Feminism

Question 1

What is essentialism?

Answer 1

The belief that the fundamental biological differences between men and women are key to understanding the status of women.

Question 2

What does sex refer to?

Answer 2

The biological difference between men and women.
i.e. Women give birth and tend to have lower physical strength

Question 3

What is the differences in views of sex in feminism?

Answer 3

-Essentialists view biological differences as important to our understanding.
-Radical feminists argue that biology explains the inferior status of women but there’s no reason for this to continue. Shulasmith Firestone argued should remove sexual functions of women to remove this difference (androgyny). She placed more importance on sex than gender.
-Liberal feminists see the importance of sex differences but regard them as insignificant compared to gender roles

Question 4

What agreements are there about sex in feminism?

Answer 4

-Biological differences explains (to what extent is variable) the inferior status of women

Question 5

What does gender refer to?

Answer 5

The societal role and behavior of both men and women, how they are characterized. Cultural differences.

Question 6

What do feminists think about sex and gender?

Answer 6

They want to challenge the historical/patriarchal view that the sex differences between men and women means women are more suited to their current role.

Question 7

What do liberal feminists believe about gender?

Answer 7

-Liberal feminists believe that gender differences have been passed down culturally and artificially created. Sexist attitudes must be stopped from being passed down by education and legislation.
-Women self-assigned inferiority and men are socially conditioned to feel superior

Question 8

What do feminists agree about gender?

Answer 8

They agree that gender has been artificially created and is maintained through generations.

Question 9

What do feminists mean by ‘personal is political’?

Answer 9

The private sphere (relationships and family) is a way of men exercising power of women so it becomes inherently political and part of the patriarchy.
(radical feminist view)

Question 10

What do liberal feminists believe about ‘personal is political’?

Answer 10

-Liberals believe that the public and private sphere should be separated. State should not be involved in the private sphere (harm principle). Public sphere is the concern of state (workplace, media)

Question 11

What do feminists agree about the state?

Answer 11

They agree that the state is part of the wider patriarchy.

Question 12

What do liberal feminists believe about the state?

Answer 12

-Liberal feminists believe the state is needed to solve. Changes to education system, legal/political equality, anti-discrimination legislation, equal pay regulation, tackling domestic violence, awareness programmers, female quotas in politics

Question 13

What do radical feminists believe about the state?

Answer 13

-The liberal attitude to change (anti-discrimnation elgislation, education) is superficial because patriarchy is mroe systematic
-Must tackle culture through a cultural reovlution
-State can’t be part of the solution as it’s patriarchal in nature

Question 14

What do socialist feminists believe about the state?

Answer 14

-The state is an agent of capitalism which in turn exploits women. state indirectly oppresses women

Question 15

What is the patriarchy?

Answer 15

A complete system in which women are exploited (equivalent to capitalism for socialists). Proposed by Friedan after first wave feminism failed in achieving equality.

Question 16

What do radical feminists believe about the patriarchy?

Answer 16

-Patriarchy as a complete system of exploitation
-It’s removal is essential through: full scale attack on cultural values, violent resistance to male dominance, female counter culture seperate to society
Revolutionary apporach
-Female consciousness is necessary

Question 17

What do liberal feminists believe about the patriarchy?

Answer 17

Characteristic of society which can be challenged through gradual, peaceful change. Reformists

Question 18

What do equality feminists believe?

Answer 18

Equality for women in all spheres, equal opportunities
(usually liberal feminists)

Question 19

What do difference feminists believe?

Answer 19

-Men and women have fundemental differences which should be recognised and embraced in society
-Attributes associated to women (nuturing children, caring) could create a better world - better custodians of environment, less war

Question 20

What problem do equality feminists have with difference feminists?

Answer 20

Inequality will likely benefit men since society is determined by men

Question 21

What is intersectionality?

Answer 21

From post-modern feminism (key thinker bell hooks) the belief that women from different background experience different problems.
May include: race, class, sexual orientation etc.

Question 22

What was Engel’s theory about the industrialised economy and women?

Answer 22

Pre capitalism women enjoyed a more prominent place in society.
Capitalism reduced them to wage slaves.
Constituted a reserve army of labour working at low wages when male labour was scarce. Used to keep wages low.

Question 23

What do feminists agree about the economy?

Answer 23

-Form of unpaid labour at home (enables men to earn more money)
-Pool of part-time, low wage, disposable labour for times of economic growth
-Tend to be paid less (gender pay gap, raising children etc.)
- Glass ceiling - top employees are usually men

Question 24

What does Sheila Rowbotham believe about the economy?

Answer 24

A modern socialist feminist building on idea of Engels.
Patriarchy and capitalism are wound up together.
Need to overthrow capitalism and replace it with a new world which focuses on women.
Both women and workers need to organise.

Question 25

What were the goals of first wave feminism? (suffragette movement)

Answer 25

To achieve legal and political equality. (suffrage, right to stand for election, no difference in law)

Question 26

What do radical feminists believe about gender?

Answer 26

-Radical feminists see gender differnces as all pervading. It is generated in the arts. Male gender must be destroyed and a cultural revolution is needed.

Question 27

What do socialist feminists believe about gender?

Answer 27

-Socialist feminists believe gender is wound up in capitalism and that women and workers have become an oppressed class. Gender is used so they can become a cheap source of labour. Must destroy capitalism to overcome this

Question 28

What do radical feminists believe about ‘the personal is political’?

Answer 28

-Radical feminists believe that both the private and public sphere is political and hence of interest of the state. Women child rearing is part of the patriarchy. They believe that relationships have been manipulated to serve the interests of men by making women ashamed of their bodies.

Question 29

What do radical feminists believe about ‘the personal is political’?

Answer 29

-Radical feminists believe that both the private and public sphere is political and hence of interest of the state. Women child rearing is part of the patriarchy. They believe that relationships have been manipulated to serve the interests of men by making women ashamed of their bodies.

Question 30

What did second wave feminism believe was necessary?

Answer 30

-Greater opportunity for women, ending discriination
-Cultural attitudes that reinforced women’s sense ofinferiority had to be challnged through education, propoganda and all out opposition to sexist attitude
-Formal, poltical and legal equality

Question 31

What do radical feminists believe about the eocnomy?

Answer 31

Kate Millet argued that marriage exploits economically

Question 32

What did Shulasmith Firestone believe in what book?

Answer 32

In ‘The Dialectic of Sex’ (1970) viewed human history as a dialectic struggle between men are women. Biological differences means women are constrained to childbirth so will be enslaved.
Must be lesbian to avoid this (androgyny)

Question 33

What do radical feminists believe is necessary to challenge exploitation in the home?

Answer 33

-Abolition of the nuclear family, communal child rearing
-Sexual liberation, escape male-female relationships
-Elimination of biological roles, use bio tech so women dont need men to reproduce

Question 34

What is cultural feminism?

Answer 34

Accept there are gender differences. Female characteristics are superior to male and should be embraced. More likely to take roles in the home but important to society.