Feminism

Question 1

<p>Key features of liberal feminism </p>

Answer 1

<p>reforming rather than revolutionary

seeking equality of opportunity for women

seeking legal political and economic equality for women

accepting that women may choose their own lifestyles and relationships

pursuing a number of issues that affect women in general such as abortion rights violence in family and rape

campaigning to change attitudes to women which suggest they are inferior </p>

Question 2

<p>Key features of radical feminism </p>

Answer 2

<p>Fundamental revolutionary change needed to the nature of society

Belief that patriarchy does not recognise the boundary between public and private spheres: it is pervasive

Firm rejection of the validity of gender differences while accepting that biological differences are important

In order to liberate women, a new society must emerge in which consciousness of gender difference is eliminated </p>

Question 3

<p>Key features of socialist or marxist feminism </p>

Answer 3

<p>Belief that the oppression of women is economically based

Women are used and abused as a source of cheap labour

The exploitation of women in the family is a model of the wider economic exploitation of women

Capitalism relies upon the exploitation of women in order to guarantee the superior position of men

Equality for women relies upon the destruction of capitalist exploitation in general</p>

Question 4

<p>what does androgyny mean</p>

Answer 4

<p>the possession of both male and female characteristics
used to imply human beings are sexless persons
sex is irrelevant to their social or political status</p>

Question 5

<p>millet quote on the princes of patriarchy</p>

Answer 5

<p>male shall dominate female

| elder male shall dominate younger </p>

Question 6

<p>what is a difference feminist </p>

Answer 6

<p>adopt an essentalist approach
identify fundamental differences between men and women

there are deeper biological differences eg maternal instinct jusr for women </p>

Question 7

<p>simone de behaviour sex/gender quote </p>

Answer 7

<p>one is not born
but rather becomes
a woman </p>

Question 8

<p>why do feminists emphasise a sex gender difference? </p>

Answer 8

<p>they believe it allows women to achieve their potential and self realisation

gender differences are a result of the male attitude to women

women’s physical biological and anatomical makeup does not determine their social position or status

"anatomy is [NOT] destiny" - pioneered by Betty Friedan

This leads many feminists, such as Kate Millet, to advocate an androgynous society, in which there are no significant gender differences between men of women </p>

Question 9

<p>how do feminists believe a post patriarchal society is possible ?</p>

Answer 9

<p>gender stereotypes challenged and ultimately dismissed

abolishment of female oppression </p>

Question 10

<p>early essentalist feminist perspective? </p>

Answer 10

<p>wollstonecraft

believed that due to biological nature
women inevitably play a different role from men in society
eg natural raiders of children

did not see blurring of sex and gender as for male gain - as modern feminists do </p>

Question 11

<p>how do modern feminists view sex </p>

Answer 11

<p>biological differences between men and women

most important are reproductive differences
seen as natural and unalterable
eg chromosomes hormones sex organs etc

they accept these but do not think they justify gender distinctions
</p>

Question 12

<p>post modern feminists on sex </p>

Answer 12

<p>they would question whether sex is a biological distinction

biological womanhood does not always apply to those classified as women

feminists have issue with sex classification post modern </p>

Question 13

<p>definition of gender </p>

Answer 13

<p>a cultural term that describes roles given to me. and women in society

eg masculinity = strength bravery value through paid public work
eg femininity = sensitivity nurture value through family and private sphere </p>

Question 14

<p>what is the focus of liberal feminists </p>

Answer 14

<p>the unequal distribution of rights and entitlements in society has </p>

Question 15

<p>what is the fundamental issue for radical feminjdts?</p>

Answer 15

<p>patriarchy

the systematic and institutionalised exercise of male power
rooted in the family and extended across society as a whole

his may be reflected in societal tolerance to rape and pornography
supporting the subordination of women and their position as a source of male sexual satisfaction </p>

