Final answer:
Feminism is a movement focused on achieving gender equality and challenging sexism and oppression across multiple demographics. While historically paired with the Women's Movement advocating for equal employment and suffrage, it has evolved to address a broader range of issues including art activism. Feminism is about the eradication of sexism and the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for all.
Step-by-step explanation:
Definition of Feminism
The concept of feminism has diverse meanings, but fundamentally, it refers to the belief in and advocacy for gender equality in all facets of public and private life. Historically, in the early 20th century American context, feminism was associated with the Women's Movement seeking equal employment, suffrage, and property rights. The movement then gained momentum, particularly during the 1960s, expanding into women's liberation which encompassed a broader range of issues like reproductive rights, sexism, and challenging traditional gender roles.
A more comprehensive understanding of feminism posits that it aims to eradicate not only legal and social restrictions imposed on women but all forms of sexism and oppression across various demographics, including race, class, age, and sexuality. It's also significant as a literary theory advocating for social and political change through varied mediums, including art, where feminism plays a role in addressing the exclusion and marginalization of women and elevating their contributions to the art world.
Through the various waves and evolutions of the feminist movement, the core idea remains the pursuit of equality and justice for women, and by extension, for all of society, challenging the status quo and democratizing opportunities.