5.1 Feminism core ideas

Question 1

5

List the core principles of feminism

Answer 1

• Sex and gender
• Patriarchy
• ‘The personal is political’
• Equality and difference feminism
• Intersectionality

Question 2

1

Describe unity on sex

Answer 2

• Most feminists argue that sex (anatomy, DNA and hormones) is biological fact

Question 3

2

Describe unity on gender

Answer 3

• Largely agree that gender is a cultural phenomeon
• has been used to assert male-dominated state and ideal expectations of men and women (gender stereotypes)

Question 4

2

Describe liberal views on sex and gender

Answer 4

• sex a biological fact
• women are as rationally capable as men and should be treated as such

Question 5

6

Describe radical views on gender

Answer 5

• sex a biological fact
• gender artifically constructed
• gender roles a product of patriarchy
• Millett and hooks perceived gender construction as beginning in family unit in chldhood
• gender roles neither natural nor inevitable
• Women are equally rational and should therefore be given equality of opportunity

Question 6

3

Describe socialist views on sex and gender

Answer 6

• Sex a biological fact
• Gender artifically constructed
• Gender roles a requirement of capitalism- needs women to accept domestic work to support men

Question 7

2

Describe Gilman’s views on gender

Answer 7

• Gilman argued that gender roles are socially constructed from young age
• women socialised into thinking that they are naturally weaker than men, subordinating them to will of men

Question 8

3

Describe post-modern views on sex and gender

Answer 8

• Many Post-modern feminists contend that transgenderism and sex change means that sex is no longer a scientific fact - therefore sex is socially constructed
• Gender roles also socially constructed
• Gender roles extremely vary due to intersectionality

Question 9

2

What is the patriarchy?

Answer 9

• The social and political system that supports male domination and female subordination
• Popularised by kate Millett within radical feminism (‘rule of men’ within public and private sphere)

Question 10

4

Describe unity on the patriarchy

Answer 10

• Patriarchy is a form of systemic control and male dominance rooted in societal institutions
• Second and third wave feminists assert that gender roles are artificial constructs created within patriarchy to enforce female subordinance
• Millett defined discrimination as cultural, not biological, phenomenon
• Patriarchal structures can and should be overthrown to achieve sexual equality

Question 11

5

Describe liberal feminist views on the patriarchy

Answer 11

• Focus on socio-economic discrimination rather than patriarchy
• Gender inequalities derived from legal sphere
• Gradual reform to public sphere of society, rather than private sphere - will lead to change over time
• State, society and economy can be reformed of discriminatory tendencies within Western society
• examples inlcude access to education, changes to divorce laws, enfranchisement, etc

Question 12

4

Describe radical feminist views on the patriarchy

Answer 12

• Patriarchy permeates every aspect of life
• Patriarchy should be challenged in both private and public spheres
• Argue that patriarchy is too institutionalised and pervasive to be reformed democratically
• Must instead be revolutionary change in both public and private spheres (though disagreements on how to conduct this)

Question 13

3

Describe different feminist solutions to the patriarchy

Answer 13

• Millett advocates change in social consciousness via the arts and literature, precipitating a revolution in the head
• (Greer advocated communal living)
• Gilman critical of marriage

Question 14

4

Describe socialist feminist views on the patriarchy

Answer 14

• Capitalism rather than patriarchy the primary source of female oppression
• Female consciousness (acceptance of gender roles) created by men as part of capitalist system
• Rowbotham - revolution needed to destroy capitalism and patriarchy to end oppression against women
• Therefore agree with radicals that revolution is needed, though for different end goals

Question 15

4

Describe postmodern views on the patriarchy

Answer 15

• hooks argued that patriarchy has taught women to hate themselves and spreads social division
• patriarchy more complicated than radical and socialist feminists imagined because of intersectionality
• argue for revolution to overthrow patriarchy and replacement with power of love between social groups
• revolution needs to also achieve end to black discrimination, otherwise black women will remain oppressed

Question 16

2

Describe how intersectionality affects the patriarchy

Answer 16

• patriarchy applies differently to middle-class white women and poor black women
• patriarchy therefore enforces interlocking systems of white supremacist capitalist control