Question 16

<p>what is the focus of socialist feminists </p>

Answer 16

<p>the unfairness of economic inequality in terms of earnings and status

linking to patriarchy with capitalism oppression and alienation </p>

Question 17

<p>describe first wave feminism </p>

Answer 17

<p>late 18th to early 20th century

feminist ideas developed within liberalism socialism and marxism </p>

Question 18

<p>1970s radical feminist writers </p>

Answer 18

<p>Kate Millet - sexual politics

Germaine Greer - the female enrich </p>

Question 19

<p>describe betty friedan’s the feminist mystique?</p>

Answer 19

<p>the problem with no name

the unhappiness and frustration of millions of women confined to the domestic sphere

feminists of the second wave would note that gaining the vote and formal legal equality did not solve the women’s question</p>

Question 20

<p>what are the common core themes of feminism </p>

Answer 20

<p>concern with public private divide

patriarchy

sex gender distinction

equality and difference</p>

Question 21

<p>describe kate millets sexual politics 1970 novel </p>

Answer 21

<p>highlights the sexual character and misogyny of modern literature

analyses the process of conditioning through which from a very early age boys and girls are encouraged to conform to gender identifies </p>

Question 22

<p>who were the most significant radical feminist thinkers </p>

Answer 22

<p>millet and firestone

who saw sexual oppression as the fundamental feature of society </p>

Question 23

<p>why have some feminists critiqued gender equality </p>

Answer 23

<p>based on the idea of androgyny so blues deep differences between men and women

to call for equality between men and women invariably encourages women to be male identified - glorifies male norms and standards
gender equality perpetrates oppression

goal of feminism is female emancipation not equality </p>

Question 24

<p>what is essentialism</p>

Answer 24

<p>suggests there are truths about the position of women eg gender roles
that are permenant and do not change through time or social change

challenged by post modern feminists </p>

Question 25

<p>what are radical feminists united on </p>

Answer 25

<p>patriarchy is pervasive and exists in all aspects of life both private and public

there are important biological differences between men and women; they do not justify gender differences

all relations between men and women are inevitably oppressive

solution to the problems of women in society can be achieved by reform
but must involve a radical transformation of society’s structure </p>

Question 26

<p>who are the four key women of radical feminism </p>

Answer 26

<p>germaine greer: sexual liberation

shulamith firestone: removing the male reproductive role

kate miller: androgynous society

andrea dworkin: against pornography</p>

Question 27

<p>why would conservatives fundamentally object to feminism </p>

Answer 27

<p>feminist belief threaten the family structure
conservatives see the conventional family as an essential foundation of a stable society

social change should be natural and evolutionary
feminists have sought to produce social change based on fixed principles

biological circumstances of women are natural so role of wife and mother is important - feminists defy nature

conservatives value freedom in private
radical feminists dictate how women should conduct themselves
see militant feminism as a tyranny of ideas </p>

Question 28

<p>when did first wave feminism develop </p>

Answer 28

<p>mid 19th century based on pursuit of sexual rquality legally and politically particularly suffrage </p>

Question 29

<p>what characterised second wave feminism </p>

Answer 29

<p>radical concern with women’s liberation including or especially in the private sphere </p>

Question 30

<p>marxist view on patriarchy </p>

Answer 30

<p>intrinsically linked to capitalism
key to women’s liberation is linked to reform or abolition of capitalism via revolution

rooted in bourgeoise privatised nuclear family
women are trapped in the home and marriage due to economic dependence on the male breadwinner </p>

Question 31

<p>modern socialist view on parrish</p>

Answer 31

<p>Juliet Mitchell
1960s

see patriarchy as much deeper and overthrowing capitalism won’t liberate women fully

women suffer double oppression of patriarchy and capitalism combined </p>

Question 32

<p>where did engels contribute to socialist feminism </p>

Answer 32

<p>the origins of the family private property and the state of 1884

women’s oppression arises out of class county </p>

Question 33

<p>what do modern feminists think of sex? </p>

Answer 33

<p>biological differences between men and women, fundamentally in reproduction

these anatomical differences are seen as natural and unalterable eg chromosomes hormones sex difference

