First Wave Wisdom for the Third Wave World

Abstract

In redefining the feminist agenda, lessons from history provide a plan for future feminist projects. First wave womenââ¬â¢s rights reformers strove to define their mission in terms of authentic values, emphasizing peace, community, and spiritual connection in constructing feminist identity. Given the hostile and often soulless environment in which we live today, authentic values are again important to reclaiming and actively constructing feminismââ¬â¢s mission and image. While first wave feminism restricted its membership to women of Anglo heritage, current models of incorporation, such as multiculturalism, provide contemporary tools for successfully addressing the problems of exclusion of the past. By reconnecting the third wave endeavor to its first wave predecessor, feminists today can arrive at meaningful answers to concerns that have surrounded the womanââ¬â¢s project since its inception.