Feminism

Question 1

General feminist view of the family

Answer 1

• feminists believe that the family supports and reinforces the inequalities between men and women within patriarchal society.
• patriarchy is the combination of systems, ideologies, and cultural practices that ensure men have power

Question 2

Liberal Feminism

Answer 2

The family only sexist because it supports mainstream sexist culture
- Liberal feminists believe that social change is possible. They put pressure on institutions like the legal system and government to change law and social policies.
—> eg. The equal pay act (1971) & the sex discrimination act (1975) give more opportunities for women to work in society, giving young girls role models and something positive to aspire to

Question 3

Marxist Feminism

Answer 3

The family produces/ cares for the next generation of workers at almost no cost to the capitalist system, reinforcing negative stereotypes
- Triple shift: women are expected to do emotional support, domestic labour as well as paid work
- Reserve Army of Labour: women often only work when they’re required (eg. WW2)

Question 4

Radical Feminism

Answer 4

Radical feminists recognise the exploitation of women, but blame it on the patriarchy instead of the capitalist system
- Delphi & Leonard: they see the family as a patriarchal institution where women do most of the work but men get most of the benefit (eg. The women traditionally clean the house and cook the meals, and the men get to come home after work to a clean house and freshly cooked meal)