Combining Glossary

Feminist Combining: The Feminist Combining Process is manifested as an expansion of consciousness and ideology beyond the confines of gender, race, class, or other forms of identity politics. The recognition of seemingly disparate issues as manifestations of larger social ills is the essence of combining. The ultimate expression of Feminist Combining is an unwillingness to tolerate injustice in any form, and a determination to unite with others in a common struggle.

GLBT: The acronym for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans or Transsexual.

Economic Justice: Economic Justice is the ability of all workers, including those at the bottom of the pay scale, to earn enough money to meet the basic needs for themselves and their families without being compelled to work long hours of overtime under unsafe conditions. Economic Justice includes efforts to redistribute society’s wealth through wage and taxation policies and reforms.

External Feminist Combining: External Feminist Combining is both the integration of issues not exclusively oppressive to women into the Feminist Movement, and the integration of Feminist issues into movements that are not based on gender. External Feminist Combining involves the realization that seemingly disparate issues are all manifestations of the same fundamental problems in society, and thus are integral parts of a group’s own struggle. The process results in the forming of Coalitions between and within movements.

Framework: The way in which a concept is approached; the “philosophical lens” through which one examines an issue.

Internal Feminist Combining: Internal Feminist Combining occurs when a group extends its perspective to include the concerns of populations of women previously glossed over or ignored. It is when a group’s focus extends beyond an assumed “generic” woman (where “generic” means white, heterosexual, and middle class) to the realities of specific groups of women. By recognizing the multiple oppressions different populations of women face, and incorporating these into their understanding of what the Feminist Movement is struggling against, a group undergoes Internal Feminist Combining.

Living Wage: The Living Wage is defined as one where a full-time worker is able to meet her and her family’s basic material needs. Due to different costs of living across geographic areas, the Living Wage is usually calculated at city or state levels. The movement for a living wage exists due to the stagnant federal and state minimum wage laws, where a full-time worker is often making barely above the federal poverty level.

Men’s Movement: A blanket term covering the causes of Men’s Liberation, Men’s Health, Father’s Rights, and Pro-Feminist men. Like the Women’s Movement, it is primarily concerned with challenging men’s gender roles in society to reduce the oppression felt by men from gender stereotypes.

Minimum Wage: A government-mandated “wage floor” that sets the minimum among employers have to pay their workers. The federal minimum wage is currently $5.15 per hour. State and municipalities may have their own minimum wage laws, which cannot be lower than the federal level.

Organizational Feminist Combining: Organizational Feminist Combining is Feminist Combining performed by an organization or group. It can encompass External Feminist Combining, Internal Feminist Combining, or a combination of both.

Personal Feminist Combining: Personal combining happens when an individual becomes committed to supporting the struggles of others against a form of oppression or injustice that does not personally affect her, in the process becoming an ally. Personal Combining can lead to, or be a result of, Organizational Feminist Combining.

Reproductive Justice: The ability of all women to control their fertility, including when and if to have a child, through access to quality education and health care, free from religious, institutional, or governmental interference.

Two Spirit a term for third gender people. Example: A masculine woman or a feminine male.

Working Poor: Those who, despite working full-time and/or at multiple jobs due to low wages, have difficulty making ends meet.

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