Feminism (40) Flashcards
Feminism
The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.
Introduction
- Various strands of feminism that all have different views and criticise each other
- Central argument is that it has developed out of systematic biases and the inadequacy of ‘malestream’
- Share the view that we live in a Patriarchy that functions to suppress women
Four Strands of Feminism
1) Liberal Feminism
2) Radical Feminsim
3) Marxist Feminsim
4) Black Feminism
Liberal Feminism
- Focus on creating equal opportunities/rights for men and women in areas of life (workplace, education, politics)
- Gender inequalities are due to bad gender socialisation and unfair laws and practices that reinforce discrimination between men and women, rather than innate, bio diffs.
- Media objectifies women due to ‘cultural lag’
- Progress has been made and optimistic about further improvements in the future. Men are not oppressors and happy to work with them to bring about change.
Liberal Feminism Ways to Reduce
- Changes norms and values that reinforce gender divisions in society
- The Equality Act 2010 which barred discrimination based on Gender (evidence of the success of LF campaigns)
- Changes in Education
- Legal and wider cultural reforms
LF: Oakley (1974)
- Gender role socialisation causes gender inequality takes root from a young age.
- The process teaches children expected norms and values for their sex: Manipulation/Canalisation is the ‘channelling’ of children towards toys and activities/Promotes different activities
- Learn gender identity through internalising behaviour: imitation, discouraging gender-inappropriate behaviour and parents assigning gender-specific chores
LF: Sharpe (1994)
Found in the 1990s the stereotypical housewife role had become less desirable as women were more likely to focus on their careers in light of changes to legislation. Like the Equal Pay Act 1970.
Criticisms of Liberal Feminism
-Radical and Marxist argue that LF fail to explain why men and women hold different levels of powers in the family.
-No revolutionary change
-Legal changes haven’t fixed the Gender Pay Gap
-An m/c movement represents the interests of educated, professional women and not minority ethnic groups or WC
-Postmodernists suggest that gender identity
is no longer fixed therefore, there is no longer a clear set of gender norms for children to be socialised into.
Marxist Feminism
- S/C affects the life chances of women
- Argue that the family is a patriarchal institution and that women’s position in the family, results in them being exploited by capitalism.
- Gender inequalities in society are maintained because women are encouraged to accept the dominant ideology that the nuclear family is a natural family form and that any inequalities and differences between men and women in society are fair and legitimate because capitalism is presented as a meritocratic system.
In what ways do Women serve Capitalism
1) Reproduce the next Generation of workers and socialise them into norms and values that benefit capitalism. So obedient and hardworking, breadwinner and housewife. Supporting the subordination of women.
2) Unpaid domestic work. Helps C as they only have to pay one wage and husband stays as the wife is also dependent
3) Women soothe the stresses and frustrations of proletariat men after a hard day at work
4) Reserve army of labour as they are in unpaid domestic labour
MF: Benston (1972)
- Argues that a wife keeps her husband in good running order/ensures the smooth running of capitalism.
- Believes that the unpaid domestic labour of women helps to support the capitalist system.
- If women were paid a wage for their work, there would have to be a massive redistribution of wealth. Highly critical of the nuclear family and women’s role within it and sees it as a stabilising force in capitalist society.
MF: Ansley (1976)
-Women as act as a ‘safety valve’ and ‘the takers of shit’ as husbands return home having been exploited at work
Take their frustrations and anger out on their wives.
-‘When wives play their traditional role as takers of shit, they often absorb their husbands’
-Legitimate anger and frustration at their own powerlessness. A sponge to soak up his possibly revolutionary ire, the bosses rest more secure.’
Criticisms of Marxist Feminists
- Too much emphasis on social class and not other factors like ethnicity
- Postmodernist thinkers are critical of the focus on class as they say there is no longer a significant social division.
- RF is critical of the emphasis on capitalist exploitation. Patriarchy is a more significant form of exploitation that predates capitalism and has existed in all known societies, not just capitalist ones.
- Some theorists have questioned the usefulness of Marxist feminism as it relies on a revolution to bring about change and that does not seem to be happening. No hunger for communism and capatalism isnt being overthrown
Radical Feminists
- Patriarchy main cause of female oppression.
- Society is run and benefits men who don’t want to give up power or stop controlling women.
- Men defend power at all costs and will use violence to maintain it
- Patriarchy forces compulsory heterosexuality
- Advocate separationism and political lesbianism as reproduction without men are possible.
RF: Johnson’s (1995)
- Patriarchal terrorism can be used to explain the violence that is the result of ‘patriarchal traditions of men’s right to control “their” women’.
- Form of terroristic control of wives that involves the systematic use of not only violence, threats, isolation and other control tactics.
- WHO (2013) Incidence of women who had experienced physical/sexual abuse from an intimate partner in their lifetime was 30% globally and 25% in Europe.
