Women of a certain age: “Second wave” feminists reflect back on 50 years of struggle in the United States

SynopsisUsing social movement theory, this study explores the lives of 31 women in the U.S. who were activists in the “second wave” feminist movement in order to understand how aging activists currently make sense of the victories and setbacks in the struggle for gender justice. Findings from in-depth interviews show that veteran feminists possess a profound ambivalence about the impact of the modern feminist movement. Along with feelings of empowerment and pride, many older women activists carry feelings of outrage at movement backlash; anger at the loss of systemic analyses among younger generations; grief around interpersonal trauma experienced as activists; and a sense of marginalization. These findings give voice to a cohort whose unique perspectives are critical for our understanding of the social history of American feminisms, and contribute to knowledge of how freedom fighters think and feel about social movement participation once the period of mass mobilization has ended.