Feminism = Women’s Movement? The Effects of Terminology and Gender on Endorsement of Feminism

Building on past research, this study examined whether endorsement of feminism is still influenced by terminology used (i.e., feminism vs. women’s movement) and participant gender. One hundred undergraduates (36 men and 64 women) were randomly assigned to receive scale items that identified feminist values but used the terms feminism/feminist or women’s movement/women depending on the condition they were assigned. In addition, activism, acceptance of traditional gender roles, and feminist identification were measured. As expected, men endorsed feminism less than women overall, and participants in the women’s movement (vs. feminism) condition endorsed feminism more. When controlling for feminist identification, there was no gender difference in activism or acceptance of gender roles for participants in the feminism/feminist condition; however, women reported more activism and less acceptance of gender roles than men in the women’s movement/women condition. This study suggests that there is still a stigma surrounding feminism that influences its endorsement, especially among women.