x-Wave Feminism?

[Invincible Summer]

No, I'm not talking about some cyberpunk feminist movement or anything... I'm confused as to the differences between the various "waves" of Feminism.

Also, what's so bad about 3rd wave? From the quick bit of research I did, it seems to get a lot of flak - it is because it's a bit more "liberal" and not "radical?"

[Jimmie Higgins]

The problem with "feminism" in general is that the mainstream of the movement retreated from the class-based issues of the early Women's Lib movement (affordable healtcare, abortion, workplace equality) in favor of middle class demands. So the object became to get women into the top of society rather than liberation from the bottom up. It's like trickle-down feminism.

Unfortunately this meant in practice that although sexism was beat back for a time, but the failure to address concerns that effect working class women (free childcare, time-off for pregnancy, free health care) meant that working class women could now work (oh how they can work) but they also have to play housewife after 40 hours on the job!

This has lead many women to reject feminism and the idea that women can be liberated because feminism resulted in them being exploited as workers and expected to be a full-time mom. Hell if that was my only choice, please send me back to the kitchen too.

3rd wave feminism is a horrible step back in my opinion. I Unlike second wave feminism, it doesn't even pretend to adress working class concerns. They tend to look at feminism in a post-modern way and hence make crazy arguments about stripping being empowering to women that are not connected to realities for most non-upper or middle-class women.

There's a huge vaccume right now and I hope that the new movement for LGBT marriage will help give people confidence to challenge all sexism. If radicals can help build this movement and connect it to working class politics the ramifications for universal healtcare, sexual liberation, abortion rights, and a renewed labor movement are explosive.

And also on a induvidual level it would be soooooo great to see people fighting against all the cultrual sexism that is shoved in all our faces multiple time on a daily basis. Think of the impact on the working class if 51% of workers wern't constantly being told that they are not full meaningful people unless they have a kid and are married to the perfect husband.