Led primarily by younger American women, such as authors Naomi Wolf, Katie Roiphe, and Rebecca Walker (the daughter of novelist Alice Walker), third wave or new feminism assumes women's equality to men but offers some criticism of the previous generation of feminists. Third wave feminists recognize the continuing real power differences between men and women but often reject what they view as the dogma and victim identity of older feminists. They seek to build bridges across race and class lines and accept a wider range of female identities and choices. More information: Books Roiphe, Katie. Last Night in Paradise. Little, Brown, 1997. Wolf, Naomi. Fire with Fire: The New Female Power and How It Will Change the 21st Century. Random Hse., 1993. |
Janet Z. Giele is a Professor of Sociology in the Heller School for Social Welfare at Brandeis University. She focused on the field of women's movements in the 1900's. This Top 10 list celebrates a century of achievement for women and credits the contributions of a number of outstanding women, including Margaret Sanger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Betty Friedan, and Naomi Wolf. Susan Schantz, a Graduate Research Assistant in the Heller School for Social Welfare at Brandeis University, assisted Professor Giele in developing the list. |