</p>

Question 34

<p>post modern feminists on sex </p>

Answer 34

<p>they would question whether sex is a clear cut biological distinction

biological womanhood does not always apply to those classified as women

feminists have issue with the binary nature of this classifciation</p>

Question 35

<p>contemporary feminist perspective on gender </p>

Answer 35

<p>stated by french feminist simone de behaviour
one is not born but rather becomes a women

society implies gender by prescribing different roles to men and women in society

imposed through ideas of masculinity and feminity in social roles positions or behaviours

patriarchal ideas blur this distinction, assuming all social distinctions are rooted in biology

this is denied as there is no logical link - gender is socially or politically consturctyed

</p>

Question 36

<p>why do feminists emphasise the sex gender distinction </p>

Answer 36

<p>allows women to achieve their potential (liberation by self realisation)

women’s physical biological and anatomical makeup doesn’t determine their social position or status

as pioneered by Betty friedan “anatomy is [NOT] destiny”

this has lead many feminists such as kate millet to advocate an androgynous society in which there are no significant gender differences between men and women

this expands women’s horizons as their aspirations extend

a post patriarchal society is possible if these stereotypes are challenged and dismissed </p>

Question 37

<p>liberal feminists on equality </p>

Answer 37

<p>legal and political
public sphere

argued that this is manifested in education and workers rights

equal rights agenda

contemporary betty friedan

</p>

Question 38

<p>radical feminist perspective on equality?</p>

Answer 38

<p>equality in family and personal in the private sphere sexual expression and fulfilment
millet sexual politics

reflected in private spehre</p>

Question 39

<p>what does “a vindication of the rights of women”</p>

Answer 39

<p>stressed equal rights of women
especially in education
on the basis of personhood

her work drew in the enlightenment liberal belief in reason
women were subjects and objects desire

presented the domestic sphere as a model of community and social order </p>

Question 40

<p>what is the core goal of black feminism </p>

Answer 40

<p>counter interconnected racial gender and class structures </p>

Question 41

<p>what did firestone write?</p>

Answer 41

<p>not just the elimination of male privilege but of the sex distinction itself: genital differences between human beings would no longer matter culturally

the dialectic of sex 1970

“seizure of the means of reproduction”
</p>

Question 42

<p>radical feminist firestone’s beliefs </p>

Answer 42

<p>The abolition of the sex class requires that women take control of the means of reproduction.

regarded pregnancy and childbirth as "barbaric”

the nuclear family as a key source of women's oppression

Contraception, in vitro fertilization mean that sex will eventually be separated from pregnancy and child-rearing, and women could become free </p>

Question 43

<p>where does gender inequality exist according to firestone </p>

Answer 43

<p>Gender inequality originates in the patriarchal societal structures imposed upon women because of their bodies,

particularly the physical, social and psychological disadvantages caused by pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.</p>

Question 44

<p>contrast the focus of radical feminists millet and friedan </p>

Answer 44

<p>Millett’s theory of patriarchy and conceptualized the gender and sexual oppression of women
demanded a sex role revolution with radical changes of personal and family lifestyles

Betty Friedan's focus was to improve leadership opportunities socially and politically and economic independence for women.</p>

Question 45

<p>describe millet’s sexual politics </p>

Answer 45

<p>Millett questioned the origins of patriarchy, argued that sex-based oppression was both political and cultural, and posited that undoing the traditional family was the key to true sexual revolution</p>

Question 46

<p>who coined the personal is the political </p>

Answer 46

<p>carol henisch </p>

Question 47

<p>which radical feminist sees the family unit as the origin of inferiority complex? </p>

Answer 47

<p>kate millett </p>

Question 48

<p>what is the subject of andrea dworkin analysis </p>

Answer 48

<p>pornography </p>

Question 49

<p>millet quote on the family?</p>

Answer 49

<p>“patriarchy’s chief institution” </p>

Question 50

<p>what does germaine greer think women’s liberation involves </p>

Answer 50

<p>asserting difference and "insisting on it as a condition of self-definition and self-determination".

