ABSTRACT
Like many of the other concepts explored in this volume, feminism is a much-discussed and much-contested term. To put it simply, feminism means different things to different people in different times and places. For some (like this author) it means the basic idea that men and women ought to be treated equally in all aspects of culture. A more theoretical approach might be to say that feminism is a critique of inequality based on one’s biological sex or gender expression; in most places in the world today, men have more opportunities, more rights and privileges, and more freedoms than do women. Feminism is thus a critique of patriarchy, literally “rule by the father.” Patriarchy is a term used broadly in feminist theory to describe the various overdetermined ideologies that keep men in socially dominant positions. That said, for some people feminism represents a challenge (or even a threat) to traditional ways of thinking about men and women, sex and sexuality, the structure of the family, and the structure of the work place.
