Feminism Flashcards
What do feminists focus on?
Women’s emancipation
What view do liberal feminists take?
March of progress- there has been a steady improvement in women’s position
How can we achieve change?
- Laws and policies e.g. sex-discrimination laws
- Cultural change e.g. traditional prejudices and stereotypes
What does Oakley determine between?
Sex= biological differences between men and women
Gender= culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’
What division do liberal feminists challenge?
Instrumental vs expressive roles- Parsons
-men and women are equally capable of performing both roles
What is a strength of liberal feminism?
Work has helped to demonstrate that gender differences are not inborn but the product of socialisation patterns
Who criticises liberal feminists?
Marxist and Radical feminists- fails to recognise underlying cause of woman’s oppression- far-reaching, revolutionary changes are needed not policy changes
What do Marxist feminists argue?
Women’s subordination is rooted in capitalism
How do women benefit capitalism?
- Act as a reserve army of cheap labour
- Reproduce the labour force
- They are a source of cheap, exploitable labour
- They absorb anger e.g. ‘takers of shit’ (Ansley)
Who talk’s about the ‘Ideology of familism’?
Barret
What does it suggest?
-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)
What is a strength of Marxist feminism?
Allows a greater understanding of women’s exploitation, as well as the impact of structural factors
Why are they criticised?
- Fails to explain women’s subordination in non-capitalist societies
- Accused of being sex-blind i.e. fails to explain why women not men perform domestic labour
- Places insufficient emphasis on how men oppress women
What do dual systems feminists combine?
Marxist and radical feminism= patriarchal capitalism
How do they suggest we understand women’s subordination?
Look at the position of women in the domestic division of labour (patriarchy) and paid work (capitalism)
What do Radical Feminists claim?
Patriarchy is universal- primary and most fundamental form of inequality and conflict
What do all men do?
Oppress women
According to radical feminists, how is the ‘personal political’?
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
What is this known as?
Sexual politics
What strategies do radical feminists propose?
- Separatism=living apart from men to create a culture of female independence
- Consciousness-raising= sharing experiences of women to empower them e.g. ‘Slutwalk’
- Political lesbiansim= lesbian relationships to avoid ‘sleeping with the enemy’
What is a strength of radical feminism?
The idea that the ‘personal is political’ sheds light on domestic violence and the division of labour
Who criticises radical feminists?
- Marxists- class, rather than patriarchy, causes inequality
- Liberal feminists argue that they ignore the positive changes made to women’s position
Who criticises radical feminists?
- Marxists- class, rather than patriarchy, causes inequality
- Liberal feminists argue that they ignore the positive changes made to women’s position
What do radical feminists fail to consider?
Women’s violence against men
What do difference feminists not see women as?
A homogenous group
What do they argue?
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.
What do they accuse other feminists of?
‘Essentialism’= all believe women have the same essence of what it means to be a woman, failing to reflect women’s diversity
What do post-structuralist feminists argue?
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
What is an advantage of post-structuralist feminism?
Enables feminists to de-construct different discourses to reveal how they oppress women e.g. science, religion
What is a strength of difference feminism?
Recognises the diversity of women’s experiences
Who criticises difference feminim?
Walby- there are important inequalities between women e.g. all face patriarchy
What is a criticism of difference feminism?
By celebrating difference to such an extent, it may divide women and weaken feminism
