UCLA READINGS AND QUESTIONS ON THIRD WAVE FEMINISM 2007
Eileen V. Wallis and Samantha Barbas
Readings Amber Kinser, “Negotiating Spaces For/Through Third Wave Feminism,” NWSA Journal vol. 16 no. 3, Fall 2004
Astrid Henry, “Feminism’s Family Problem: Feminist Generations and the Mother-Daughter Trope,” in Rory Dicker and Alison Piepmeier, ed. Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century (Northeastern University Press, 2003), 209-231.
"Who Are Feminists and What Do They Believe? The Role of Generations" Jason Schnittker; Jeremy Freese; Brian Powell American Sociological Review Vol. 68, NO.4 (Aug., 2003), pp. 607-622 Available on JSTOR
"Third Wave Black Feminism?" Kimberly Springer Signs, Vol. 27, No.4 (Summer, 2002), pp. 1059-1082 Available on JSTOR
From Bitchfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism From the Pages of Bitch magazine (edited by Lisa Jervis, et al): "I Can't Believe It's Not Feminism! On the Feminists Who Aren't" by Julie Craig; and "Girl Unreconstructed: Why Girl Power is Bad for Feminism" by Rachel Fudge
Questions On Kinser and Henry:
1) Is the concept of ‘waves’ useful for historians? What are the advantages and drawbacks of using this formulation?
2) 2) What is third wave feminism, and how does it differ from second wave? What are the unique political and intellectual contributions that third wave ideas might make? What are the unique challenges that the third wave faces?
3) Are the intergenerational tensions (3rd v. 2nd) real, and if so, how might they be overcome?
4) How can historians teach third wave feminism?
On Schnittker, et. al: 1) How does this article define the different "waves" of feminism? 2) Which three issues did the authors target for studying feminist attitudes? What do you think about their choices? 3) According to the authors, why are those men and women who reached adulthood after the second wave less likely to self-identify as feminists? What influence did factors like gender, race, and education play in predetermining feminist identification? 4) Do you think the "decreasing consensus among younger cohorts" about the meaning of feminism the authors describe is positive or a negative development? Why?
On Springer: 1) According to Springer, why has the term "third wave," and in fact the "wave" model itself, excluded feminists of color? How does she suggest we might rearrange the wave concept to include them? 2) Why does the author choose to use the Jones, Morgan, and Chamber books to explore the interplay of gender and race? 3) What are the myths/roles of the "strongblackwomen," "chickenheads," and "bulletproof divas" the authors describe? What opportunities and limitations do each present for young African-American women? 4) What was the impact of 1970s feminism on black male/black female relations, and vice versa? How does Springer suggest young feminists approach this issue today?
On Craig: 1) The six authors that Craig includes here all embrace the label of "feminist." What topics do those authors tackle? Why does Craig believe exploring the work of such authors to be important? 2) Is it possible to be a conservative and a feminist?
On Fudge:
1) What are some of the origins of "girl power"?
2) How has "girl power" manifested in popular culture, and why?
3) Why does Fudge suggest "girl power" is, in fact, bad for feminism?