Why include a chapter on feminism if I do not want to write a feminist pamphlet to defend women against all kinds of inequalities imposed upon them by an oppressive patriarchal structure? Why do I want to introduce the thought of two of today's most eminent feminist writers if I, at the same time, wish to disclaim the label of feminism for myself? Why this fear of being called a feminist? What does it mean to be a feminist? Are national and cultural boundaries relevant to feminism? Feminism continues to evoke contradictory feelings both inside and outside the academic world and this seems, at least in part, due to everyone giving different answers to these questions and each of these answers having political and emotional loadings (Offen, 1998, 119). Still, it is impossible to eliminate the word from our vocabulary because there appears to be no satisfactory substitute. Therefore, it is important to come at least to some kind of understanding of the term, especially for someone like me who wants to place her research against the backdrop of some major issues and concepts within feminism.