4.1- Feminism Flashcards
What are feminist beliefs on Sex and gender
There is an undue mixing between the two concepts
Sex is biological. Gender is the ‘innate charier”
Biology Is clear, but there is little justification for the gender roles. from culture to culture, sex remains constant, but gender does not. This demonstrates the learned nature of sex.
Mascluine and feminine are a societal ideal- a way in which seeks to keep women subordinate.
What are feminists belief about the patriarchy
The term patriarchy is used to describe a society that is dominated by men and run in the interests of men. IT is systematic and institutional.
In theorising patriarchy Sylvia Walby identified patriarchy’s pervasive and systematic nature as as system of interlinked social structures. They take different form s in different cultures
What are the six structures of the patriarchy and who theorised them
Sylvia Walby in her book Theorising patriarchy saw 6 different structures
State-
- Throughout history women have been denied representation in formal positions of power in the state. The culture is sexist and anti women.
Household-
- Women have been conditioned into belting domesticity is destiny and have been discouraged from pursuing occupations that take them away from the home- Kate millet- “the family is the patriarchy’s chief institution”
Violence- For many women there is a dark side to family life. Domestic abuse is a reality for many, for much pf history it was part of life. Two women are killed in England and Wales by a former partner each week and one in four experience domestic violence in their lifetime- this a psychical manifestation of the patriarchy.
Paid work-
When women are allowed to take up jobs, they were pushed into lower paid pate time work, instead of work of the same status of men.
Sexuality-
Women forces women to repress their natural sexual desires and consider them dirty and unladylike. Women spend years feeling deviant and abnormal for having normal sexual feelings and try to try and curb and repress their desire
Culture-
Society has sought to reinforce its message to women through culture. Adverts do this- for example in the 1950s being only their for husbands service. The modern media promotes the idea of the size 0 model and unattainable beauty. As Naomi Wolf said- “ a culture fixated on female thins is not an obsession with female beauty- it is a culture obsessed with female obedience”. I tells women what is expected and makes them feel inadequate or abnormal if they don’t conform
What are feminists belief on the personal being political
IT is associated with carol danish and her essay of that title.
Most feminists distinguish between the public sphere and the private sphere. Discussion about women has traditionally been limited to the public sphere. The personal being political seemed to convey the idea that the relationships between men and women were based on the same power and dominance.
The aspects of life that are personal and private are part of the patriarchy’s oppression
Even domestic abuse, something largely ignored by society. There was an idea that it was a private matter.
IT aimed to raise awareness- to challenge to status quo
How does the family demonstrate that the personal is political
The family is one area of this where many see the family as a fulfilling several roles to keep women and girls in their place:
- It socialises girls and Boys to accept their different, hierarchical roles: daughters shown dependence, obedience, conformity and domesticity; boys to be dominant, competitive and self reliant.
- It socialises women into accepting the role of a housewife
- Children see their parents acting out traditional gender roles and perceive these to be inevitable
- Women are expected to carry out free domestic work, even while being paid.
- Women are expected to cater to the emotional, physical and sexual needs of there husbands.
- Many women give up their carrier prospects. Once they return their promotion prospects are blocked
What are the differences between equality and difference feminists
Most feminists seek equality for men and women and see biological differences as not meaning much in the modern day. This is difference feminism
However, a small group believe men and women are fundamentally different to one another. There are biological basis for this- so they believe. This belief is called difference feminism
Carol Gillgian’s ‘a different voice’ argued for this. She wrote that men and women think and speak differently, women’s opinions has been ignored as they were different to men’s. They say not to embrace what men are. They do not want to deny their ‘own nature’ . Some even believe their qualities are better than men- such as compassion and pacifism. Cultural feminism also challenges the dominant argument that women are inferior
It is very controversial
What are separatists
Separatists or political lesbians, believe that women should form their own communities. This ranges from beliefs in separate spaces to engage, escape the patriarchy and let themselves reconnect with their female values others even believe in a separate society.
Charlotte Bunch argued in ‘learning from lesbian separatism’ that heterosexuality is a political institution and separatism escapes male domination. Any relationship with men is based on power and control.. The only equal relationship is a lesbian one- Shelia JEfferies expressed this view in “love your enemy?” in 1979
What happened at Greenham Common
A women peace camp was set up at the RAF’s base to protest against the siting of nuclear missiles there. It was women only - they believed as life givers- who have to protect their children- they had a better perspective.
It was mainly non violent and took form in sining songs and human chains, sit ins and chasing themselves. They were there for 20 years and removed. The media coverage was hostile
What is intersectionality
The idea or concept has bene around since the 1980’s. As many feminists of colour believed feminism was too associated with white, working class women’s struggles.
