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

Abstract

Using the 1996 General Social Survey, the antecedents of feminist self-identification and their link to gender-related social attitudes are explored. Although most sociodemographic variables show either no relationship or a weak relationship with feminist self-identification, there are strong differences across cohorts. Males and females who were young adults during the “second wave “ of feminism (birth years 1936 to 1955) are more likely to identify as feminists than are those younger or older. 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 of political generation and suggest increasing heterogeneity in public conceptions of feminism.

Tracking US Social Change Over a Half-Century: The General Social Survey at Fifty

“…Two studies report that holding gender-egalitarian views predicts identification as a "feminist," most strongly so within the baby boom birth cohort. Schnittker et al (2003) attribute this to diverse interpretations of feminism by subsequent generations, or broadened acceptance of principles of gender equality. Peltola et al (2004) conjecture that it reflects different generational understandings of what feminism entails, together with varying dispositions toward individual and collective strategies for ameliorating gender inequalities.…”