different types of feminists

Question 1

what are difference feminists?

Answer 1

they perceive women as biologically and culturally different to men, and they argue that these differences need to be celebrated , women need to value their distinct gender characteristics.
they believe in essentialism

Question 2

what are equality feminists?

Answer 2

they believe that there should be an elimination of cultural differences to ensure complete equality. liberal, radical, socialist and post modern feminists all have different visions of how this can be done in practice

Question 3

what is essentialism?

Answer 3

the idea that the biological differences between men and women lead to distinct differences in their natures, arguing that the nature between men and women is natural rather than socially constructed

Question 4

what are liberal feminists?

Answer 4

they are reformist and argue that through democratic pressure, gender stereotypes can be eliminated.

they believe in equality of opportunity to help achieve equality

Question 5

what did Mary Wollenstonecraft (liberal thinker) believe in?

Answer 5

she argued for political equality and that women should have the right to vote, and that political equality would then lead to gender equality and legal equality

Question 6

what did Betty Friedan (liberal thinker) believe in?

Answer 6

she believed in the concept of the otherness, how women are seen as inferior.

she believed women should be free to choose the roles they took, whether if it’s the working world dominated by men or traditional roles

Question 7

what have liberal feminists campaigned for?

Answer 7

• an end to discrimination and inequality in the workplace
• an end to outdated cultural attitudes like sexist language and education
• changes in the law to facilitate legal equality in all public spheres in society

Question 8

list 3 liberal feminist inspired changes in the UK

Answer 8

1. the married women’s property act -> allowed women to be the legal owner of money and property. before this act, all of a woman’s assets became her husbands after marriage
2. equal pay act 1970-> made it illegal to pay women lower rates for the same work
3. sex discrimination act 1975-> made it illegal to discriminate against women in work, education and training

Question 9

what do social feminists believe in?

Answer 9

they argue that economics leads to gender inequality and that capitalism causes patriarchy, but there are different branches of socialist feminism, revolutionary and reform

Question 10

what do reformist socialist feminists believe in?

Answer 10

Gilman was an early advocate for socialist feminism

she believed that capitalism reinforced patriarchy and that socialism will gradually succeed, allowing men and women to coexist in society

Question 11

what do revolutionary socialist feminists believe in?

Answer 11

Rowbotham’s book Hidden From History expanded on Engles theories:

• working class women found employment in factories where they were paid less than men , and had no childcare and were worked like ‘cattle’ both at work and at home
• women have always been oppressed and this meant that there needed to be a ‘revolution within a revolution’ to destroy capitalism and patriarchy

De Beauviour: consumptive materialism (society has become addicted to purchasing consumer goods) weakened women’s position within society

Question 12

what did radical feminists believe?

Answer 12

Kate Millet: the nuclear family should be abolished to end false consciousness.
she also believed that art and literature degraded women

Question 13

2 radical feminists’ examples of and solutions to the problem of patriarchy

Answer 13

• Charlotte bunch believed that straight relationships were based on power, and lesbianism is a political choice.
  solution: the nuclear family should be abolished and replaced by lesbian communities
• Germaine Greer believed that patriarchy socialised women to view their sexual desires as unfeminine and to be embarrassed about their bodies
  solution: she argued for sexual liberation and the abandonment of traditional marriage, and instead, she favoured communal living and childrearing

Question 14

what is post feminism?

Answer 14

they argued that most feminists’ goals had been achieved and that women should move on.

writers like Camille Paglia criticised feminism, that it portrayed women as ‘victims’ and she believed they needed to take responsibility for their own sexual conduct

Question 15

what is post modern feminism?

Answer 15

they believed in intersectionality (more factors) affected feminism, e.g cyber patriarchy, honour killings, transfeminism, rape and sexual misconduct

Question 16

what is cyber patriarchy? give an example of it in practice

Answer 16

the idea that technology is a source of patriarchy and is intersectional

• Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain received intersectional discrimination with online abuse on gender, race (bangladeshi) and religion (muslim)

Question 17

where do feminists agree over the concept of patriarchy?

Answer 17

• they all believe that a patriarchy oppresses women
• equality feminists agree that patriarchy is not a static concept
• majority of equality feminists believe that patriarchy must be opposed in the public sphere of society

Question 18

where do feminists disagree over the concept of patriarchy?

Answer 18

• liberal and radical feminists disagree on where to challenge patriarchy : liberals prefer public sphere while radical prefer both public and private spheres
• liberal feminists believe that state, society, and economy can be reformed, whereas radical feminists believe that change must be revolutionary
• post feminists argued that most feminist goals have been achieved, and that patriarchy has been largely defeated
• post modern feminists argue that patriarchy has more intersectionality than other feminists believe in