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| Feminism is not a single ideology. Over-time several sub-types of Feminist ideology have developed. Early feminists and primary feminist movements are often called the first-wave feminists, and feminists after about 1960 the second-wave feminists. More recently, a new generation of feminists have started third-wave feminism. Whether this will be a lasting evolution remains to be seen as the second-wave has by no means ended nor has it ceded to the third-wave feminists. Moreover, some commentators have asserted that the silent majority of modern feminists have more in common ideologically with the first-wave feminists than the second-wave. For example, many of the ideas arising from Radical feminism and Gender feminism (prominent second-wave movements) have yet to gain traction within the broader community and outside of Gender Studies departments within the academy. For example, Radical feminism argues for the existence of an oppressive patriarchy that is the root cause of the most serious social problems. Violence and oppression of women, because they are women, is more fundamental than oppressions related to class, ethnicity, religion, etc. Radical feminisms have been very vocal and active in influencing attitudes and state-wide school curiculum standards. Thus, it is not unusual for feminism to be equated with the ideas proposed by Radical feminism. Some find that the prioritization of oppression and the universalization of the idea of "Woman," which was part of traditional Radical feminist thinking, too generic, and that women in other countries would never experience the same experience of being "woman" than women in Western countries did. |
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| Some radical feminists advocate separatism�a complete separation of male and female in society and culture�while others question not only the relationship between men and women, but the very meaning of "man" and "woman" as well (Look for Queer theory). Some argue that gender roles, gender identity, and sexuality are themselves social constructs (see also heteronormativity). For these feminists, feminism is a primary means to human liberation (i.e., the liberation of men as well as women, and men and women from other social problems). Other feminists believe that there may be social problems separate from or prior to patriarchy (e.g., racism or class divisions); they see feminism as one movement of liberation among many, each affecting the others. * Egalitarian forms: equity feminism individualist feminism (also known as libertarian feminism) liberal feminism * Gynoccentric forms: cultural feminism gender feminism pop feminism radical feminism * Belief in oppression by patriarchy: anarcha-feminism French feminism radical feminism * Belief in oppression by capitalism: Marxist feminism socialist feminism * Differences are solely cultural, not biological: Amazon feminism psychoanalytical feminism * Segregationalist: lesbian feminism (Lesbian separatism) separatist feminism * anti-Western: third-world feminism post-colonial feminism * pro-sex feminism (also known as sexually liberal feminism, sex-positive feminism) |
| Subtypes of feminism Amazon feminism Anarcha-Feminism cultural feminism ecofeminism equity feminism existentialist feminism individualist feminism (also known as libertarian feminism) French feminism gender feminism lesbian feminism liberal feminism male feminism or men's feminism Marxist feminism (also known as socialist feminism) material feminism multi-cultural feminism pop feminism post-colonial feminism postmodern feminism which includes queer theory pro-sex feminism (also known as sexually liberal feminism, sex-positive feminism) psychoanalytical feminism radical feminism separatist feminism socially constructed feminism socialist feminism spiritual feminism standpoint feminism third-world feminism transnational feminism transfeminism womanism |
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| Certain actions, approaches and people can also be described as proto-feminist or post-feminist. Although many leaders of feminism have been women, not all feminists are women. Some feminists argue that men should not take positions of leadership in the movement, because men, having been socialized to aggressively seek positions of power or direct the agendas within a leadership hierarchy, would apply this tendency to feminist organizations; or that women, having been socialized to defer to men, would be hindered in developing or expressing their own self-leadership in working too closely with men. However, most feminists do accept and seek the support of men. Compare pro-feminist, humanism, masculism. |
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