Gender in Movements

Abstract

Heeding the call to integrate gender into the study of social movements and drawing on the work of gender and feminist scholars, I argue that there now exists a body of work that views social movements through the lens of intersectionality as well as recognizing gender as a multi-layered social structure and institution. Selecting representative work, I characterize gender in movements as occurring on three levels. The first level focuses on social processes such as gender socialization, interactions, leadership and engagement in activities. Second is the level of organization and community where gender operates in structures, frames, identities and strategies and tactics. Third is the cultural and societal level where gender can act to open up opportunities for activism or as a constraint through dynamics in the environment. I conclude with future directions for the study of gender in movements, including turning a scholarly gaze to dynamics of masculinity, gender neutrality and transgender in shaping movements, and the continued incorporation of intersectionality. In sum, the field of social movement studies is vibrant with gender research but still there is much to do.