Okuzeka
Sociology vocabulary · Theories and Thinkers

Feminism

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˈfemənɪzəm/nounCore term

In sociology, feminism means: A range of social theories and movements that study and challenge inequality between women and men and the ways gender shapes social life.

In Turkish: feminizm

How it is used

In sociology courses feminism is taught as a theoretical perspective with several strands, such as liberal, Marxist, radical and black feminism. Historians often speak of first-, second- and third-wave feminism. Feminist researchers also raised new questions about methods and the researcher's position.

Example sentences

  1. Second-wave feminism drew attention to unpaid housework and childcare.

  2. The module compares how functionalism and feminism explain the family.

Common collocations

  • liberal feminism
  • radical feminism
  • Marxist feminism
  • feminist perspective
  • second-wave feminism
  • patriarchyA social system in which men hold most of the power and authority in the family, the economy, politics and other institutions.
  • genderThe roles, behaviour and identities that a society attaches to being a woman or a man, as distinct from the biological differences described by the word sex.
  • intersectionalityThe idea that social categories such as gender, race, class and disability overlap, so that people experience combined and distinct forms of advantage or disadvantage.
  • gender roleThe set of behaviours, tasks and attitudes that a society considers suitable for women or for men, usually learned through socialisation.

More terms: Theories and Thinkers

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: