feminism Flashcards
feminism
conflict theory - between genders
patriarchy (male dominance - dominant ideology)
liberal feminism
equal rights
gradual reforms (march of progress)
change in laws, policies, and culture allow for equality (change in society’s socialisation patterns)
liberal feminism - Oakley
distinguishes between sex and gender
sex - biological makeup
gender - culturally constructed difference (masculine and feminine)
critique of functionalism - gender roles
believe women and men are both capable of performing both gender roles in family and society
promote role models in family and education
female teachers in traditional male subjects
males taking responsibility for domestic tasks
The enlightenment project
resulting in better understanding of women’s oppression and resulting improvements
changes in socialisation and culture gradually leading to more rational attitudes towards gender (march of progress)
political action to anti-discriminatory laws and policies (e.g., equal pay act and sex discrimination act)
liberal feminism - evaluation
led to legitimisation of the demand for reform
over optimism - believe prejudges can be overcome by ‘march of progress’
marxist and radical - fail to recognise underlying cause
ignore possibility of deep-seated structures causing oppression (patriarchy and capitalism)
radical feminism
patriarchy universal (male dominance in all societies)
patriarchy primary and most fundamental reason for women’s subordination
men main enemy
radical feminism - Firestone
origins of patriarchy lie in women’s biological capacity to care for infants - performing this role makes them dependent on males
patriarchy primary and most fundamental part of inequality and conflict men main enemy - all mean oppress women and benefits from patriarchy
radicals believe nuclear family main source of oppression (crime and deviance - men benefit from patriarchy in regard to prostitution)
Radical feminism - Brownmillar
fear of rape acts as deterrent against women going out at night
patriarchy constructs sexuality to benefit and satisfy their desires
focus on power exercised within personal relationships (sexual/ physical violence)
al relationships involve power and political when one dominates another sexual politics
radical feminism - Greer
all female households (matrilocal) as alternative to heterosexual family
radical feminism - 3 solutions
separatism - women becoming separate from men in society to break from patriarchal control
consciousness raising - allowing people to see and understand the subordination of women in order to break out of the patriarchy
political lesbianism - politics in relationships as there’s always power dynamic
becoming lesbian in all areas of life being with men seen as ‘sleeping with the enemy’
Radical feminism - evaluation
merited for view relationships can involve domination
marxists - capitalism not patriarchy main source of inequality
assumes all women in same position (difference) - not in different societies/ cultures
marxist feminism
women’s subordination rooted in capitalism
women’s primary role - unpaid homemaker (dependent economic position)
marxist feminism - capitalism
disagree with radical - capitalism main cause, capitalism main winner from women’s oppression (not men)
believe women provide cheap exploitable labour
reserve army of labour (wars)
reproduce labour force
absorb anger
‘women are takers of shit’ - Ansley
Marxist feminism - Dobash and Dobash
main reason for dv is husbands’ perception that wife is not performing domestic duties to his satisfaction
state/ criminal justice system has failed to take matter of dv seriously
seen as ‘private matter’
marxist feminism - Barrett (familism)
ideology of feminism because of our ideologies in society from birth that brainwashes women to believe that their position is natural and normal
familism - nuclear family and sexual division of labour (unpaid domestic work) as natural and normal
women find fulfilment through motherhood, intimacy, and sexual satisfaction
overthrowing capitalism to secure liberation
women’s oppression
