feminism

Question 1

what is feminism

Answer 1

structural theory

• argues society is based on conflict between men and women
• men use physical power to control women
• men dominate all areas of society so shape all structures to benefit men - patriarchy

Question 2

what is feminism eval

Answer 2

criticised by social action theorists for over emphasising patriarchy as a structure rather than a series of different gender interactions

accused of undermining the family and promoting social instability harming all members of society

Question 3

liberal feminism

Answer 3

draws attention to individual factors that contribute to inequalities between men and women

focuses energies on establishing and protecting equal opportunities for women through legislation

enshrining equality in law is important to eliminating discrimination against women

do not see women’s subordinate as part of a larger system or structure

Question 4

liberal feminist sociologist

Answer 4

ann oakley

drew a distinction between sex and gender
argued that society is organised around extreme gender differences which people are made to believe is biological
- social construct

Question 5

liberal law changes

Answer 5

law changes such as sex discrimination act are slowly changing male attitudes

these changing attitudes are felt in the family as men are supportive of their wives going out to work

men are also beginning to take on more housekeeping and child caring responsibilities

Question 6

liberal moving towards equality

Answer 6

Changes in socialisation and culture start to reduce gender divisions in the family- rise of the new man

• Somerville - women are still disadvantaged in the family, women - more choice in terms of who to marry, to go to work, move towards greater equality in household roles and that most women still value a relationship with a man we are moving slowly towards gender equality.
• More parents are careful to avoid socialising their children into rigid gender roles.
  Further legal measures may be required to achieve full equality.

Question 7

liberal key changes

Answer 7

• Equal Pay Act (1970)
• Sex Discrimination Act (1975)
• Equal Opportunities Commission (now the Equality and Human Rights Commission)

Question 8

liberal evaluation

Answer 8

1. It’s over optimistic and draws only a partial picture of gender inequality.
2. Radical Feminist:
3. Does not acknowledge the systemic nature of women’s oppression in society. Domestic violence and rape are still common occurrences in families.
4. Encourages women to accept an unequal society and its competitive character. This will not change the patriarchal control of society.
5. Law changes are used to give the impression of equality (very rarely enforced) and leaves patriarchy untouched.
6. Functionalists argue that feminists ignore the benefit that the traditional gender roles brings to society. It is sex not gender that informs gender roles.

Question 9

radical feminism

Answer 9

women live lives of continual apology - born and raised to take blame - if treated without respect - tell themselves they have failed to earn respect

Question 10

radical feminism key principles

Answer 10

Men are responsible for and benefit from the exploitation of women.

Patriarchy - universal phenomenon that has existed across time and cultures + controls women’s bodies and sexuality

Men exploit women by relying on free domestic labour within the family.

Violence against women is central to male supremacy.
The personal is political.

Question 11

radical sociologist

Answer 11

firestone - biological ability to give birth - dependency on men - biological inequality - emancipation through abortion

brownmiller - male violence is central to male supremacy

greer - women always suffer from male power if live in same household - matrilocal households

Question 12

radical - political lesbianism

Answer 12

lesbian relationships - equal in terms of power - housework, child caring responsibilities

Question 13

radical - consciousness raising

Answer 13

campaigns to highlight male domestic violence - pressurise parliament to take it seriously

set up shelters to provide refuge for abused women

Question 14

radical - key solutions

Answer 14

separatism
consciousness-raising
political lesbianism

Question 15

radical key successes

Answer 15

Abused women shelters, changes in the law against rape in marriage (1990).
Raising awareness of honour based violence and forced marriage
Consciousness raising among women.
Changes in domestic roles in the family.

Question 16

radical eval

Answer 16

ignores influences of race, class and ethnicity

struggles to explain women’s violence against men

structural, conflict - women passively accept gender role

postmodern / difference feminists - focus on modernist roles and structures such as nuclear family - society more complex

Question 17

marxist feminism key principles

Answer 17

women’s subordination rooted in capitalism

women’s unpaid domestic role makes them dependent on men - excludes women from work and encourages women to consume the products of capitalism

women act as a reserve army of labour

women reproduce the workforce

women are the takers of shit

Question 18

marxist fem sociologists

Answer 18

Barrett - ideology of familism ensures women collude in their own oppression
cereal pocket family and division of labour within it seem natural and normal
women believe they can only find fulfilment within the family and through motherhood

ansley - women absorb anger otherwise focused on capitalist bosses - takers of shit - stops men taking frustration out on bosses - why government refused to focus on domestic abuse

Question 19

marxist fem reserve army of labour

Answer 19

• women brought into labour market in economic boom times and the first to be sacked during recessions
• more likely to be on temporary contracts

Question 20

marxist fem key solutions

Answer 20

overthrow capitalism with a social revolution
overthrow the ideology of familism (barrett) at the same time

Question 21

marxist fem eval

Answer 21

fails to explain why women subordinate in non-capitalist societies

rad - men benefit more from patriarchy than capitalism

doesnt make sense in marxist theory for women to not work - create more surplus value for employers

Question 22

black / difference feminism sociologists

Answer 22

Bell Hooks - feminism guilty of false universality - idea there is a unified form of gender oppression that is experienced equally by all women is problematic

Patricia Hill Collins - slavery has had a huge impact in disrupting african and african-Caribbean families - men often separated from families - culture where women lone parent and permanent member of household

Cheshire Calhoun - influenced by pm - examines family from lesbian perspective - not family life itself but rather family life within patriarchal heterosexual marriages - heterosexuals have tried to attribute their problems to corrupting outsiders

Question 23

black feminism

Answer 23

developed alongside civil rights movements as many black women rejected notion of sisterhood from white women - if all women sisters why did black women have to be their cleaners

process later expanded to address all issues - difference feminism
black feminism is still an important strand of feminism esp in USA

Question 24

difference feminism

Answer 24

difference groups in society have very different experiences of society and of patriarchy within in
eg w/c and u/c in family
black feminists see the family as a place of support and resistance from a racist society
some asian families more traditionally patriarchal

Question 25

difference / black feminism evaluation

Answer 25

fail to recognise that women share common oppression despite their differences - Walby - all women in families at risk from male oppression and violence

overemphasising women’s differences divides and weakens women as a group - harder to enact social change