5.2 Feminism tensions Flashcards

1
Q

5

Describe unity on human nature among feminists

A
  • Division between sex and gender
  • All equality feminists - gender does not determine innate human nature
  • Human nature is adrogynous - concepts of ‘masculinity’ and ‘feminity’ are artificially created
  • All agree that women are equally rational as men
  • Most agree with De Beauvoir and Millett that gender roles are imposed, socialising women into believing they are natural
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2
Q

3

Outline disunity on human nature among feminists

A
  • Disagreement on how engrained patriarchy is in consciousness - liberals argue it is more recent; radicals argue it is historically engrained
  • Equality vs difference feminism
  • Post-modern views
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3
Q

2

Describe difference feminist views on human nature

A
  • Essentialism - difference feminists argue women should embrace and not reject natural feminity
  • cultural feminists argue that women’s values should be promoted as superior
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4
Q

3

Describe postmodern views on human nature

A
  • transfeminism argues that sex is socially constructed - liberal/socialist/radical feminists argue it is biological fact
  • women have multiple identities and therefore experience multiple forms of oppression
  • offer more complex analysis of human nature than other branches (intersectionality)
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5
Q

3

Describe unity on the role of the state among feminists

A
  • General agreement that state underpins patriarchy, reinforcing female subordination
  • broadly agree that state can be restructured to enhance position of women in public sphere
  • majority agree with loberal feminists that state should be a vessel to tackle patriarchy
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6
Q

2

Describe liberal feminist views on the role of the state

A
  • state can be agent of reform to end gender stereotypes through granting legal, economic and political equality
  • state should only intervene in public sphere
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7
Q

4

Describe socialist feminist views on the role of the state

A
  • View state as agent of capitalism
  • marxist/feminist-style revolution required
  • Rowbotham argues state must be abolished to free women from capitalist and patriarchal oppresion
  • Agreed with radicals/postmodernists on intrusion of patriarchy into private sphere, though focussed more on capitalism’s effects
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8
Q

4

Describe radical feminist views on the role of the state

A
  • more critical of state than liberal feminists
  • see state as promoting and sustaining patriarchy
  • state intervenes in private shere
  • therefore state can not be effectively reformed to remove patriarchy - societal revolution needed
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9
Q

4

Describe postmodern feminist views on the role of the state

A
  • there is a complexity of state oppression
  • other branches miss this cmpelxity as the view gender as only variable for female identity
  • generalising female experience of patriarchy is pointless
  • focus on state involvement in specific areas of patriarchy within both public and private sphere
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10
Q

6

Describe unity on society among feminists

A
  • all agree that women do and have historically faced discrimination
  • broadly agree with hooks’ assessment that eliminating patriarchy would remove ‘the single most-life threatening social disease’
  • Society creates gender stereotypes
  • societal attitudes lead to women playing subordinate and supporting role to men in society
  • Innate, institutionalised cultural disadvantages have limited female equality and advancements
  • women seen as ‘other’
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11
Q

3

Describe liberal feminist views on society

A
  • Prefer term discrimination rather than patriarchy
  • Discrimination limited to public sphere - so equality should be limited to public sphere
  • Society can be reformed via state and legal means
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12
Q

2

Describe socialist feminist views on society

A
  • Society economically detrmined by male capitalism
  • revolution needed to change status of workers and women by aboloshing capitalist patriarchy
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13
Q

4

Describe radical feminist views on society

A
  • Agree on Millett’s definition of ‘patriarchy’
  • Patriarchy is essentially a cultural and psychological not economic, concept
  • Have numerous solutions to how patriarchal society can be eliminated
  • Patriarchy too deeply rooted in society to be reformed
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14
Q

4

Describe postmodern feminist views on society

A
  • Too simplistic to view problems women face in society through sole lens of gender
  • Intersectionality - gender interacts with other factors to disadvantage women in different ways in society
  • Understanding of intersectionality therefore key to reforming society
  • Criticise post-feminist viewpoint (that patriarchy largely defeated in society and most feminist goals have been achieved) as white, middle-class centric and ignores struggles for WOC and those of lower class
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15
Q

5

Describe unity on the economy among feminists

A
  • Women’s work undervalued - unpaid domestic work and underpaid jobs
  • Economic system creates ‘reserve army of labour’
  • Gilman argued economic independence was fundamental to female emancipation - must be equality of opportunity in workplace
  • agreement on labour market
  • breakdown of gender stereotypes → equality in workplace and end economic dependence on men
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16
Q

3

Describe unity among feminists on the labour market

A
  • Labour market divided by gender roles - men in higher-paying, ‘masculine’ jobs
  • Men reach senior positions due to percieved stereotype of being more logical and better decision-makers
  • women limited to certain level by cultural ethos of workplace
17
Q

2

Describe equality/difference feminist views on the economy

A
  • Equality (most feminists) - biological differences of no consequence in workplace
  • Difference - women biologicallly far more likely to favour certain professions that align with feminity
18
Q

2

Describe liberal feminist views on the economy

A
  • Workplace can be reformed via state
  • Grant great importance to economic equality in achieving gender equality due to neglect of private sphere
19
Q

6

Describe socialist feminist views on the economy

A
  • Capitalism is root of patriarchy
  • Capitalism places women in position of ‘reserve army of labour’
  • Capitalism creates environment where women are expected to do mostly domestic work to faciliate employment of men in free-market
  • Economic liberation is the most fundamental factor to gender equality
  • Social constructs like marriage ensure economic dependence of women on men
  • Marxist revolution needed to secure economic and sexual equality
20
Q

2

Describe radical feminist views on the economy

A
  • Argue that socialist feminists are unduly fixated on economic concerns
  • Patriarchy is essentially a cultural and psychological not economic, concept
21
Q

3

Describe postmodern feminist views on the economy

A
  • Other branches fail to appreciate that intersectionality leads to differing levels of economic oppression
  • Race and class, when overlapped with gender, are particular contributors of economic inequality
  • White men dominate economic system
22
Q

Which branch advocates the exclusion of men from the feminist cause?

A

radical