Morehead State University
A Quantitative Analysis of the Spread and Progression of Feminist Beliefs
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Mathematics
Minor
Spanish
Institution 24-25
Morehead State University
KY House District #
99
KY Senate District #
27
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
William Tidwell, PhD
Department
Mathematics Department
Abstract
Throughout history, feminist beliefs have rippled through society, influencing attitudes across gender lines in the United States. In this study, we examined the rate at which these beliefs spread across the United States. To provide a broad scope of the spread of these beliefs, we discussed the trends for people identifying as feminist and non-feminist. This involved looking at various compartment models that included movement between, into, and out of the groups. To do this, we constructed a visual describing the population’s flow and built a system of ordinary differential equations. Each equation representing the change in the population of the non-feminist and feminist groups. We extended this model to examine specific beliefs discussed within feminism. We focused on four major belief clusters commonly involved in feminism: Feminist Ideology, Lifestyle Acceptance, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Self-determination. By examining the percentages of our population that hold these beliefs over time, we might be able to predict how prevalent some of these beliefs will be in the future. By offering a quantitative approach to feminist conversation, this study aims to contribute to the broader discussion on ideological spread among feminism-related topics and the associated discourse that occurs.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Spread and Progression of Feminist Beliefs
Throughout history, feminist beliefs have rippled through society, influencing attitudes across gender lines in the United States. In this study, we examined the rate at which these beliefs spread across the United States. To provide a broad scope of the spread of these beliefs, we discussed the trends for people identifying as feminist and non-feminist. This involved looking at various compartment models that included movement between, into, and out of the groups. To do this, we constructed a visual describing the population’s flow and built a system of ordinary differential equations. Each equation representing the change in the population of the non-feminist and feminist groups. We extended this model to examine specific beliefs discussed within feminism. We focused on four major belief clusters commonly involved in feminism: Feminist Ideology, Lifestyle Acceptance, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Self-determination. By examining the percentages of our population that hold these beliefs over time, we might be able to predict how prevalent some of these beliefs will be in the future. By offering a quantitative approach to feminist conversation, this study aims to contribute to the broader discussion on ideological spread among feminism-related topics and the associated discourse that occurs.