ABSTRACT
Chapter 15 provides historical context for male–female relations by examining the key tenets of women’s movements and men’s movements and reviewing the effects they have had on the gendered structure of society, gender equality and inequality, and gender communication.
Besides offering an overview of women’s movements, the chapter distinguishes between first-wave, second-wave, and third-wave feminism, and men’s movements by comparing and contrasting the profeminist and promasculine movements.
Additionally, attention is paid to persons feeling excluded by the main branches of the women’s movement, and to how the interconnections between race, ethnicity, and social class are factors meriting attention. The chapter also explores why the diversity inherent in both the men and women’s movements has the potential to enrich both opportunities for self-definition and our lives.