It is a struggle for the freedom of women to "define their own values, order their own priorities and decide their own fate".

difference feminist </p>

Question 51

<p>what would mary wollstonecraft observe was the main problem for women in society?</p>

Answer 51

<p>a lack of true education

education is the answer to women’s plight</p>

Question 52

<p>how was mary wollstonecraft a difference feminist </p>

Answer 52

<p>not equal in all spheres
just public

by virtue of biological necessity, women are more likely to be mothers or wives
she campaigned for women to have the choice and if they choose marriage enjoy more fulfilled independent lives

women not inferior to men or less virtuous
but knew women should choose to play a secondary role </p>

Question 53

<p>what would be millets ideal feminist society </p>

Answer 53

<p>an androgynous world

power relationships between the sexes come to an end

true gender equality would emerge

the characteristics of men and women are identical
leading to an end of the patriarchy </p>

Question 54

<p>what modern feminists recognise that women may choose to be childbearing and homemaking?</p>

Answer 54

<p>friedan

| greer</p>

Question 55

<p>example of a radical lesbian feminist </p>

Answer 55

<p>andrea dworkin

her philosophy virtually eliminated the possibility of heterosexual relationships that might not be violent and explorative

separate lesbian state should be set up </p>

Question 56

<p>what does andrea dworkin argue are the clearest manifestations of exploration of women by men</p>

Answer 56

<p>pornography

| prostitution </p>

Question 57

<p>why have conservatives criticised feminism</p>

Answer 57

<p>it undermines the key institutions of society
such as family which they see as an essential foundation of a stable society
without family a range of social problems occur linked to the family’s breakdown

an ideology focused on difference undermines social cohesion and national unity

opposed specifically to radicals as change should be natural and evolutionary</p>

Question 58

<p>why have liberals criticised feminism </p>

Answer 58

<p>undermining the fundamental importance of individuals and individual rights through is focus on groups women and men

criticised feminist attempts to break down the private and public spheres preferring to maintain a private sphere as a foundation of freedom in society </p>

Question 59

<p>why have socialists criticised feminism </p>

Answer 59

<p>emphasised the conflict of interest between men and women rather than the conflict of interest between capital and labour

some argue it could weaken class consciousness and undermine prospects of fundamental social change </p>

Question 60

<p>how do radical feminists view patriarchy </p>

Answer 60

<p>they apply it to the concept to all aspects of life public and private

it highlights the pervasive systematic and institutionalised power relationship between women and men

it implies parallels between the patriarchal family privately and patriarchy in wider society

it suggests female emancipation requires a radical restricting of the private sphere and of culture in general </p>

Question 61

<p>how do liberal feminists apply patriarchy </p>

Answer 61

<p>apply it to only the public sphere

enlightens the unequal distribution of rights and entitlements in society as a whole

female disadvantage in terms of under representation in senior positions of politics buisness and professions

reflects a belief in the rationality of all people and so they are both entitled to equal opportunity full human rights and the ability to choose a role in life </p>

Question 62

<p>why is the personal the political? </p>

Answer 62

<p>the influence of patriarchy is seen in all aspects of social personal and sexual existence

criticism of the public private divide

there is a conditioning process in the family (the patriarchy’s chief institution) the distribution of housework and other responsibilities, personal and sexual conduct is the root of patriarchal oppression

therefore, there needs to be a sexual revolution in which the personal is made political as sexual inequality are no longer seen as natural and unalterable </p>

Question 63

<p>why have some feminists criticised the public private divide due to the significance of domestic work?</p>

Answer 63

<p>it conceals aspects of female oppression such as the failure to recognise the significance of domestic work carried out by women in the home

socialist feminists link this to surplus value
capitalism only recognised the value of the labour of men in the workplace; not the free labour in emotional and physical forms at home</p>

