UNIVERSITY OF PORT-HARCOURT

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND
DIPLOMATIC STUDIES
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

NAME: ABIOYE SEKINAH TASLEEM

G2020/MA/HDS/FT/001
LECTURER: PROFESSOR E. OBUAH
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEMINISM
Introduction
a) Aim of feminism
History of/on Feminism
Theory on Feminism
Kinds of feminism
Controversies on feminist theory
Conclusion
References
 INTRODUCTION
Feminism according to the Oxford language dictionary is the advocacy of women’s rights the
grounds of equality of the sexes. Wikipedia means feminism as a range of social movements and
ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economical and social equality of the sexes. In
simpler terms, Wikipedia defines feminism as a social and political movement, an individual who
follows feminism is called a feminist. Perry.org states femininity allows women to be equal to men.
According to the English Cambridge dictionary, Feminism is the belief that women should be
allowed the same rights, power and opportunities and be treated the same way, there are set of
activities intended to achieve this state. Related words include: Human Rights, Affirmative action,
ageism, ageist, Amnesty/International, anthracite, civil liberties, emancipation, equal opportunities,
etc.
According to Forbes, feminism is the advocacy of human rights on the basis of equality of the
sexes, the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. The doctrine advocating
social, political and all other rights of women equal to those of men. Feminism is about equality of
men and women not “someone”, There should be a distinct understanding. Forces agrees equality is
not sameness, women and men have similar yet different features, thus not all activities can be carried
out by both sexes, the recognition and respect not preferential treatment or bullying based on gender.
Upon research astonishingly, there are women who don’t support the feminist movement. A
woman on YouTube commented “feminism is a cancer". These class of people believe that feminism
has been associated with strong forceful and angry women and our society continues to punish
women. A view- people have different ways of expressing their opinion, rather than punish, warn, if
repeated then judgment should occur. Based on the reason for unruly feminist behaviour, it may occur
due to the pain while others are do it for the fun of it.
Many people fear that feminism may debunk time-honoured traditions, religious beliefs and
established gender roles that feels scary and wrong. Certain people are right on the basis of this,
imagine a fresh widow still mourning the death of her husband is being forced to drink the water used
to wash her dead husband’s body as a testimony of innocence. There are advantages and
disadvantages to feminism.
AIM OF FEMINISM
Feminism arose because of women segregation, it is studied, studies are carried out to put
good ideas in the minds of feminists or abolish past traditions that were hurting to women.
An aim of the feminism is about working against the systems used to keep certain groups of
people oppressed and striving towards equality for everyone. The assignment is seen as a study to be
reviewed and accepted by the course lecturer, for genuine purposes.
The goals of feminism includes the analysis of gender inequalities and the effects of other
systems of oppression such as race and class.
The characteristics of feminism includes: Black feminism, Western feminism, Postcolonial
feminism, multicultural feminism, radical feminism and social feminism. These were developed at
different points in history and had main focuses that may or may not have been beneficial to the cause
or successful in any way.
OBJECTIVE
 Feminism is an outlet for turning gender equality concerns with cultural change, the
fundamental purpose of Feminism is to empower people to understand the experiences of those
different from them through the similar, broad aim of gender equality.

