An Overview on the Feminism and Its Categories

Haradhan Kumar Mohajan’s 2022 paper provides a structured overview of feminism’s evolution, ideological diversity, and contemporary relevance. Published in Research and Advances in Education, it synthesizes key feminist categories and critiques the enduring structures of gender-based oppression.

Historical Context and Industrialization

Mohajan situates the rise of modern feminism within the aftermath of the First Industrial Revolution, which restructured gender roles and confined women to the domestic sphere. He argues that industrialization catalyzed patriarchal dominance and economic marginalization of women.

Definitional Diversity

The paper emphasizes that feminism lacks a singular definition in the 21st century. Instead, it is shaped by cultural, historical, and ideological contexts. Despite this diversity, all feminist variants share a commitment to gender equality and the dismantling of patriarchal systems.

Feminist Categories

Mohajan outlines several major feminist frameworks:

• Liberal Feminism: Advocates for equal rights and opportunities through legal reform and institutional access.
• Radical Feminism: Seeks to dismantle patriarchal institutions, viewing male dominance as systemic and pervasive.
• Marxist Feminism: Analyzes gender oppression through class struggle and critiques capitalist exploitation of women’s labor.
• Psychoanalytic Feminism: Applies Freudian theory to understand gender identity and unconscious structures of inequality.
• Postmodern Feminism: Deconstructs essentialist categories and critiques the masculine bias in language and epistemology.

Core Themes

The paper identifies recurring themes across feminist thought:

• Gender inequality as a structural phenomenon
• Patriarchy as a global system of domination
• The need for intersectional and inclusive approaches
• The role of feminist activism in transforming sociopolitical institutions

Challenges and Future Directions

Mohajan concludes by highlighting ongoing challenges:

• Resistance from conservative and patriarchal institutions
• Fragmentation within feminist movements
• The need for global solidarity and cross-cultural dialogue

He calls for feminist strategies that are adaptive, intersectional, and rooted in both theory and praxis.

Methodological Contributions

The paper contributes to feminist scholarship by:

• Synthesizing diverse feminist categories
• Linking historical analysis with contemporary critique
• Advocating for a pluralistic and inclusive feminist politics

Contemporary Relevance

This overview remains relevant to:

• Gender policy and legal reform
• Educational curricula on feminist theory
• Intersectional activism and coalition-building
• Global debates on reproductive rights, labor, and political participation

Conclusion

“An Overview on the Feminism and Its Categories” offers a foundational map of feminist ideologies and their historical trajectories. Mohajan’s synthesis invites scholars and activists to engage with feminism as a dynamic, multifaceted movement committed to justice, equality, and liberation.

This summary was generated by Copilot based on Haradhan Kumar Mohajan’s 2022 paper published in Research and Advances in Education.