Question 17

3

Describe unity on ‘the personal is political’ among feminists

Answer 17

• All believe that relationships in public sphere based on power and dominance
• All agree that women deserve equal pay, representation, etc (though disagree on whether state should provide this)
• Radicals, socialists and post-moderns agree on the intrusion of the patriarchy in the private sphere

Question 18

5

Describe liberal feminist views on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 18

• Focus on public sphere of society (e.g. equal pay)
• Our actions do affect eachother in public sphere, not in private sphere
• Argue that state have no right to intervene in private life of women
• Private sphere outside remit of public’s concerns and patriarchy’s effects
• Private sphere is how women choose themselves to live

Question 19

4

Describe radical feminist views on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 19

• Argue ‘the personal is political’ - patriarchy is prevalent in private sphere and therefore should be open to public scrutiny
• View liberal distinction between private and public sphere as dangerous
• If women engaged in child-rearing and homemaking, then it is an aspect of wider patriarchy and outside public sphere as it affects their opportunities in society
• Most women do not understand this concept as their consciousness has been distorted by male-dominated society

Question 20

4

Describe socialist feminist views on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 20

• agreed with radical feminists between public and private sphere, though focused more on impact of capitalism
• de Beavoir advocated contraception to allow women to control bodies and avoid endless childbearing
• Rowbotham argued capitalism forces women into domesticity to help reproduce for labour force
• Rowbotham likened marriage to feudalism where women were akin to serfs paying feudal dues to their husband

Question 21

2

Describe Gilman’s views on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 21

• Gilman berated misery of women’s private lives and exploitative nature of domestic roles
• Argued for gender-neutral garments and playthings to reduce pressure to conform to motherhood

Question 22

4

Describe the views of Millett (radical) on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 22

• Believed that family was social construct and not a natural arrangement
• Patriarchy grants men ownership over their wide and children
• Family unit socialised the young into recognising male authority and female marginlisation within society
• Marriage saw women losing their identity by taking their husband’s surname

Question 23

1

Describe post-modern views on ‘the personal is political’

Answer 23

• private sphere more complicated due to intersectionality

Question 24

6

Describe equality feminism

Answer 24

• Believe biological sex differences are inconsequential
• Human nature is ‘adrogenous’
• Gender differences are socially constructed
• Therefore no specific innate feminine traits
• Equal, genderless society is aspirational
• Majority of feminists (liberal, radical, social, postmodern) are equality feminists

Question 25

4

Describe De Beavoir’s views on equality feminism

De Beavoir is an equality feminist

Answer 25

• dismissed idea of innate female characteristics
• argued women have been dominated by childrearing
• ‘her ovaries condemn her to live for ever on her knees’
• advocated contraception, abortion, rejection of family and monomagny to allow women to compete in society

Question 26

1

What is monomagny?

Answer 26

• A relationship with only one partner, rather than multiple

Question 27

4

Describe difference feminism

Answer 27

• Minority of feminists subscribe to essentialism - biological differences consequential and do shape different human natures
• Originated from first-wave (liberal) feminists who asserted gender-specific characteristics, depsite being intellectually comparable
• Gilman believed in innate female qualities
• argue that women attempt to replicate male behaviour, neglecting their naturally more caring, nurturing and communal talents

Question 28

4

Describe cultural feminism

Answer 28

• More radical form of difference feminism
• Claim female values to be superior and should be promoted
• ‘female essence’ - caring and nurturing vs aggressive and competitive
• eco-feminists have argued replacing patriarchy with matriarchy to develop a better functioning society

Question 29

3

Describe the emergence of intersectionality

Answer 29

• Pioneered by postmodern thinkers
• Hooks criticised liberal and radical feminists for generalising female issues from perspective of white, middle-class woman
• Previous attempts to solve discrimination had failed to address intersectionality (e.g. 19th amendment)

Question 30

3

Describe intersectionality

Answer 30

• overlapping spheres of discrimination: sex, race, class, disability etc
• black women face double-discrimination
• workforce disfigured by gender and race - many black jobs dominated by men and female employment dominated by whites