EQUINOX Reading Tools

In this essay, I contrast Second and Third Wave feminist linguistics. Broadly speaking, Second Wave feminism focuses on the language of women as a subordinated group and Third Wave feminism challenges the homogeneity of women as a group and focuses instead on localised studies. I challenge the notion that these forms of analysis are simply chronological so that Third Wave feminism supersedes and supplants Second Wave feminism. I argue that Third Wave feminism is best seen as a development from Second Wave feminism which nevertheless depends on the basic framework of Second Wave feminism for its theoretical integrity.¹ In order to contrast the way in which these two approaches work and to demonstrate that each can be put to work in particular contexts, I examine the difficulties for each approach in the analysis of sexism.