Feminism

Question 1

What do feminists focus on?

Answer 1

Women’s emancipation

Question 2

What view do liberal feminists take?

Answer 2

March of progress- there has been a steady improvement in women’s position

Question 3

How can we achieve change?

Answer 3

1. Laws and policies e.g. sex-discrimination laws
2. Cultural change e.g. traditional prejudices and stereotypes

Question 4

What does Oakley determine between?

Answer 4

Sex= biological differences between men and women
Gender= culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’

Question 5

What division do liberal feminists challenge?

Answer 5

Instrumental vs expressive roles- Parsons
-men and women are equally capable of performing both roles

Question 6

What is a strength of liberal feminism?

Answer 6

Work has helped to demonstrate that gender differences are not inborn but the product of socialisation patterns

Question 7

Who criticises liberal feminists?

Answer 7

Marxist and Radical feminists- fails to recognise underlying cause of woman’s oppression- far-reaching, revolutionary changes are needed not policy changes

Question 8

What do Marxist feminists argue?

Answer 8

Women’s subordination is rooted in capitalism

Question 9

How do women benefit capitalism?

Answer 9

1. Act as a reserve army of cheap labour
2. Reproduce the labour force
3. They are a source of cheap, exploitable labour
4. They absorb anger e.g. ‘takers of shit’ (Ansley)

Question 10

Who talk’s about the ‘Ideology of familism’?

Answer 10

Barret

Question 11

What does it suggest?

Answer 11

-Ideology of familism presents the nuclear family and the sexual division of labour as natural and normal
-This ideology keeps women subordinated
-Mitchell: Idea’s of femininity are implemented in women’s unconscious (Freud)

Question 12

What is a strength of Marxist feminism?

Answer 12

Allows a greater understanding of women’s exploitation, as well as the impact of structural factors

Question 13

Why are they criticised?

Answer 13

1. Fails to explain women’s subordination in non-capitalist societies
2. Accused of being sex-blind i.e. fails to explain why women not men perform domestic labour
3. Places insufficient emphasis on how men oppress women

Question 14

What do dual systems feminists combine?

Answer 14

Marxist and radical feminism= patriarchal capitalism

Question 15

How do they suggest we understand women’s subordination?

Answer 15

Look at the position of women in the domestic division of labour (patriarchy) and paid work (capitalism)

Question 16

What do Radical Feminists claim?

Answer 16

Patriarchy is universal- primary and most fundamental form of inequality and conflict

Question 17

What do all men do?

Answer 17

Oppress women

Question 18

According to radical feminists, how is the ‘personal political’?

Answer 18

Patriarchal oppression exists in the private sphere of the family, as well as in the public sphere of work, therefore all personal relationships are political because men dominate women through them

Question 19

What is this known as?

Answer 19

Sexual politics

Question 20

What strategies do radical feminists propose?

Answer 20

1. Separatism=living apart from men to create a culture of female independence
2. Consciousness-raising= sharing experiences of women to empower them e.g. ‘Slutwalk’
3. Political lesbiansim= lesbian relationships to avoid ‘sleeping with the enemy’

Question 21

What is a strength of radical feminism?

Answer 21

The idea that the ‘personal is political’ sheds light on domestic violence and the division of labour

Question 22

Who criticises radical feminists?

Answer 22

1. Marxists- class, rather than patriarchy, causes inequality
2. Liberal feminists argue that they ignore the positive changes made to women’s position

Question 23

Who criticises radical feminists?

Answer 23

1. Marxists- class, rather than patriarchy, causes inequality
2. Liberal feminists argue that they ignore the positive changes made to women’s position

Question 24

What do radical feminists fail to consider?

Answer 24

Women’s violence against men

Question 25

What do difference feminists not see women as?

Answer 25

A homogenous group

Question 26

What do they argue?

Answer 26

We cannot generalise about women’s experiences as black, white, middle-class, working-class, heterosexual and homosexual women all have different experiences of patriarchy, capitalism, homophobia etc.

Question 27

What do they accuse other feminists of?

Answer 27

‘Essentialism’= all believe women have the same essence of what it means to be a woman, failing to reflect women’s diversity

Question 28

What do post-structuralist feminists argue?

Answer 28

There is no fixed essence of what it means to be a woman, because our identifies are constituted through so many discourses i.e. how we think/see/speak

Question 29

What is an advantage of post-structuralist feminism?

Answer 29

Enables feminists to de-construct different discourses to reveal how they oppress women e.g. science, religion

Question 30

What is a strength of difference feminism?

Answer 30

Recognises the diversity of women’s experiences

Question 31

Who criticises difference feminim?

Answer 31

Walby- there are important inequalities between women e.g. all face patriarchy

Question 32

What is a criticism of difference feminism?

Answer 32

By celebrating difference to such an extent, it may divide women and weaken feminism