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In today’s edition, we run down the biggest headlines of the afternoon, break down the four(ish) waves of feminism, and recommend tech for aging parents. Have thoughts or feelings on what you read here? You can reach me directly by email. I’m at [email protected]. |
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Caitlin Dewey, senior writer |
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Caitlin Dewey, senior writer
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Gloria Steinem — the one-woman powerhouse who, in many ways, defined modern feminism in the United States — died Wednesday at 92 after six decades of activism.
Steinem was a journalist and advocate who first rose to prominence in the late 1960s, just as the women’s liberation movement exploded. She co-founded Ms. magazine, a trailblazing publication that mainstreamed once-taboo topics like sexual harassment, wage inequity, and the unfair division of household labor.
As an advocate, Steinem also led protests, worked to elect more female politicians, and lobbied for abortion rights, employment protections, and the long-deferred Equal Rights Amendment.
The ERA, which would create a constitutional guarantee of equal rights for women, has never officially been adopted, despite being ratified by the required number of states. Many of the other causes Steinem championed, however, are now at least firmly part of mainstream cultural and political debate.
Later in life, as the feminist movement evolved, Steinem continued to serve as a kind of elder statesperson. (We’ll break down how exactly it evolved in just a minute.) Much of her recent writing and speaking focused — for obvious, depressing reasons — on the importance of hope and persistence in social justice movements.
“Hope is a form of planning,” she told Vogue on her 90th birthday, in 2024. “If you don’t imagine what could be, you’re already defeated.”
Heads up: Vox is off tomorrow and Monday for the Labor Day holiday. And speaking of labor…can I interest you in supporting all the work that goes into this newsletter? For a limited time, you can become a Vox member — and invest in the journalism that helps you think more deeply about the world — for just $30/year. Read more and sign up here.
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The making of modern feminism |
Steinem was the single-most recognizable face of American feminism, but she represented a distinct wave of it that future generations of feminists built on. American feminism is a sprawling, evolving, multifaceted movement — and its history is often broken down into four distinct periods.
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First wave: 1848 to 1920
You might better know the feminists of this era by the name “suffragists”: The troublesome campaigners who fought for women’s right to vote. This “wave,” as it’s popularly dubbed, began with the Seneca Falls convention in New York and ended with the passage of the 19th Amendment, after which momentum died down a bit.
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Second wave: 1963 to the 1980s
The movement revived with the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique in 1963. It also broadened its focus beyond political rights, taking on reproductive freedom, workplace and cultural sexism, sexual harassment, and women’s financial independence. Steinem was maybe the quintessential second-wave feminist.
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Third wave: 1991 to the 2000s
Feminism slumped a bit in the ’80s, deflated by Reagan-era conservatism and a backlash that cast feminists as bitter, bra-burning man-haters. But the Anita Hill case in 1991 revived mainstream attention to workplace harassment, discrimination and women’s exclusion from positions of power.
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Fourth wave: 2008(ish) to present
The current generation of feminism places greater emphasis on intersectionality and trans inclusion. But its defining trait is probably how very online it is. The fourth wave kicked off with blogs like Jezebel and Feministing and picked up steam through hashtags like #MeToo, #TimesUp, #StandWithWendy, and #YesAllWomen.
In fairness, not everyone is terribly enamored with the “waves” framework. But for those of us trying to get the gist of recent history — or to take stock of what has and hasn’t changed, on the occasion of Steinem’s death — it can be a helpful way to get oriented. Vox has lots of further reading if you want to get into the nuances.
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Did you know…that the iconic orange carrot we eat today wasn’t popularized until the 1600s, when they were bred by Dutch farmers? Prior to that, only the white, yellow and purple varieties were commonly available.
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Today’s trivia: What is the world’s second-largest living bird? (You can find this and other brain puzzles in Vox’s daily crossword. Look for the answer in tomorrow’s edition.)
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Yesterday’s trivia: Yesterday we asked you which iconic web portal uses the butterfly logo. That would be MSN, originally “Microsoft Network,” which first debuted 31 years ago.
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Today’s edition was produced and edited by me, Caitlin Dewey. Thanks for reading! |
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Have thoughts or feelings on what you read here? You can reach me directly by email. I’m at [email protected]. |
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