Third Wave Feminism
Personal Empowerment Dominates This Feminist Philosophy
Are you a third wave feminist? Read about this individualistic form of feminism that is popular among younger women, and read what critics have to say.
Third Wave feminism is a philosophy that emerged in the 1990s. Like all feminism, the Third Wave focuses on the economic, political, social, and personal empowerment of women. This newer form of feminism focuses more on the individual empowerment of women and less on activism. It celebrates women’s journeys to build meaningful identities in the complex contemporary world.
Most women who identify themselves as Third Wave feminists or who are drawn to this philosophy are young. Many are part of the Generation X demographic (born roughly between 1966 – 1976) or are from Generation Y (born roughly between 1977-1997). Some Third Wave feminists are the children of Baby Boomers who participated in the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
Characteristics of Third Wave Feminism
- Third Wave feminism celebrates women’s multiple and sometimes contradictory identities in today’s world. Third Wave feminists are encouraged to build their own identities from the available buffet, and to not worry if the items on their plate are not served together traditionally. Women can unapologetically celebrate a plate full of entrée choices like soccer mom, career woman, lover, wife, lesbian, activist, consumer, girly girl, tomboy, sweetheart, bitch, good girl, princess, or sex symbol.
- Third Wave feminism encourages personal empowerment and action. Third Wave feminists like to think of themselves as survivors, not victims.
- Although Third Wave feminists do not reject political activism, the emphasis is more on using one’s personal empowerment as a starting point for societal change.
- Third Wave feminism celebrates emotions and experiences that traditionally have been labelled as “unfeminine.” Women are invited to be angry, aggressive, and outspoken.
- Third Wave feminism celebrates women’s sexuality and encourages women to explore sexual options and express themselves in whatever ways they feel comfortable. The double standard and titles like “slut” are discarded. The female characters from Sex and the City can be seen as Third Wave feminist icons who do not apologize for their sexual relationships and adventures.
- Third Wave feminists celebrate diversity. The Women’s Liberation Movement often was criticized for focusing too narrowly on the experiences of middle-class, white, heterosexual women.
- As is characteristics of Generation X and Generation Y, Third Wave feminists express themselves through popular culture and use it in their personal journeys to define identity. They look for women, images, and musicians who represent their own struggles. They also take ironic pleasure in outrageously sexist or sexualized representations, like Paris Hilton or reality shows like America’s Next Top Model.
How is the Third Wave Different from the Second Wave?
Second Wave feminism refers to the Women’s Liberation Movement that reached its height in the 1970s. Although Second Wave feminists also varied quite a bit in their objectives, the Second Wave generally focused heavily on the activist goals of the day, such as sex discrimination law, abortion rights, and the attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Many Third Wave feminists continue this tradition of activism, but the philosophy is more oriented towards individual empowerment than it is towards activism and social change.
The distinction between Second and Third Wave feminism can be seen as arbitrary. Some would argue that there is no meaningful distinction and that the movement is just shifting to accommodate the experiences of a new generation of feminists.
Criticisms of Third Wave Feminism
- The most common criticism of Third Wave feminism may be that it is not political enough. It is a highly individualistic philosophy that generally values personal empowerment over activism. For this reason, critics argue that Third Wave feminism is ill equipped to foster social change, and in fact may discourage women from become feminist activists.
- Another common criticism of Third Wave feminism is that its focus on identity issues is not a universal concern. The ability to explore one’s identity is a privilege. Women who are concerned about feeding their children or surviving domestic violence cannot be bothered with‘finding themselves.”
- Other critics argue that the Third Wave feminists do more damage than good by equating women’s sexuality with power. Critics argue that this kind of sexual empowerment is purely individual and does not lead to social change, and in fact promotes the sexualization of women.