Question 64

<p>how is liberal feminism rooted in individualism </p>

Answer 64

<p>men and women should be entitled to the same rights and privimidges on the grounds that each of them is a person

combined with a belief with rationality leads liberal feminists do advocate androgyny
they’re all entitled to equality of opportunity; full human rights and he ability to choose a role in life

betty friedan argues women should be free to aspire to more than wife and mother by should be free to choose that if they wish

as people are free from external constraints (patriarchy) they are able to self realise (they aspire beyond traditional gender roles) </p>

Question 65

<p>examples of the legal advancements pursued by liberal feminists </p>

Answer 65

<p>equal pay for women doing work of equal value to men

legal right to abortion

legal protection against violence and rape in relationships

proposing positive discrimination (affirmative action USA) </p>

Question 66

<p>examples of the attitudinal changes promoted by liberal feminists </p>

Answer 66

<p>promoting the belief that women have equal capabilities to men except in purely physical work

no rational basis for discrimination in employment

raising educational expectations for girls and young women

women should be able to have complete control over their own bodies eg contraception and sexual health </p>

Question 67

<p>why do radical feminists think political liberation is insufficient </p>

Answer 67

<p>all relationships between men and women are political; patriarchy evaded women’s minds and holds their consiousness

the personal is the political (hanisch)

germaine greer argued the liberation of women comes from their mind as women free themselves from exploitative relationships with men and assert their identity

politics is redefined in terms of identity - a revolution of consiousness in both men and women </p>

Question 68

<p>for marxists, where does patriarchy arise from </p>

Answer 68

<p>Engels - The Origin of the Family Private Property and the State 1884

patriarchy arose as a result of the institution of private property and the need for men to ensure property would be passed onto their sons through marriage

it is a symptom of capitalism </p>

Question 69

<p>how does confining women go the domestic sphere serve capitalism </p>

Answer 69

<p>turns women into a reserve army of labour

relieves men of the burden of housework and child rearing
so allowing them to concentrate their time and energy on paid employment

giving male workers a powerful incentive to find and keep a job because they have wives and children to support </p>

Question 70

<p>how will female emancipation happen with radical social change </p>

Answer 70

<p>Robert Own &amp;amp; Charles Fourier
traditional marxists feminists have argued that the creation of socialism as it imposes equality will liberate women
women get equal rewards

Juliet Mitchell analysed the family as the root of workplace inferiority

paying women and men for housework and child rearing as if it were professional

women to not have to face an artificial choice between unpaid housework that puts them in economic control of men</p>

Question 71

<p>explain the meaning of androgyny</p>

Answer 71

<p>men and women have the same basic nature as humans

sexual differences are biological facts of life but they have no social political or economic significance

from this perspective, gender divisions are politically and socially constructed; encouraging women to be feminine and men to be masculine

as these identities are constructed can be reconstructed and even demolished it enables people to have genderless personhood

an andryogynous society power relationships would come to an end and true gender equality would emerge

the characteristics of men and women identical </p>

Question 72

<p>explain the meaning of essentialism</p>

Answer 72

<p>the belief that biological factors are crucial in determining psychological and behavioural traits

gender differences seem to be rooted in the deep and unchangeable sexual identities of women and men

personhood is a myth because women and men are different

men are biologically inclined to be oppressive and controlling while women are thought to be naturally caring and sympathetic

these traits reflect a deeper hormonal and genetic difference which enables these distinctive characteristics

recognising not removing difference brings about female emancipation - difference not equality </p>

Question 73

<p>describe difference feminists </p>

Answer 73

<p>men not patriarchy is the problem

often subscribe to a pro women position - mary daly

in which women withdraw from fundamentally corrupt make society</p>

Question 74

<p>why have socialists criticised feminism</p>

Answer 74

<p>Socialists have criticised feminism as it emphasises the conflict of interest between women and men rather than the conflict of interest between capital and labour. Some socialists would argue that this can weaken class consciousness and undermine the prospects of fundamental social change.</p>

Question 75

why have feminists sought to redefine the nature of politics

Answer 75

Modern feminists have insisted politics is an activity that takes place within all social groups, not merely confined to governments or other public bodies.

