Feminist social movements demanded radical change and an end to the oppression of women in society. From the 18th century through to post-war period the role of women in society has changed in the public and private sphere and the journey that the feminist movement encountered, is of great interest to sociological theorists studying the changing status of women in society. There are many approaches to feminism which will be explored such as Radical feminism, Marxist Socialist feminism, Liberal feminism and, Post-modern feminism. Feminist theorists do not agree about the origins of inequalities between men and women, some say the origins date back to particular historical events and others believe that women have always had a subordinate position in all societies. This writing will chronologically explore the historical changes of the status of women in society from the 18th century up to contemporary western civilization. The feminist movement presented itself to political contexts from the 19th century, gaining momentum and size, it went from being a congregation of women discussing notable feminist literature to perpetuating the first wave of feminism which took action during the antislavery campaign. The Edwardian era saw an end to the strict rigid Victorian age. The transformation of Britain into an industrial nation had profound consequences on the ways in which gender roles were perceived in which women were encased by the idealized femininity Queen Victoria conveyed herself. The years leading up to WW1 saw changes and developments in the feminist movement however the world wars were a pivotal point in history for women and their approach to employment and independence. A second wave of feminism grew and the 1960’s and 70’s saw rise to a number of feminists seeking justice and equality directly from the state. Feminists accused the
References: Available at:http://www.mmu.ac.uk/humanresources/equalities/doc/gender-equality-timeline.pdf Access date: 09/05/2012 Available at:http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1036615.Charlotte_Bront_?auto_login_attempted=true Access date: 09/05/2012 Bibliography Whelehan, Imelda (1995). “Liberal Feminism: The Origins of the Second Wave” in Modern Feminist Thought (25-43). New York: New York University Press. Alfonso, Rita and Jo Trigilio (1997). “Surfing the Thrid Wave: A Dialogue Between Two Third Wave Feminists.” Hypatia 12, 3: 7-16. Bannerji, Himani (1999). “Inroducing Racism: Notes Towards an Anti-Racist Feminism” in Thinking Through: Essays on Feminism, Marxism, and Anti-Racism (41-53). Toronto: Women’s Press Word Count : 2079 --------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Suffrage-The right to vote gained through democratic processes.