The Sexual Revolution and the Women’s Liberation Movement

Abstract

This chapter introduces the topic of the book and discusses the historical context, emphasizing the antiauthoritarian movements and the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the emerge of the women’s liberation movement in Western countries, and the 1970s feminist mobilization for abortion rights and against sexual exploitation of women. The value of cross-national comparison of women’s movements is discussed, highlighting the importance of analyzing the political context, including different political cultures, state models, and social citizenship (social democratic Nordic model vs. French Republican model). The chapter discusses the utility of social movement theories (e.g., frame analysis) in studying women’s movements, and explains ideological differences within women’s movements, including political conflicts.