basics and principles

Question 1

what are the key principles

Answer 1

Patriarchy
Sex and gender
The personal is political
Equality or difference
Intersectionality

Question 2

what is the main thing feminists campaign against

Answer 2

The patriarchy

Question 3

what is the patriarchy

Answer 3

the idea that society is dominated by men and organised in the interest of men

Question 4

why are feminists against the patriarchy

Answer 4

they argue that the patriarchy disadvantages women and systematically oppresses women

Question 5

what are the ways in which society advantages and protects the interests of men

Answer 5

within the state - women have been denied representation and access to positions of power.
within households - a traditional division of responsibilities with women as housewives and mothers
domestic violence - as an instrument to control women
Inequalities in employment - a gender pay gap, restrictions on promotion, focus on supportive and caring roles
Cultural ideas of women’s role, promoted in the media and advertising

Question 6

what do feminists say about the focus on beauty

Answer 6

Feminists argue that the focus on (unattainable) beauty is itself a form of oppression, making women feel inadequate.

Question 7

what do feminists say about the different forms or structures of patriarchy

Answer 7

They argue that it overlaps and works together to ensure oppression of women in society

Question 8

what is sex and gender

Answer 8

Distinction between biological and cultural differences between men and women

Question 9

what is sex

Answer 9

Biological differences between men and women

Question 10

what is gender

Answer 10

Cultural ideas about the role and behaviour of men and women; about femininity and masculinity

Question 11

what do feminists say about the distinction between biological and cultural differences

Answer 11

they argue that there is often not enough distinction made. They criticise, for example, how it is often assumed ‘natural’ that women are caring and want to look after children, and men are competitive and career-focused. They argue that most distinctions are not natural but cultural differences

Question 12

how are the gender differences between men and women shaped

Answer 12

in our early years, when boys and girls are treated differently, stimulated differently, and see different role models.

Question 13

what do feminists conclude about socialisation

Answer 13

As a result of socialisation, ‘typical’ male skills such as being good at maths, or sport, and female skills such as being good at language and childcare are not natural, but cultural.
Similarly, feminists argue that ‘typical’ female characteristics such as being sensitive, caring, and emotional and male characteristics such as being competitive, confident, and logical are not natural, but created by society.

Question 14

what does socialisation have an impact on

Answer 14

It has an impact on the expectations of what is appropriate for men and women, and what our ambitions should be. Claiming that such cultural differences are ‘natural’ is therefore part of the oppression of women and patriarchy.

Question 15

what is the personal is political

Answer 15

Politics and personal experiences are connected and should not be seen separate from each other.

Question 16

what the case for the personal is political before the 1970s

Answer 16

there was a distinction between formal politics (elections, government, laws, parties) and private matters (family, personal beliefs and experiences). There was the idea that politics should stay separate from private matters

Question 17

what had feminism mostly focused on prior to the 2nd wave

Answer 17

It mostly focused on issues to do with women in the public sphere like the right to vote, Representation of women in Parliament and government, Access of women to paid work, Access of women to university

Question 18

what did the second wave feminists start to do - tpip

Answer 18

2nd wave feminism argued that to fight inequality properly, the oppression of women not just in public life, but in private had to be tackled too.
They argued that politics and the public sphere was connected with the private sphere and cannot be separated.

Question 19

how is the family a key area of female oppression

Answer 19

Unequal division of labour (housewife vs. breadwinner)
Unequal financial independence
Power inequality (‘head of the household’)
Teaching boys and girls about gender roles

Question 20

what is equality or difference

Answer 20

Should feminism aim for equality between men and women, or should it celebrate female distinctiveness?

Question 21

what strand of feminism disagrees between equality or difference

Answer 21

equality feminism and difference feminism

Question 22

what do equality feminists argue

Answer 22

There should be equality between men and women – feminism should end the oppression of women and get rid of all ways in which women are disadvantaged.
Biological differences between men and women should not make a difference for women’s position in society.

Question 23

what do difference feminists argue

Answer 23

Men and women are fundamentally different from each other. Feminism should not aim for women to be like men. Instead feminism should celebrate women’s unique qualities – create a more female oriented society

Question 24

why do difference feminists take that view

Answer 24

They believe that women have certain qualities that make them better at certain tasks that are currently mostly carried out by men, e.g. politics, business. They believe that women are more compassionate, better communicators, better at multi-tasking, more emotionally intelligent.

Question 25

what does a minority of feminists argue for

Answer 25

female separatism

Question 26

what is female separatism

Answer 26

To escape oppression, women should separate themselves from men. This ranges from simply creating temporary separate female only safe spaces to permanent seperation into a female - only society.

Question 27

what is intersectionality

Answer 27

Women of different backgrounds experience patriarchy differently, and different social divisions can overlap to create further disadvantages.

Question 28

what have 3rd feminists argued about feminism

Answer 28

black and working-class women have argued that previous feminist campaigns were very much fought by white, educated, middle-class
women. They argued that the concerns of feminism had reflected the priorities of white middle-class women, and ignored other women.

Question 29

what middle-class priorities has feminism fought for

Answer 29

Feminism had focused on issues such as access to university for women, access to professions such as doctors and lawyers, and the ‘glass ceiling’, where women faced obstacles to reach the highest management positions.

Question 30

what does bell hooks argue

Answer 30

She argued that ‘women’ are not one homogeneous group with all the same interests, life experiences and concerns. All women are different, and experience different forms of oppression.

Question 31

what do the different forms of oppression lead to

Answer 31

Extra disadvantage - e.g. black women face the double oppression of racism and patriarchy.