“WAVES OF FEMINISM” in

Abstract
This entry outlines the waves of feminism to explain the modern history of the women's
liberation movement and how it has been shaped by women's interactions with the media (and
vice versa). The media context allows for a more situated analysis of “female troubles” as it
unveils the role of media forms for shaping women's cultural circumstances. The entry explains
the development of the feminist movement, focusing on the chronological evolution of the
movement's assumptions. It describes the main events and activists of the women's liberation
front, distinguishing between the targets and tools of individual waves. The relationship
between the media and feminism has been of crucial importance for the progression of
contemporary communication and its structures. The reinvention of one through another by
means of mutual criticism and stimulation has helped reframe the social functions of the sexes
as well as open the media for uses beyond their original design.