The Women's Movement — a Theoretical Discussion

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to describe in general terms the pattern of development of women's movements. One of the main problems concerns the mobilization of women to participate in such a movement. In solving this problem I find it necessary to define women first as members of a society and then as participants in a movement. I shall discuss women as a social category, as a collectivity, and as a group. Moreover I shall identify the women's movement as a collective actor and discuss two aspects of its mobilization potential: the mobilization of women in relation to each other, i.e. by their membership of a group, and in relation to the women's movement as a reference individual.

The empirical data cited in the discussion should be regarded as illustrations and not, of course, as proofs. The model presented is the result of a theoretical exercise, and should be assessed on the basis of its potential value for a future empirical study of women's movements in Sweden.