1 Introduction A schoolgirl was once ...

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Introduction
A schoolgirl was once asked to write an essay on why women outnumber men in the world. ‘God made Adam first,’ she wrote. ‘When he had finished, he looked at him and said to himself, “Well, I think I could do better than that if I tried again.” So then he made Eve. And God liked Eve so much better than Adam that he has been making more women than men ever since’ (Stott, 1999, p. 285).
The self-confident feminism of that young girl stands out in bold relief against the prevailing attitudes by men over the annals of time. Undoubtedly, for centuries, in many societies, women have habitually been despised and demeaned by men. They have been treated as mere play dolls and sex objects, as housemaids and child dispensers, and as unskilled and brainless simpletons. Their talents have been unappreciated; their individuality smothered and their freedoms stifled; their service and their personhood exploited.
This record of oppression of women has been so longstanding and widespread that many voices have risen up against gender inequalities in history. Over the past forty years, a myriad of feminist theories have developed, and scores of organizations that support feminist ideologies have mushroomed (Wikipedia, 2006, Feminism) Over recent times the rapid growth of the feminist movement has caused a rapid closing up of the gap between male and female in society.
This paper will show how feminism is a diverse, competing, and often opposing collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economic inequalities. My research will look at the different
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forms or approaches one must bear in mind in the study of feminism. In addition, four major types (aspects) of feminism will be studied against the backdrop of the three major sociological perspectives. First, a definition of feminism will be given. Second, the different forms of feminism will be considered. This will be followed by a study of the major and more common types of feminism showing how each of these types are rooted in or compatible with the three sociological theories.
Feminism Defined
Defining feminism, as it stands today, is a fiddly proposition. Feminism is not a single ideology. As there are many movements within feminism, so are there divergent feminist thoughts and beliefs and comments. This does not presuppose that feminism is fragmented. Perhaps, one can say feminism comes in different kinds of “flavors. ” Although feminist beliefs, values and practices are continually evolving, reflecting new ideas, movements, and historical research, it is clear that core values have informed the lives and work of many different groups of women in the feminist movement.
At the core of feminist thinking is “the philosophy that men and women should be ...