Once women were exposed to feminism, and along with it the freedom to express themselves politically in the ways that they choose based upon informed decisions, by and large, feminists embraced a more liberal political mindset (Inglehart, et al., 2000). This is not to say that they abandoned their family and religious values, but perhaps it is more correct to say that in more left wing thinking, feminists were able to enjoy a greater degree of political freedom, recognition and an avoidance of the oppression that they suffered for so many years under a more conservative viewpoint and philosophy. Once feminists were on the path of free political expression, their activism made contributions to the study of political participation in several key areas.
On a strategic level, the advancement of women into the halls of higher learning institutions contributed to political studies from both sides of the classroom in a sense. Female students, now empowered by a clearer sense of political identity and their role in the feminist movement, began to challenge the course content which usually portrayed men as superior in intelligence, nerve, and political ability, thereby making them politically superior to women. Female students also fought for the right to have access to the same educational institutions and resources as their male counterparts (Ali, 2000). Eventually, having earned degrees of higher learning as well as political power, feminists rose to the role of instructor in many educational settings, giving them a pulpit from which to share the practical realities and advantages of feminist thought and practice.
Lastly, the impact that feminist political action has had on the study of political participation is quite significant as well; when feminists became extremely politically active, the sheer volume of activity that they were creating became too hard for even their most biased critics to ignore. As feminist movements gained national and international media coverage, and their influence was felt in mainstream society,...
Whether the mainstream liked it or not, feminism was a force with which to be reckoned and was going to be around in one form or another for the foreseeable future. Because of this, the scope of the study of political participation completely changed, as feminist doctrine claimed its rightful place on the platform of modern political thought and study.
The contributions of so-called "civilian feminists" also shaped political study. Feminists who may not have been protesting and marching on Washington D.C., but were setting a strong example as solid citizens with a civic mindset, also played an important part in what the political system was becoming.
Conclusion
Over the past four decades or so, feminism has grown from a theory to a political movement that has liberated the oppressed, fostered independent political thought, changed the face of political science, and fostered an entirely new way of evaluating politics. Beyond these impressive achievements, the future of feminism promises to be even more dynamic and effective, as people continue to seek the natural state of freedom and speak out against oppression in all forms.
References
Ali, S., Coate, K., & Goro, W.W. (Eds.). (2000). Global Feminist Politics: Identities in a Changing World. London: Routledge.
Inglehart, R., & Norris, P. (2000). The Developmental Theory of the Gender Gap:Women's and Men's Voting Behavior in Global Perspective. International Political Science Review, 21(4), 441-463.
Phillips, a. (Ed.). (1998). Feminism and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Randall, V. (2002). Feminism. In Marsh & Stoker (Eds.), Theory and Methods in Political Science (2nd ed., pp. 109-130). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Zivi, K. (2004). Who or What Are We? The Identity Crisis in Feminist Politics. Polity, 36(2), 323+.
Feminism in Politics