THE HISTORY OF FEMINISM

Feminism is defined as an organised movement for women’s right and interests, the
nineteenth century women arose(feminists) notably in Europe and North America, early historical
figures such as Jesus and Queen Elizabeth I are considered feminists. The early stage of feminism,
women were violent, according to Jacques True(2012) who demonstrated the links between violence
against women in the private sphere and kinds of violence women experience in public. Gender is
understood as the socially constructed assumptions that are assigned to either male or female bodies,
I.e masculinity is assigned to the male and feminity for women
Women violence affects international relations (thinking based on gendered idea of what
counts and does not count). A key contribution to feminism is its expose of gender violence and
women marginalisation in global politics.
As to the idea, who started feminism?, it cannot be readily answered sources dates it back to
the coming of Jesus, other sources rallied it to the cause of equality for Women, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton (d.1902) drafted the Seneca Falls declaration outlining the new movements, ideologies and
political strategies.
Historical thinkers sought to locate feminism and its roots to ancient Greece with Sappho(d.c
570BCE) or the medieval world Hildegard of Bingen (d. 1179), Christine de Pisan (d. 1434). All of
these people advocated for dignity, intelligence and basic human potential of the female sex. The 19 th
century emerged efforts for women’s equal rights.
Feminism is known to occur in four waves, The first wave took place in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth century. The goal of this wave was to open up opportunities for women with a
focus on suffrage. The wave began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 when three hundred men
and women rallied for the cause of equality for Women.
The first wave of feminism was interrelated with temperance and abolitionist movements and
gave voice to the non-famous activists like the African American sojourner who demanded “ain’t I a
woman", Victorian American women acted in very unladylike ways.
The second wave began in the 1960s and continued until the 1990s, characteristics of the
wave could be noted in the context of anti-war and Civil rights movements, the growing self-
conciousness of minority groups around the world.
SIMON DE BEAVOIR (1908-1986) exposed the idea “True woman” is required to make herself
objects to the other feminine theorists includes Betty Friedan and her work titled THE FEMININE
MYSTIQUE, her thesis was that women suffered persuasive systems of delusions and false values
under which they were urged to find personal fulfillment

