Feminism Flashcards
Key Thinker:
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Women depend on their sexuality and body in order to please their husbands.
Societal pressure = girls are compelled to confrom through expectations — toys children play with reinforce this as they prepare girls for motherhood
— shown in 1898 book ‘women and economics’
Radical Feminst known for The Yellow Wallpaper 1892 - illustrates patriarchy and restrictions upon women in the domestic sphere
Economic independence achieved by professionalising domestic work
Key Thinker:
Simone de Beauvoir
Sex versus gender – ‘one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’.
‘Otherness’ – men are perceived as the ‘norm’ and women deviants from this norm.
The Second Sex 1949
Key Thinker:
Shelia Rowbotham
Women sell thier labour as well as doing unpaid work so thier husbands can work = doubly exploited
Despite socialisation, the family is a place of refuge as thier relationships are not dependent on production
— Hidden From History 1973 she argues that societal pressures and class oppress women, so when these are overthrown, women will be free
= REVOLUTION vs. Wollstonecraft in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) as a liberal feminist who just wants formal equality
Key Thinker:
Kate Millet
Literature and culture under the patriarchy degrades women
The family reinforces gender roles
Radical feminist = Sexual Politics(1970)— argues for the removal of the traditional family structure = sexual revolution
Key Thinkers:
bell hooks
Intersectionality – the mainstream feminist movement had focused mostly on white, educated, middle/upper-class women, leaving out women of colour = doubly oppressed — black women were left out of the civil rights movement and out of the feminism movement
Ain’t I a Woman - 1981
Human nature
+
[gender, social construct, patriarchy]
No difference between men and women
Instead, it is a social construct = Simone de Beauvoir ‘one is not born a woman, but rather becomes a woman’ + Gilman agrees on socialisation such as through toys
So when the patrarchy is overthrown gender differences will go too [Millet in a sexual revolution]
Human nature —
[gender, social construct, the patrarchy]
Difference feminists = biological differences between men and women
Millet states that the family reinforces gender roles but Rowbotham argues that the family is a place of refuge from the capitalist society
Feminists disagree to what extent change should occur – socialist revolution needed too according to Rowbotham, whilst bell hooks argues that black women are forgotten about by both race and gender movements so minorities need to come together
Patriarchy
+
[patriarchy exploits women, gender roles, must be overthrown]
Most feminists agree that patriarchy allows men to dominate and exploit women [Gilman = lack economic independence reinforced by toys and socialisation + de Beauvoir = ‘otherness’ + Millet through culture and literature]
Patriarchy –
[patriarchy exploits women, gender roles, must be overthrown]
–Socialist feminists argue that capitalism is the primary source of female oppression (Rowbotham)
– Radical feminists see patriarchy as the primary source of oppression (Millet argues the family is)
– Postmodern feminism sees interlocking systems of imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (bell hooks) leading to differing revolutionary styles
The State
+
[must prottect women, due to a current lack of equality, so should do more]
Socialist and radical feminists agree that the state does not prioritise women nor have equality (Rowbotham + Millet)
The State –
[must prottect women, due to a current lack of equality, so should do more]
Radical feminists believe that primarily the state promotes patriarchy (Millett), whereas socialist feminists believe it serves capitalism first and then patriarchy (Rowbotham)
The economy
+
[men control finances, women’s work is undervalued, so change must occur]
Women are ruled by men and rely on them for money so are trapped [Gilman (society promotes domestic work succh as through toys)+ de Beauvoir (women in thier ‘otherness’ are unvalued workers)]
The economy –
[men control finances, women’s work is undervalued, so change must occur]
Rowbotham argues that a feminist and socialist revolution needs to occur
Gilman wants domestic work to be professionalised
Postmodern feminists disagree with both socialist and radical feminists arguing that additional factors like colour, class and religion also affects women’s position in the economy (bell hooks focuses on black women being doubly oppressed so minorities should come together for change)
The Family
+
[male dominance, lack economic independence, abolish patrarchy]
Families are run by the men in the relationship [fathers and husbands] so are flawed = Millet + Rowbotham
The Family –
[male dominance, lack economic independence, abolish patrarchy]
Socialisation through the family so this needed to be overcome [Millet] as she prefers monogamous relationships
whilst Rowbotham argues that family can be a place of refuge against capitalism
