feminism Flashcards
simone de Beauvoir on human nature
gender differences are created by men in society. they are not natural
simone de Beauvoir on the state
the state reinforces a culture that prevents women from expressing their true freedom and identity
simone de Beauvoir on society
de Beauvoir’s existentialism dominated her feminism. social constraints prevent individuals, not just women from attaining self-realisation and true freedom
simone de Beauvoir on the economy
men’s domination of economic life restricts the life choices open to women
bell hooks on human nature
women in common with men have multiple identities and therefore experience multiple forms of oppression
bell hooks on the state
the state is dominated by white males and therefore reflects and reinforces their dominant position in society
bell hooks on society
society is full of complex relationships between different minorities. in order to to resolve social conflicts, love between different minority cultures must be established
bell hooks on the economy
women living in poverty have problems that middle-class women do not face. the liberation of the poor is an economic as well as a social issue
sheila rowbotham on human nature
women’s consciousness of the world is created by men
sheila rowbotham on the state
the state is the servant of capitalism
sheila rowbotham on society
the nature of society is economically determined. society reflects the dominant position of both capitalists and men in general
sheila rowbotham on the economy
rowbotham has a marxist perspective women are a low-paid reserve army of labour
Charlotte Perkins Gilman on human nature
the biological differences between women and men are irrelevant. women can compete equally with men
Charlotte Perkins gilman on the state
no distinct views on the state
Charlotte Perkins gilman on society
society has always assigned inferior roles to women. in modern society this no longer has any justification
Charlotte perkins gilman on the economy
the domestic servitude of women allowed men to dominate the outside economic world
Charlotte Perkins gilman
(1860-1935)
Writing in the early stages of the feminist movement, Gilman wrote about the biological distinctions between men and women, and how these contributed to assumptions about women’s ability, both in society and the economy. Women are therefore far more capable than society assumed at the time.
Kate millett on human nature
women are capable of freeing themselves from male oppression by engaging in lesbian relationships
Kate millett on the state
the state is merely the agent of patriarchy. its part of the problem but not the solution
Kate millett on society
modern society is completely characterised by patriarchy, which is all-pervasive and infests both the private and public spheres
Kate millett on the economy
millett is a quasi-soiclaist bu this is not fundamental to her feminism
Kate Millett
(1934-2017)
A highly influential radical feminist, Millett wrote extensively about the role of patriarchy in society. Heterosexual relationships play a role in this too, as there is an assumption that men are dominant over women in both the public and private spheres. Women needed a sexual revolution to overthrow the patriarchal assumptions that had led to the subordinate position of women.
Sheila Rowbotham
(1943-)
Rowbotham, a socialist feminist, wrote about women’s roles within capitalism, stating that they have a subordinate position within the economic system. This extends to the private sphere, with an assumption that women have a larger role in the household than men, who have a larger economic role.
bell hooks
bell hooks (1952-2021)
hooks, a postmodern feminist, developed the ideas of intersectionality; the idea that people posses more than one identity, including race, sexuality and ethnicity. She said that black women have faced more challenges than white women, and a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to feminism will not work to create equality.
