Feminism Flashcards
First wave of feminism:
Began in the 19th Century when the suffragettes fought for the right to vote.
Abbot & Wallace
- Malestream sociology = seeing society only from the perspective of men.
What are liberal feminists concerned with?
- Care about human rights and personal freedom.
Liberal feminism - reformism
- Trying to gradually improve society through changing laws and culture.
Types of changes proposed by liberal feminists:
Laws and policies = against sex discrimination in the workplace and at school, leads to equal opportunities. (1979 equal pay act + WISE)
Cultural change = changing sexist ideas about women.
Two ways which liberal feminists believe society will progress towards gender equality:
- Change socialisation & culture to challenge sexism.
- Campaign for anti-discrimination laws.
Walby
Says liberal feminists offer no explanation for the overall structure of gender inequality.
Radical feminists and sexual politics
Refers to how all relationships between men and women are political because men dominate women through these relationships.
Patriarchal power -> not going out at night
Men exercise power over women through sexual or physical violence and the threat of that violence.
Links to Brownmiller
Brownmiller
Says that the threat of rape acts as a curfew, preventing women from going out alone at night.
Radical feminists and constructed sexuality:
- Sexuality is constructed to satisfy men’s needs.
- Women are portrayed as passive sexual objects; penetration is seen as the main source of sexual pleasure.
Rich
Argues men continue to force women into a narrow and unsatisfying compulsory heterosexuality
Solutions to women’s oppression proposed by radical feminists:
- Separatism = since men will inevitably oppress women, women have to live apart from men. (Links to Greer)
- Consciousness-raising = women should share their experiences in women-only consciousness raising groups. May lead to collective action, e.g. Reclaim the Night and Slutwalks.
- Political lesbianism = heterosexual relationships are inherently oppressive because they involve sleeping with the enemy. The only non-oppressive relationships are lesbian.
Greer
Suggests all-female matrilocal households.
What social factors does radical feminism ignore?
- Assume that what matters to them, matters to everyone.
- Ignore class, ethnicity, etc…