how feminists want to reclaim derogatory terms. Also part of the reclamation strategy is the advent of SlutWalks. This is to fight the thinking that women should not dress provocatively so that they will not get raped. There are a lot of ideas created by other groups that this wave challenges. Other than the issue on rape and the traditional thinking that women only get raped because of their outward appearance, issues on race, social class and even sexuality are those that also define this third-wave of feminists (Dicker, 2008).
There were a number of controversies plaguing the third-wave feminist movement. There were of course a lot of controversies, especially with early writers claiming that feminism has gone beyond its usefulness. There were also those who think that post-feminism is something that should be aimed for since feminism was a thing of the past. However, these were all outward controversies that were aimed at the wave, and not those from inside the movement itself. The first is the issue on self-expression. Since it does focus on individuality and supporting what certain groups, races, cultures and individuals want for themselves, of course there are issues on the clash of ideas. For example, there are those who choose to dress in a way that is considered Westernized, however other cultures, especially those from the Islam faith wear things that cover their bodies head to toe. There is no one definition of how women should dress, and even within the third-wave, there are people who want to define what is considered right and what is considered society’s narrow view on female sexuality.
This controversy is found within the group and is not any form of resistance. The only way that his issue can be overcome is if everyone within the group or anyone who considers themselves as third-wave feminists can accept both types of outfit choices as forms of self-expression. Since the idea of this wave of feminism was to initial change along with any individual, and any generation, it is only right to respect the each choice of the women. This can be done by looking at them as an individual instead of trying to put standards which is much like what the societal view of females are. Those who are within the group need to understand that there is no one look or one trademark that can define third-wave feminists. This is also why many third-wavers would rather not be called feminists because of the prejudice which plagues the term.
As part of this particular wave, there are a lot of roles that one can play. Since this wave is very complex and it is created as a response or criticism of the second-wave, it can be said that a role to be played, as student is to raise awareness about the rights of women. Participating in school activities and letting other women know that they do not have to be defined by their gender nor do they have to be limited by the image other people want them to fit into. Campaign material that can allow people to know more about their choices, their freedom and their individuality can be handed out. Petitions on pro-choice and other things that can support like-issues can be handed-out.
Although the SlutWalks idea is a bit too extreme maybe for a school setting, a like-campaign promoting awareness and shedding light on the topic can be done. There is no doubt that a number of people within the school or the neighborhood have experienced rape in many forms. A campaign that can help them find their voice and help them know that it was not their fault would be a good start. Third-wave feminism is about individuality, this means that you don’t need one look or one image to become part of the wave. Those from different cultures and backgrounds should be encouraged to take part in the movement.
References
Baumgardner, Jennifer; Richards, Amy (2000). Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the
Future. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-52622-1. OCLC 43607358
Dicker, R. (2008). A history of US feminisms. Seal Press.
Rebecca, Walker (1992). "Becoming the Third Wave". Ms. (New York: Liberty Media for
Women): 39–41.