KINDS OF FEMINISM .
a) Liberal Feminism: The variety of feminism that works within the structure of mainstream
society to integrate women into that structure, As root stretches back to that contract
theory of government instituted by the American revolution. Abigail Adams and Mary
Wollstonecraft were advocates proposing equality for women.
 b) Radical Feminism: seen by many as the undesirable element of Feminism, is actually the
breeding ground for many of the ideas arising from Feminism.
c) Marxist and Socialist feminism: recognises that women are oppressed and attributes the
oppression to capital property system. Marxist theory views work as creating our social
lives and creating what is of value; work creates who we are.
Others include cultural feminism and eco-feminism
Other feminist theory includes: Dorothy E. Smith similarly whose feminist theory is to explicitly
reform the sociological theory by fully accounting to the standpoint of gender and its effects in our
experiences of reality. Her approach is called institutional ethnography, the method of elucidating and
examining the relationship between everyday activities and experiences and larger institutional
imperatives.
Patricia Hill Collins consists more on abolishing racial attitudes towards blacks, racial feminism.
She published the Black feminist thought in 1990 consists of knowledge, politics and empowerment
in 1990, her work was seen to battle the thought of the traditional black African woman.
Other feminist work includes Nancy Chodorow: seen in her intellectual influence and core ideas, her
articles includes: The reproduction of mothering (1975). Raewyn Connell- Her basic concepts and
Theoretical orientation, change among the gatekeepers: man, masculinity and gender equality in the
global arena (2005),, Judith Butler and her queer theory which emerged from gay/lesbian studies
which in turn emerged from gender studies.
Over time, with the woman feeling the need to express herself more than she is allowed to,
organising demonstrations and calling it a feminist approach to justice, Theories have evolved in
feminism: Radical Feminism- provides an important foundation for the rest of Feminine flavours,
seen by many as the undesirable feminism, Marxist/Socialist feminism- seen by Marxists that
women are being oppressed and attributes the oppression to the capitalist system, Marxist theory sees
work as creating our social lives and creating what is of value, our work creates who we are. Socialist
feminism is the result of Marxist feminism meeting radical Feminism.
Other theories of feminism includes Cultural Feminism which got lolling after radical
Feminism died out as a movement, Eco-feminism is said to be more spiritual
CONTROVERSIES IN FEMINIST THEORY
Mary G. Dietz recognises that academic feminism is a historically constituted local and
global, social and political movement with an emancipatory purpose and a normative content.
Feminism is geared towards action coordination and social demonstration, interrogating existing
conditions and relations of power with a view towards not only interpreting but also changing the
world.
Her contribution to academics titled current controversies in feminist theory, a part titled “the
part which refuses to die, essentialism and difference" partly because the issues within feminism
cannot be readily resolved.
Social difference feminism tendency to appropriate the concept of women as an
unproblematic universal invites changes of essentialism, raises the question of enthusiasm and ignites
the crises within feminist theory. Feminist theory took a philosophical turn towards questions about
the meaning of a subject, self and gendered subjectivity, Harstock begins to form her initial views in
terms of the real multiplicity and variety in the epistemologies contained in the experience of
dominated groups.
Theorising feminist politicisation, citizenship in contestation: universal feminism and the
clash of cultures generalised the tension between equality and differences, The fundamental issues of
Feminine theorising, at the level of theorising a politics of citizenship, the equality/difference debates
reached an impasse in the 1980s as new theoretical issues altered Feminine theories of citizenship.
Feminine Theories have begun to change cultural rights theorists, I’m general
multiculturalism with ignoring the rights of women and inequality between the sexes, thus
reinscribing the very structures of masculine domination that feminism resolutely opposes.
Feminism reflects a world view that values women and confronts systematic injustices based
in gender, feminist theory is often associated with rights of women, that is both simplistic and
reductionist for a comprehensive understanding and application, a broader study is required.
CONCLUSION
Feminism is the belief in social, economic and political equality for women There are many
avenues to the study of feminism, Feminism as a movement and advocate issue is vibrant, diverse and
wide-ranging.
Feminism to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an African perspective “feminists are women who
are not happy”, Feminism is heavy with negative baggage. An episode with Ngozi when she was nine
over the position of the class monitor, the position got given to be a male even though she merited it
due to gender reasons, also with a taxi driver and in an hotel. It was said most of the executive or high
class political positions are held by men. In a literal way, men rule the world as they are physically
stronger, men are more likely to lead.
We have evolved, but our ideas in gender have not evolved, another episode with
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was her experience in a hotel where the attendant looked at her as though
to ask “where is her sugar daddy or companion?”, comparing her to a sex worker. “society has taught
that men are more important than women, African society. Meanwhile we are the same, gender as it
functions today is a grave injustice, anger has a history of bringing about positive change.
Gender in Nigeria and Africa should be planned for, by raising our children differently, due to
Historical advantage, men are more likely to be responsible, thereby diminishing his ego.
Women and marriage, why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and not boys?, we are all
social beings , respect is meant for both sexes not a woman to a man. I.e women are more likely to do
the housework than men, majority of our famous chefs in the world are men, women are more likely
to dress up in men’s style of clothing to be heard and respected.
We are not apes but humans, gender and class are different forms of oppression. Gender
colours the way we experience the world “bottom power" means a woman knows where to get her
sources from. Culture does not make people, people make Culture.
According to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a feminist is a man or woman who says “yes, there
is a problem with gender and we must fix it". She is a writer regarded as a feminist amongst other
possible occupations.
 References
Current controversies in feminism/www.annualreviews.org
Feminist theory-an overview/ science direct
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/socialsciences/feminist
Feminist theories- Criminology- Oxford bibliography
Kinds of feminism/https://www.uah.edu/woolf/feminism-kinds.htm
Introducing feminism in international relations, https://www.e-ir.info
Marlene LeGates (2001), In their time
(PDF) A critique of feminist theory/https.www.researchgate.net
theory
 Opinions: The importance of feminism, https://slpecho.com/opinion/2017/16/The-importance-
of-feminism
7 Feminist and gender theories(PDF) Dorothy E. Smith Patricia Hill Collins Nancy
Chodorow R. W. Connell Judith Butler
The common goals of feminism, http://www.123helpme.com/essay/the-common-goals-of-
feminism
Video: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)/ we should all be Feminists. Tedxtalks
What is feminism, And why do women and men hate it? Kathy Caprino