Feminism Key Terms
Sex -✔✔✔the biological distinction between females and males
Gender -✔✔✔the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and
female
Essentialism -✔✔✔An emphasis on the fundamental nature of the biological differences between men
and women
Androgyny -✔✔✔displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics
Patriarchy -✔✔✔A form of social organization in which males dominate females
Private sphere -✔✔✔aspects of life which are of concern of the individual and her close family and
friends only
Public sphere -✔✔✔Aspects of social, political and economic life that concern the whole community
and not confined to the home
Intersectionality -✔✔✔the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and
gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and
interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Liberal Feminism -✔✔✔A strand of feminism that emphasizes gender equality and seeks to work
within the current system
Radical Feminism -✔✔✔Form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is the result of
male domination in all aspects of social and economic life.
Sex -✔✔✔the biological distinction between females and males
Gender -✔✔✔the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and
female
Essentialism -✔✔✔An emphasis on the fundamental nature of the biological differences between men
and women
Androgyny -✔✔✔displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics
Patriarchy -✔✔✔A form of social organization in which males dominate females
Private sphere -✔✔✔aspects of life which are of concern of the individual and her close family and
friends only
Public sphere -✔✔✔Aspects of social, political and economic life that concern the whole community
and not confined to the home
Intersectionality -✔✔✔the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and
gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and
interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Liberal Feminism -✔✔✔A strand of feminism that emphasizes gender equality and seeks to work
within the current system
Radical Feminism -✔✔✔Form of feminist theory that believes that gender inequality is the result of
male domination in all aspects of social and economic life.
