Retreat from Organization, The: U.S. Feminism Reconceptualized

Who are Feminists and what do they Believe? The Role of Generations

“…This finding is, in itself, not surprising. Importantly, however, our finding that men and women differ little in the predictors of feminist identification-including the pattern of cohort differences we observechallenges any explanation of trends in feminist self-identification that focuses on dynamics confined mainly or exclusively to women (e.g., Armstrong 2002;Ferree and Hess 2000).…”

“…Some authors have emphasized the lasting effects of generation for gender-role attitudes specifically (Davis and Robinson 1991). For feminist self-identification, this research suggests the importance of taking into account which stages or "waves" of the feminist movement coincide with an individual's political coming-of-age (Armstrong 2002;Farganis 1994;Ferree and Hess 2000;Hammer 2002). Along these lines, we can distinguish among at least three cohorts based on whether their coming-of-age (1) preceded the renascence of the women's movement in the mid-1960s, (2) occurred during the second wave of feminism of the mid-1960s through the early 1970s, or (3) followed the second wave.…”

“…To be sure, those who reached adulthood during the rise of secondwave feminism were not exposed to a uniform representation of feminism, and feminism had many detractors then as well. Nevertheless, those reaching adulthood after the second wave seem likely to have encountered more versions of what it means to be a feminist (Armstrong 2002). Furthermore, they may be more likely to encounter feminisms with more diverse and even conflicting agendas.…”

“…In addition, the link between feminist self-identification and some social attitudes is cohort specific: Seemingly profeminist positions distinguish self-identified feminists from nonfeminists only among members of the "second-wave" generation. These results reinforce the importance ofpolitical generation and suggest increasing heterogeneity in public conceptions offeminism.C U R R E N T HISTORIES of the feminist movement both celebrate its accomplishments and chronicle its setbacks (Armstrong 2002;Ferree and Hess 2000;Hammer 2002). Among its setbacks is the fate of the term "feminist" itself.…”

“…C U R R E N T HISTORIES of the feminist movement both celebrate its accomplishments and chronicle its setbacks (Armstrong 2002;Ferree and Hess 2000;Hammer 2002). Among its setbacks is the fate of the term "feminist" itself.…”