Feminism 2.5 Flashcards
What are feminists core beliefs?
Similarities:
Ann Oakley agrees with Marxists and functionalists that the family is essentially a Conservative institution that preserves the social order.
Like Marxists feminists take a critical view of the family. They argue that it oppresses women through thr unequal division of domestic labour and domestic violence that is often suffered.
What is radical feminism?
Argue that all relationships between men and women are based on patriarchy.
For radical feminists the entire patriarchal system needs to be overturned in particular the family which they view as root of women’s oppression.
Kate Millet was one of the leading feminists in America 1960s and 70s. Millet argued that patriarchys chief institution is the family. It is both a mirror of and a connection with the larger society.
Evaluation:
× in some ways this perspective is less relevant today than in the 1960s- women are much less likely to suffer from the dual burden and triple shift
+ in some ways however it still seems very relevant. For example thr #METOO campaign and thr Harvey weinstein scandal both show that harassment and sexual abuse of women remain common.
What is a Marxist feminists?
Argue that the main cause of women’s oppression in the family is not men, but capitalism.
Argue that women’s oppression performs several functions for capitalism :
1. Women reproduce thr Labour force
2. Women absorb anger
3. Women are a reserve army of cheap labour
Fran Ansley 1973:
Argues that Women absorb anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism.
Evaluations:
× One limitation is that this sounds very dated for the 2020s
× A further limitation is that women’s oppression was clearly in evidence before capitalism.
+ There appears to be a correlation between capitalist development and women’s liberation suggesting that capitalism has the opposite effect from that suggested by Marxist feminists.
What is Liberal feminism ?
Believe that the causes of inequality in relationships occur because of 2 things:
1. Mainstream working culture which requires long and flexible working hours which are still based on the idea of the main breadwinner.
2. Men refusing to pull their weight in relationships.
Jennifer Somerville: 2000
Provides a less radical critique of the family than Marxist or radical feminists and suggests proposals to improve family life for women that involve modest policy reforms rather than revolutionary change.
She argues that some modern men are voluntarily committed to sharing in those routine necessities of family survival or they can be persuaded.
Evaluation:
+Sommerville recognises that significant progress has been made in both public and private life for women
+ It is more appealing to a wider range of women than radical ideas
+ It is more practical
× Her work is based on a secondary analysis of previous works and is thus not backed up by empirical evidence.
What is equality and difference feminism?
Difference feminists broaden the lens of the first and second waves of feminism away from early feminist viewpoints, which had largely focused on the experiences of black women, women who are poor and immigrant women.
Evaluations:
× Difference feminism tends to romanticise traditional femininity and masculinity and to reinforces conventional stereotypes.
+ For some Difference feminists this may mean that women’s role is one of choice.
