Feminism aims to achieve equality between the sexes and address additional layers of discrimination women face. There are several kinds of feminism including liberal feminism, which works within existing structures; radical feminism, which views women's oppression as fundamental; Marxist/socialist feminism, which sees capitalism as the root cause; cultural feminism, which focuses on building women's culture; and eco-feminism, which draws parallels between society's treatment of women and the environment. The document provides brief overviews of each type of feminism.

1. What is Feminism?

2. Disclaimer: This is by no means comprehensive.The goal is only to give
basic information.Further readings on the topic is highly recommended!

3. Basic idea:
Rebecca West says:
"Feminism is the radical notion that women are
people."
- which means it is a commitment to achieving the
equality of the sexes.

4. Why the feminist movement?
“There is a need to address radically the
additional layers of discrimination
women experience because of class,
race, sexuality, disability, and age, and
also the heightened impact on women
and children of war, poverty and
environmental degradation.”

5. Kinds of Feminism
• Liberal Feminism
• Radical Feminism
• Marxist and Socialist Feminism
• Cultural Feminism
• Eco-Feminism

6. Liberal Feminism
This is the variety of feminism that
works within the structure of
mainstream society to integrate
women into that structure. Its roots
stretch back to the social contract
theory of government instituted by the
American Revolution.

7. Radical Feminism
This term refers to the feminist movement that
sprung out of the civil rights and peace
movements in 1967-1968. The reason this
group gets the "radical" label is that they view
the oppression of women as the most
fundamental form of oppression, one that
cuts across boundaries of race, culture, and
economic class. This is a movement intent
on social change, change of rather
revolutionary proportions, in fact.

8. Marxist and Socialist
Feminism
Marxism recognizes that women are
oppressed, and attributes the oppression
to the capitalist/private property system.
Thus they insist that the only way to end
the oppression of women is to overthrow
the capitalist system. Socialist feminism
is the result of Marxism meeting radical
feminism.

9. Cultural Feminism
As radical feminism died out as a movement,
cultural feminism got rolling.
The difference between the two is quite striking:
whereas radical feminism was a movement to
transform society, cultural feminism retreated to
vanguardism, working instead to build a women's
culture. Some of this effort has had some social
benefit:
rape crisis centers, for example; and of course
many cultural feminists have been active in social
issues

10. Eco-Feminism
This branch of feminism is much more
spiritual than political or theoretical in
nature. Its basic tenet is that a patriarchal
society will exploit its resources without
regard to long term consequences as a
direct result of the attitudes fostered in a
patriarchal/hierarchical society. Parallels
are often drawn between society's treatment
of the environment, animals, or resources
and its treatment of women. In resisting
patriarchal culture, eco-feminists feel that
they are also resisting plundering and
destroying the Earth.

11. Sources
• Text taken from :
http://www.uah.edu/woolf/feminism_kinds.htm
• Other refs:
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/2005/02/23/what-distinguishes-each-form-of-feminism-from-the-other/
http://www.redletterpress.org/feminism101.html