How many types of feminism are there?
Feminism or the feminist movement is known for promoting equal rights between the sexes. Feminism today has a great diversity of trends of thought or focuses of interest, but the movement perceives itself as one. We are going to learn about 18 types of feminism that, in reality, emphasize different aspects within the same movement.
1. Philosophical feminism
Simone de Beauvoir
Philosophical feminism is that whose purpose is to reflect on the idea, concept and function of women within the social order. It also proposes a review of the history of philosophy, from which the trace of women was erased. It has served as a foundation and justification for the different feminist movements.
Throughout history, figures such as Mary Wollstonecraft (precursor), Flora Tristán, John Stuart Mill, Simone de Beauvoir, Clara Campoamor, María Laffitte and, currently, Celia Amorós and Amelia Valcárcel, among others, have stood out in philosophical feminism. others.
2. Radical feminism
Radical feminism, also known as radfem, is a movement that emerged around the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, it is quite far from extremism. It takes the name radical from the word “root”, since it aims to investigate the roots of the oppression of women. For this type of feminism, oppression “lies” in the sociopolitical and economic order, from which discrimination practices such as racism and classism also derive.
3. Abolitionist feminism
Symbol of the feminist movement in general.
Abolitionist feminism is concerned with fighting against the commercial and sexual exploitation of the female body and all forms of trafficking in women. Among its main objectives is the abolition of prostitution, from which its name derives. But it is not limited to that. It is also opposed to gestational surrogacy (surrogacy or surrogacy) and pornography.
4. Liberal feminism
Liberal feminism is that which seeks to promote the recognition and acceptance of women’s capabilities in activities and jobs that have historically been associated with men. It is responsible for promoting inclusion laws that can promote equal opportunities.
5. Equality feminism
Symbol of gender equality
Equality feminism is committed to an activist agenda, and aims to promote social practices of equality between men and women, with the understanding that differences between genders are strictly cultural. This involves the intention of consolidating a new social order based on democratic and egalitarian values.
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6. Feminism of difference
The feminism of difference is based on psychoanalysis and the concept of otherness. It considers women as an absolutely other being, that is, as a specificity not equal to men. It assumes the exploration of the unconscious as a mechanism for the construction of feminine identity.
7. Factual or scientific feminism
This type of feminism is based on evolutionary biology and psychology. He opposes the idea that the only differences between men and women are cultural, since he recognizes biological differences. However, it points out that such differences do not justify inequality between genders and that, therefore, it is necessary to build a truly inclusive society in terms of rights.
8. Marxist feminism
In socialist feminism, reflection on the ways of constructing power in society based on Marxist theory is fundamental. It emphasizes the material realities and economic conditions that can act as perpetuators of oppression. Marxist feminism takes into account the specific way in which it influences capitalism as a dominant system in the hegemony of patriarchy.
9. Postcolonial feminism
Postcolonial feminism is that which studies and reflects on the condition of women in postcolonial geopolitical environments, where relations of dependency with the former dominant metropolis have played a role in social construction. It highlights the adoption of the colonizer’s thinking patterns, of which the population is usually unaware. Among them, racism, classism and machismo.
10. Anarchofeminism or anarchist feminism
Anarchofeminism is a political philosophy of the fight for gender equality that takes as reference the postulates of anarchist ideology. From their point of view, anarchism is favorable to feminism whenever it questions or opposes the different modes of social control, of which patriarchy is an expression.
11. Black feminism
Black feminism poster
Black feminism takes into account the particular situation of racial minorities, whose discrimination and social marginalization aggravate the subaltern condition of Afro-descendant women in the context of various societies. This feminism understands that racism, in addition to patriarchy, has an influence on the ordering of power and gender roles.
12. Lesbian feminism
Lesbian feminism reviews the naturalization of sexual normativity, specifically heterosexuality. Understands that the naturalization of heterosexuality favors the concept of social roles consistent with gender. For example, women should take care of household chores while men should be providers. Lesbian feminism applies the term heteronormative principles to this traditional conception of social gender roles.
13. Cultural feminism
It encompasses different trends that propose the development of women within the framework of a feminine counterculture. He considers women morally superior to men, and sees in her a link to her special nature due to her status as her mother.
NOTE: We must clarify that, however, before this meaning, the expression cultural feminism referred to depoliticized feminism.
14. Separatist feminism
Separatist feminism bases part of its reflections on the theories of lesbian feminism. However, it is distinguished in that it proposes the separation of men and women as the only way for women to reach their potential. Within separatist feminism there are two trends: general separatism and lesbian separatism.
15. Cyberfeminism
Cyberfeminism studies the way in which notions of gender are constructed in social networks and cyberspace in general, whose conditions and practices allow the traditional conception of gender roles to be circumvented.
16. Ecofeminism
Ecofeminism relates feminism to the study and protection of the environment. It identifies an analogy between the indiscriminate exploitation of the ecosystem by capitalism, and the exploitation of the female body in the patriarchal order, so that it considers capitalism and patriarchy an expression of the same phenomenon. In this sense, it is understood that the matriarchal model is presented as a horizontal alternative.
17. Dissident feminism
Dissident feminism groups women who distance themselves from some objectives or methods of other feminisms. It is not unified. Some sectors relativize the weight of patriarchy in female oppression, others question the need to modify the civil code.
18. Pro-life feminism
Pro-life feminism speaks out against abortion while endorsing the rest of the feminist agenda. Pro-life feminism argues that the principle of equality must involve respect for the lives of the most vulnerable, which includes the unborn. Likewise, it questions the supposed advantages or convenience of abortion for women.
However, this current of feminism is not recognized by the entire feminist movement, since for it, the obligation to sustain a pregnancy against the woman’s will reproduces the structure of patriarchal thought.