History

• Feminist theory arose from Marxism, which analyzed the oppression of subordinate classes, including women. Feminist theory is considered to have officially become included in the field of anthropology during the 1970s.
  
  

Features

• Feminist anthropology was also influenced by earlier anthropologists, especially Margaret Mead, who studied the effects of culture on male and female behavior.
  
  

Theories

• In early writings of feminist anthropology, the subordination of women was often explained in terms of a binary theory, first posited by Claude Levi-Strauss, that culture is opposed to nature. Women, generally considered closer to nature because of their reproductive roles, were subjugated by men, who were considered builders of culture.
  
  

Experts

• Other key figures in feminist anthropology include Sherry Ortner, Michelle Rosaldo, Ruth Benedict, Judith Butler and Diana Fuss.
  
  

Developments

• Feminist anthropology's focus on gender roles has broadened to include race, sexuality (considered distinct from gender), class and other significant contemporary issues.