Different Paths to Different Feminisms? Bridging Multiracial Feminist Theory and Quantitative Sociological Gender Research

Abstract

This article examines the limitations of the sociological research on feminist identities and ideologies that ignores the intersection of race and gender. Drawing from multiracial feminist theorizing, the author asks, Is self-identification as feminist a biased indicator of the salience of feminism in African American women's lives? Do women's racial statuses mediate the relationship between particular life events and experiences and the extent to which they embrace feminism? and To what extent are racial differences important when considering what women understand feminism to be?To answer these questions, the author conducted multiple group analyses of structural equation models to analyze data from the 1996 General Social Survey. Her findings are consistent with multiracial feminist theories and suggest a need to rethink traditional approaches to feminist research so that women's differences are no longer marginalized.

By name or by deed? Identifying the source of the feminist stigma

“…Considerable evidence suggests that ethnicity (e.g., Flores, Carrubba, & Good, 2006;Harnois, 2005;Henderson-King & Zhermer, 2003;Myaskovsky & Wittig, 1997;White, 2006;Williams & Wittig, 1997), age (e.g., Duncan, 2010;Huddy et al, 2000;Peltola et al, 2004), and sexual orientation (e.g., Finlay & Scheltema, 1999;Friedman & Leaper, 2010;Szymanski, 2004;Szymanski & Chung, 2003;White, 2006) influence feminist identity, feminist activism, and attitudes toward feminism. By extension, attitudes toward feminists are also likely to be influenced by these variables and they should be taken into account in future research.…”

College Women’s Feminist Identity: A Multidimensional Analysis with Implications for Coping with Sexism

“…The kinds of factors that lead women to identify as radical feminists, liberal feminists, cultural feminists, or womanists may vary (e.g., Boisnier 2003; Nelson et al 2008; Robnett et al 2011). This point is also pertinent when considering the intersection between gender and race/ethnicity because many women of color may be more likely to identify as womanists and to disidentify as feminists (Aronson 2003; Harnois 2005; Myaskovsky and Wittig 1997). …”

“…On the other hand, there are other reasons why feminist identification may be more common among White European American women. Many ethnic-minority women may be reluctant to identify as feminists because they view it as a movement primarily for White middle-class women (Aronson 2003; Harnois 2005; Myaskovsky and Wittig 1997). Furthermore, on average, race and ethnicity may be more central to the identities of ethnic-minority women than to White European American women (Levin et al 2002; Turner and Brown 2007).…”

Are Feminists man Haters? Feminists' and Nonfeminists' Attitudes Toward Men

“…Although the relationship between feminist self‐identification and attitudes toward men has not been examined directly in social science research, many issues that provide a foundation for this research have been well studied. For example, feminist self‐identification and feminist activism have been linked with such factors as exposure to women's studies courses (Henderson‐King & Stewart, 1999), adolescent socialization (Leaper & Brown, 2008), and race and racial identity (Cowan, Mestlin, & Masek, 1992; Harnois, 2005; Kane, 2000; Myaskovsky & Wittig, 1997; Reid 1984; White, 2006). In terms of the feminists‐as‐man‐haters stereotype, a few empirical studies have examined the subject directly.…”