The term was coined by Kimberle Crenshaw, when showing how black women were often marginalised by both feminist and anti-racist movements.
In bell hooks book “aint I a woman’ she disputed that women were a homogenous category. She thought middle class white women did not serve as an adequate representation for most women. They need to see these prejudices interact.
What is liberal feminism and what do they believe
Liberal feminism is best understood by taking all the principals of liberalism and applying them to women. IF humans are all equal in worth- then so are women . Women should have all the freedom they need to become what they eat
Mary Wollstonecraft is an early liberal voice for women in liberalism.
It was once primarily concerned with suffrage . If women had a voice, politicians would have to listen and equality would come.
It is cornered with rights and entitlements in society- so legal and political authority. There has been further campaigning for equal pay, education, abortion and divorce laws- it is about the equality of opportunity
Friedan was a strong believer in this- the misery and frustration of middle class women was created by the trapping world of domesticity. Women are just as capable and lobbied for reform in restrictive laws for women
It is reformist- it can change through domestic pressure. Once the barriers of women entering industry are removed, time will mean they will enter. Society will see they can do anything and young girls will be inspired- gender stereotypes will space to exist.
IT does not seek to change to private- rather seeing they need to be able to work. Reconstruction is not required. The patriarchy Is not systematic, it rather sees discrimination as the greater issue
What is socialist feminism
Gender inequality in society stems from capitalism
In 1884 Engles Noted in the origin of the family, private property and the state, that that the move away from matriarchal to patriarchal societies coincided with the start of capitalism . Women serve the needs of capitalism in different ways
- It needs workers to be supported and looked after by paid helpers to enable full working capacity being reached
- Women are confined to the domestic, private sphere to look after their husbands, have children and socialise their children into being the next generation of workers capitalism required. They are reproducing the labour force
- They are a reserve of labour and used when needed - seen in WW1
- Because capitalism is based on the accumulation of private property, assuring the paternity of their heirs was vital, so women were therefore required- women were the accumulation of private property
What do socialist feminists believe about living arnagments
Socialist feminists such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman have envisaged socialist socitiies revolving around alternative living arrangements- where childcare is not the role of individual mothers- rather opting for a more communal basis. Couples can live alongside other couples and single people to share the responabiltiy of housework and enjoyed bu all
Charles Fourier, a utopian socialist, wanted to model society on communal living. Traditional families were oppressive and gender roles could be transformed within a community. The Kibbutz system established in the first half of the 20th century was based on these ideals. Women can only be liberated when separated from their domestic role, collective raising of children helps them escape the patriarchy
What are the differences between modern and traditional socialist feminism
Traditional socialist feminism properties class over gender, modern socialist feminism sees the patriarchy and capitalism as interlocking systems of oppression- the patriarchy could still remain, even with the collapse of capitalism
In women’s estate Julliet Mitchel criticised Marx and Engles for considering women’s oppression to be nothing more than an aspect of the bourgeois family- the family can be an independent source of female oppression, it keeps women hidden away and finically dependant on their husbands. She saw their being four ways in which women were oppressed, reproduction, sexuality, socialisation and production. Capitalism is responsible , some are unrelated. Both can be sought- only when all four areas are ended can women be truly free
What is radical feminism
Radical feminists believe there needs to be radical changes to society- a sexual revolution to change the structure of society- not a redistribution of rights.
IT is a collection of ideas based on the belief in the patriarchy. Politics can be found in all relationships between men and women. Gender equality id the only way to free people- it is the greatest system of oppression. They think other strands of feminism are caught between women’s emancipation and other ideologies
Radical feminism is associated with the idea of the personal being political. Different radicals focus on different areas of the personal, but together show the inherently political nature of out relationships. They want to raise awayness of it
How did radical feminism start and develop
In Kate millet’s sexual politics , she started a thinking process of radical feminism- critiquing the patriarch and the family. Women are tradiotnally the property- she used historical adultery laws to demostaret this. She argues literature and art was degrading. She references norman mailer and Henry Miller to show how dominant men and compliant women were considered normal. Women were passive acceptors of sexual activity, while men were seeking to possess
Greer continued this idea in the Female Eunuch- where she argued that women ability and interest in wing satisfied sexually bu socialisation. They were socialised into belting that having sexual urges was unfeminine- it was only a procreative.
Naomi would futhered this in the beauty. Myth where she argued that beauty is a belief system that keeps men dominant- as women challenges men in the workplace additional pressures came on their appearance- the ideal women became more prominent with photoshop- as women progress so does this idea. Social media does this- In 2016 the children’s society reported that 34% of 10-15 year old girls are unhappy with their appearance- there is feeling of worthlessness
