Tiana Mikes Project - Alaska Pacific University

Insights into Feminism 26
and evaluative components. Almost half of the women in this study agree with some or
most of the feminist movements but do not consider themselves feminist” (p. 133).
In 2004, Alyssa Zucker focused on the conundrum of women who believe in
feminist principles, but do not identify as feminist. Surveys were sent to alumnae of the
University of Michigan; there were 333 participants. There were three groups studied
feminists, nonfeminists, and egalitarians; egalitarians agree with liberal feminist
ideologies though do not self identify as feminist. Her research discovered that feminists
had more frequent knowledge of someone close or personal experiences with sexism
which initiated feminist identification. She believed that feminism has the ability to be an
invisible identity,
This study demonstrates that disavowal of feminist identity has consequences for
an individual’s behavior. Feminism as a social identity is both concealable and
often stigmatized or socially devalued and thus public identification as a feminist
is both optional and potentially costly. (p. 432)
Zucker concluded stating how women admit that gender discrimination exists, yet women
fail to recognize its structural foundation or believe that individual recourse is necessary.
According to Zucker, “the data suggest that if more women adopted the feminist label,
this might help promote identification in others and diminish negative perceptions of the
social group” (p. 433).
In 2006, Susan Kashubeck-West and Kendra Saunders researched feminist
identity and psychological well-being of women by sampling 244 women with ties to a