In order to talk about third wave feminism, I first want to talk about intersectionality theory.  

Intersectionality theory was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. Crenshaw was a woman who was active in the Black Feminist movement and her theory was as follows:

“The experience of being a black woman cannot be understood in terms of being black and of being a woman considered independently, but must include the interactions, which frequently reinforce each other.”

Basically what she meant was that being a woman and being a woman of color affected her experiences in life in ways that existed both dependently and independently of both of these physical identifiers.

In other other words, because of the color of her skin and because of the gender of her body she experienced hardships in different ways independently and dependently linked to both identifiers.

This concept was coined as intersectionality theory and helped define the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.) are interconnected and defines that they can’t be examined separately from one another.

Crenshaw believed that the privileged members of society should recognize and be aware of the ease of fluidity they have in life and to listen to the less advantaged members in order to create better understanding and elevate everyone to a higher quality of life.

So now that we have a handle on this concept, I’d like to start by saying the third wave feminist movement did a lot of good for women but I have sort of a love/hate relationship with their ideals.

I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that this movement has had no specific thesis or exact goals to get behind.

Women have earned the right to vote and are beginning to move into positions of authority in the U.S.

A lot of the problems women are facing today are related to cultural divisions and problems that aren’t as easy to fit on a picket sign.

This makes the goals of the movement a lot harder to tackle because the need is to change instiutional biases that reinforce ideals which negatively affect the daily experiences of women.

Another problem with this movement, and probably largely because there is no central thesis, is that a lot of the members of the feminist movement have differing opinions on what women’s liberation looks like to them.

We all have internalized patriarchal views and a lot of these views vary from person to person. This is a huge factor in affecting individual opinions within the movement.

For example, some women today enjoy dressing in an over-sexualized manner and consider this a feminist and empowering statement (sometimes claimed as “owning” their sexuality), whereas the second wave feminist movement saw the over sexualization of women, specifically in regards to the clothing that is advertised and sold, as a form of oppression.

Since social media has come into play, people have taken a turn towards narcissism. Lots of society today spends their time on social media trying to create a brand for their identity and their lives. Lifestyle blogs and social media outlets have made it easier for people to make money on their branded lives.

It can be good to be inspired and to strive to be your best self but I think this has turned a lot of today’s 20 and 30 something’s into narcissists and social-climbers.

I find that too many feminists today have a tendency to get angry at people for asking questions and not understanding what the movement is about and expressing these ideals through their self-branded, self-proclaimed feminist social media outlets.

Granted, it is understandable how insanely frustrating it can be when people can’t see your perspective, but it’s still important to keep in mind that the person on the other side is not necessarily coming from the same head space or even life experience as you are.

People have a tendency to shut down when they feel challenged and they have to want to listen and they have to want to understand in order for anything to be gained. It takes time for people to have an open mind, this is especially true among more advantaged members of society.

Another problem I have with this movement {the third wave feminist, not social media personalities} is I feel like many of the vocal leaders who speak on behalf of the movement almost have a goal to get people riled up.

If Bill O’Reilly has taught us anything, I guess it’s that if you get people angry, you’ll get views and subs.

But it has felt as if the main purpose of this movement primarily has been to reach the masses, rather than accomplish any specific goal. Which just means money for the people involved, but not a lot to offer future generations.

I think this is what has led to a lack of education and a gang of new feminists armed with buzz phrases, entitlement and very little understanding of why they’re actually fighting.

Some vocal leaders among this feminist group also seems to have the belief that they should be immune to criticism.

They act as if, if their beliefs are questioned, then that is the problem. And if you don’t understand their message, you’re lack of understanding also is part of the problem.

While all of this is sort of true, it does nothing to resolve anything and actually creates an environment where dialogue is completely shut down and no progress is made.

One amazing new development, however, has been the issue of tackling all gendered struggles. I have seen criticisms that this has turned the focus to males (primarily gay and transexual issues), which largely glossed over the platform that was growing for African-American women, but at the same time I’m glad we’re bridging the gap for everyone and even if it means men are slightly taking the forefront of the platform again, at least we’re making gains.

Instead of dividing us between male and female, transexual or non-gendered (or even white hetero-male versus the masses), I’m glad that the current wave of equalists is trying to look at issues in an undivided manner.

Progress is slow, but I think we’re getting there.