SSecond Wave Feminism
The term 'Second Wave' was coined by Marsha Lear, and refers to the
increase in feminist activity which occurred in America, Britain, and Europe
from the late sixties onwards. In America, second wave feminism rose out of
the Civil Rights and anti-war movements in which women, disillusioned with
their second-class status even in the activist environment of student
politics, began to band together to contend against discrimination.
The tactics employed by Second Wave Feminists varied from
highly-published activism, such as the protest against the Miss America
beauty contest in 1968, to the establishment of small consciousness-raising
groups. However, it was obvious early on that the movement was not a unified
one, with differences emerging between black feminism, lesbian feminism,
liberal feminism, and social feminism.
Second Wave Feminism in Britain was similarly multiple in focus, although
it was based more strongly in working-class socialism, as demonstrated by
the strike of women workers at the Ford car plant for equal pay in 1968. The
slogan 'the personal is political' sums up the way in which Second Wave
Feminism did not just strive to extend the range of social opportunities
open to women, but also, through intervention within the spheres of
reproduction, sexuality and cultural representation, to change their
domestic and private lives. Second Wave Feminism did not just make an impact
upon western societies, but has also continued to inspire the struggle for
women's rights across the world.
