By Carlos R Molina

Feminism is not one single position. Wood defines it as an active commitment to equality and respect for all forms of life p4. Being against oppression, be it the oppression of women, men, people with disabilities, specific sexual identities, particular race-ethnicities elderly people, children, animals, or our planet p4

Sex: is a designation based on biology.

Gender: is a socially constructed and expressed. It is learned and it changes. There are not 2 distinct genders. (biology influences how we develop but it does not absolutely determine behavior and personality.)

Definition of culture: Culture refers to structures…and practices that uphold a particular social order p31 (our culture directly influences how we feel about gender.)

Communication: is a dynamic process; is systemic (occurs within particular situation or situations); has 2 levels of meaning: content (literal) and relationship.

Biological Theories of gender: these types of theories offer on explanation for differences between women and men: biological characteristics. These theories say that differences between men and women are based on differences in chromosomes, hormones, and brain structure.

Interpersonal theories of gender: These types of theories assume that interpersonal factors influence the development of femininity and masculinity.

Psychodynamic Theories: the first relationship an infant has fundamentally influences how an infant comes to define his/her identity.

Social learning: individuals learn how to masculine and feminine by imitation of other and getting positive or negative responses from others to their behaviors. Cognitive development: assumes children play active roles in developing their gender identities. Children pick models to teach them competency.

Symbolic Interactions: We learn who we are through communication.

Standpoint theory: membership in groups shape what individuals experience, know, feel and do. This theory claims that marginalized groups can generate unique insights into how a society works. Queer performative theory: argues that identities are not fixed. Argues that humans generate identities through performance (expression).

Liberal Feminism: women and men are alike and equal in most respects. Cultural Feminism: women and men are fundamentally different and should have different right.

Rhetorical Movement A collective persuasive effort to challenge and change existing attitudes, laws and policies p66

Included liberal and cultural feminist branches. The womens rights movements , nonviolent protesting for womens suffrage (Alice Paul, Lucy Burns)

August 26, 1920: women were granted the right to vote.

The cult of Domesticity; believed women were more moral, nurturing and concerned about others than men. They believed in true womanhood and focused on good homes, families and communities.

Radical Feminism : Womens liberation movement. Basic principle was that oppression of women is the fundamental form of oppression on which all others are modeled. Lesbian Feminism: They define themselves as women identified to distinguish themselves from heterosexual women whom they see as male- identified.

Separatism: build communities in which women live independently in mutual respect and harmony. Revalorism: focus on appreciating womens traditional activities and contributions and increasing societys appreciation of women and there contribution to society.

EcoFeminism: As long as oppression is culturally valued, it will be imposed on anyone and anything that cannot or does not resist. Radical, lesbian, separatism, revalorism and eco- feminism are all cultural feminist movements because they share the idea that women and men are different in important ways.

Liberal Feminism: identifies and challenges institutional practices, policies, and laws that exclude women form positions of influence in public and professional life. Womanism: Many African American women see womanism as addressing both their racial and gender identities.

Multiracial Feminism: insist that gender does not have universal meaning instead, what gender means and how it affects our lives varies as a result of race, economic class, sexual orientation and so forth. Power Feminism: society doesnt oppress women, because women have the power to control what happens to them.

This wave includes women of different ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, classes, appearances and sexual orientations. Recognizes that women differ in many ways. The 5 features of the third wave feminists

Remaking solidarity to incorporate differences among women; Building coalitions; Integrating theory in to everyday practice; Insisting that political is personal; and Being media savvy. *6. Embracing aesthetics and consumerism.

Profeminist Mens Movements A profeminist refers to a male feminist. Profeminists believe men and women are alike in most ways. Profeminists support womens battles for equal treatment in society.

National Organization for Men against Sexism. profeminist mens movement Condemns most conventional masculine qualities such as aggression, violence and emotional insensitivity.

Formed in 91, it is now the largest mens antiviolence group in the word.

Masculinists, or promasculine men, believe men suffer from discrimination because of their sex and that men need to reclaim their manliness. The main rhetorical strategy of masculinists is to verbally disparage men who define themselves as feminists or who believe that women are entitled to the same rights as men.

Angry and hurt that men dont have at least 50% custody of their children after divorce. (fathers 4 justice, American Coalition for fathers, fathers and Families, ect)

Want men to rediscover their roots of masculine thinking and feeling. Argue that the traditional masculine ideal was positive. Men need to reclaim courage and aggression.

View reconnection to Gods commandments as the path. Based on evangelical Christianity. Value strong families and communities. Most are white and middle- or upper class.

Occurred in Washington, DC on October 16, 1995 Movement for African American men to register to vote, fight drugs, recommit themselves to their children and families and stand against unemployment and violence.

References Dr. Niles study guide Wood J. T. (2009) Gendered lives: communication, gender, and culture (8 th ed.) Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning