Framing & Perspectives
The second wave refers to a period of feminist activity that began in the United States in the early 1960s and lasted until the late 1980s. This wave of feminism was built on the earlier efforts of the first wave of feminism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which had primarily focused on suffrage and property rights for women (Evans, 1997). The second wave of feminism expanded the scope of the movement to include a wider range of issues, such as reproductive rights, sexuality, domestic violence, and workplace discrimination (Freedman, 2002). During this period, feminist activists, scholars, and writers pushed for legal and social changes to address the many forms of discrimination and inequality that women faced. They also worked to raise awareness about these issues through a variety of means, including publications, conferences, and grassroots organizing (Echols, 1989).
Relevance
Second-wave feminism was shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war and student movement, and the New Left (Evans, 1979). It also had roots in the labor and socialist movements and was influenced by the feminist writings of Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan, among many more (Freedman, 2002).
Keywords: Legal and Social Change, Reproductive Rights, Sexuality, Domestic Violence, Workplace Discrimination
Connected terms: Classical Feminisms, First Wave Feminism, Waves of Classical Feminism, Third Wave Feminism, Fourth Wave Feminism, Benevolent Sexism, Hostile Sexism, Internalized Sexism, Reproductive Rights, Acronym “LGBTQIAPN+”,
References
Evans, S. (1979). Personal politics: The roots of women’s liberation in the civil rights movement and the new left. Knopf.
Evans, S. (1997). Born for liberty: A history of women in America. Free Press.
Echols, A. (1989). Daring to be bad: Radical feminism in America 1967-1975. University of Minnesota Press.
Freedman, E. B. (2002). No turning back: The history of feminism and the future of women. Ballantine Books.
