A Phenomenological Study of the Attitudes of Young People Towards Feminism Today.

Abstract

Research into feminism often focuses on the opinions of young women and personal experiences they have as a feminist. However, there is a lack of research exploring the attitudes and personal experiences of both young women and men of feminism today. Recent studies have revealed negative attitudes towards feminism, due to its apparent ‘extremism’ (Edley and Wetherell 2001). This has detracted from the original aim of feminist activism and theory of gender equality and instead, resulted in further division between women and men (Ruiz 2018). Therefore, this research aims to explore the interpretations young people have of feminism and how they view the image of a feminist, in a Scottish context.