Feminism Flashcards
What do liberal feminists recognise?
The progress that has been made towards gender equality and think that it is a gradual process.
What two legislations exists that illustrates that women’s oppression is being overcome according to liberal feminists?
Sex Discrimination Act of 1975- outlaws discrimination in employment
Equal Pay Act pf 1970- men and women doing the same job are required by law to be paid the same wage
What do liberal feminists point out is happening?
That there is a March of Progress- studies show that parents now socialise their sons and daughters more equally, having similar aspirations for them. Domestic labour is now more shared amongst men and women.
How can we evaluate Liberal feminist?
Marxists and radical feminists believe that liberal feminists lack a drive for change- don’t challenge the underlying causes of oppression.
Marxists and Radical feminists– they ignore the revolutionary spirit needed for far reaching campaigning for change. Believe women are still exploited and oppressed by men in all aspects of society and family life.
What do Marxists feminists argue?
That the main cause of women’s oppression in the family is not men but capitalism.
What 3 functions does women’s oppression perform for capitalism?
Women reproduce the labour force- through unpaid domestic labour, they maintain a healthy hardworking family and socialise the next generation of workers.
Women absorb anger- women are the safety valve as they help to release pressure from husbands who feel alienated and exploited. Ansley- women are the takers of shit
Women are reserve army of labour- they are taken on when extra workers are needed but when they are no longer needed they are let go
What are the criticisms of Marxist feminism?
Radical feminists- argue that men are the problem not capitalism
Liberal feminists- argue that they ignore the progress that has been made for women
Black feminists- they ignore the experiences of black women
What do radical feminists believe?
That men dominate women rather than capitalism. Women are socialised into their roles as housewives and mothers- this is oppression- men are the enemy
What do some radical feminists promote?
Separatism and political lesbianism to avoid sleeping with the enemy.
What does radical feminist Germaine Greer advocate for?
Advocates for all female households known as matrilocal households.
What is the evaluation for radical feminism?
Liberal feminists- Somerville argues that they fail to recognise that the position of women has greatly improved- there has been a march of progress- due to laws.
What do difference feminists argue about the other feminists?
They are structural theories and assume that all women live in a conventional nuclear family and that they share a similar experience of family life. They tend to be dominated by mc white women who have had different experiences
What do difference feminists argue?
That we cannot generalise about a woman’s experience- argue that lesbian and heterosexual women, wc and mc women, black and white women all have different experiences
What is the evaluation for difference feminism?
Other feminists argue that difference feminists neglect the fact that all women share many of the same experiences, for example, threat to domestic violence and law pay.
What does Black feminism argue?
That feminism needs to include racial analysis.
Why do black feminists use the word intersectionality?
To talk about the crossover of the two distinct discriminations- sexism and racism- that happens to people who are both black and women.
What does Reni Eddo-Lodge argue?
That for too long, black women have been forgotten, and have to come up with strategies to be remembered. Believes that feminism needs to demand a world in which racist history is acknowledged and accounted for, were race is completely deconstructed.
What do black feminists argue about the family?
That it can be a source of comfort for black and ethnic minority women who have a double whammy in society- being a woman and being black.
