Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Historical Roots of Feminist Research

The roots of feminism and feminist approaches to research stretch back over a century to the origins of the American women's movement, a social movement to advance women's rights that activists launched in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Hundreds of men and women gathered to protest the limited legal, educational, and social rights women held in a democracy founded on the principle that “all men are created equal.” Activists recognized that sex and gender were central to organizing law, religion, economics, and social life. From laws that stripped married women of their earnings, property, and children, to limited educational access, to strictures on public speaking, women in diverse circumstances faced ...