Economy - Essay Plan

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Definition - view today’s economy as a method of opression of women
• Themes - State’s Jurisdiction / Socialist vs. Liberal / Equality of Opportunity
• Argument - there is little agreement, therefore, feminists disagree more about the nature of the economy

Question 2

Agree - State’s Jurisdiction
Point

Answer 2

Agree that the state can implement economic policies within the public sphere to try and stop the opression of women

Question 3

Agree - State’s Jurisdiction
Example

Answer 3

Supportive of recent legislation to limit the effects of the gender pay gap - Equality Act 2010

Question 4

Disagree - State’s Jurisdiction
Point

Answer 4

• Disagreement comes from the state’s jurisdiction in the private sphere
• Liberal - separation of the private and public sphere, meaning the state should not implement economic policies that have an affect in the home
• Radical - Hanisch and Firestone argue that the personal is political

Question 5

Disagree - State’s Jurisdiction
Example

Answer 5

• Liberal - Simone de Beauvoir supports the liberal notion that the state can grant opportunities within the public sphere, but it is ultimately the women’s decision what they wish to do in the private sphere
• Socialist - Sheila Rowbotham agrees with their assertion that the personal is political arguing women are used as a form of unpaid labour within the nuclear family

Question 6

Agree - Socialist vs. Liberal

Answer 6

Agree that women are discriminated against in the economic world

Question 7

Agree - Socialist vs. Liberal
Example

Answer 7

Women are seen as dispensible labour, the gender pay gap and the glass ceiling in which women are denied equal opportunities as men

Question 8

Disagree - Socialist vs. Liberal
Point

Answer 8

• Disagreement between socialist and liberal feminists as to how this problem can be solved
• Liberal - less aspirational and argue through state legislation these problems will gradually be solved
• Socialist - will continue unless capitalism is overthrown

Question 9

Disagree - Socialist vs. Liberal
Example

Answer 9

Socialist - Sheila Rowbotham builds upon Friedrich Engels theroy that oppression of women is firmly at the door of capitalism and proposed that capitalism must be overthrown

Question 10

Agree - Equality of Opportunity
Point

Answer 10

Women should be offered equality of opportunity with men. This applies mainly to education and employment

Question 11

Agree - Equality of Opportunity
Example

Answer 11

Charlotte Perkins Gilman argues that the way in which women should be liberated from such male domination lay in equality of opportunity

Question 12

Disagree - Equality of Opportunity
Point

Answer 12

• Post-modern feminists agree with the theory of intersectionality.
• They argue it is unfair to assume that all women’s struggles are the same and therefore the notion of equality of opportunity is not fitting as some will need more help than others

Question 13

Disagree - Equality of Opportunity
Example

Answer 13

Post-Modern - Kate Millet criticises parts of the feminsts movement for being too concerned largely with problems relating to middle-class women