10. Rise of the third wave of women's movements (late 1900's)

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.

1.

Increased control over reproduction (middle to late 1900's)

2. The growth of woman suffrage (throughout the 1900's)
3. Social assistance and insurance for women (throughout the 1900's)
4.

The influence of World War II (1939-1945)

5. The rise of the female athlete (middle to late 1900's)
6. The publication of The Feminine Mystique (1963)
7. The impact of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
8. The failure of the Equal Rights Amendment (late 1900's)
9. Rising education rates (throughout the 1900's)
10. Rise of the third wave of women's movements (late 1900's)