Politics has traditionally been confined to the public sphere of life, something that has always been the preserve of men. By contrast, women have been confined to the private sphere and domesticity, excluded from politics and the public sphere.

If politics takes place only in the public sphere, then the role of women in society, and questions of sexual inequality are of negligible political importance.

leads women to challenge the divide between the “public man” and the “private woman”.

‘the personal is the political’ (Hanisch) and the public/private divide should be broken down.

Socialist feminists have similarly viewed the personal sphere as political, as womens roles in the nuclear family maintain the capitalist economic system.

Radicals argue this is necessary because female oppression operates in all walks of life, and originates in the family itself (an arena generally thought of as private). They redefine politics in terms of the “politics of everyday life”.

Question 76

Why do socialist feminists argue the sexual division of labour serves the interests of capitalism?

Answer 76

turning women to constitute a ‘reserve army of labour’,

relieving men of the burden of housework and child-rearing, so allowing them to concentrate their time and energy on paid employment

giving male workers a powerful incentive to find and keep a job because they have wives and children to support

Question 77

why do some feminists criticise gender equality

Answer 77

Gender equality is based on the idea of androgyny and so blurs deep differences between women and men. Therefore, the distinctive characteristics of the female sex are ignored, becoming sexless ‘persons’.
This often leads difference feminists such as Mary Daly to a ‘pro-woman’ approach, accepting that sex differences at a pyscho-biological level have political and social importance.
Difference feminists celebrate the “feminine” focusing on traditionally viewed female traits, such as empathy, nurture, creativity and care.
These traits reflect a deeper hormonal and genetic difference, which enables these distinctive characteristics. This approach leads to cultural feminism, an emphasis on women’s arts and literature, unique as they embody female experience alone e.g. childbirth, motherhood.

To call for equality between women and men invariably encourages women to be ‘like men’; that is be male-identified.
This “deprives society of their distinctive contributions, making society defined solely in terms of men”.
Gender equality thus perpetrates oppression; therefore, the goal of feminism is female emancipation, not equality. Emancipation and liberation would involve achieving fulfilment as a woman; being ‘female-identified’.

Question 78

explain the feminist support for androgyny

Answer 78

liberals - betty Friedan
radicals - kate millet

Feminists who believe in androgyny hold that women and men have the same basic nature as human beings.
Such a view accepts that sexual differences are biological facts of life but insists that they have no social, political or economic significance.
From this perspective, gender divisions are politically or socially constructed, often through stereotypes that encourage women to be ‘feminine’ and men to be ‘masculine’.
Millet argues this occurs through “conditioning”: from a very early age, men and women are encouraged to conform to very specific gender identities - this takes place within the family “the patriarchy chief institution” and wider society in literature, art, public life etc

As these identities are constructed, they can be reconstructed and even demolished, enabling people to achieve a genderless ‘personhood’.

Millet argued this could occur through consciousness raising
Friedan argued this could be made possible by opening up broader opportunities for women in work and public life

Question 79

what two key ideas unite all schools of feminism

Answer 79

o Women disadvantaged due to virtue of sex
o This disadvantage is rectifiable and can/should be overthrown
o Core theme = advance social role of women supported by all feminists

Question 80

explain how the three schools of feminism are divided on the nature/origins of female subordination

Answer 80

radical = patriarchy institutionalised, originates from family
socialists = economic terms, confinement to domestic sphere and lack of pay for their housework
liberals=inequality in public life; rationality not recognised

Question 81

explain how the three schools of feminism are divided on strategies to reduce female subordination

Answer 81

liberals advance equal access in public realm through reform; Mary Wollstonecraft EDUCATION
Right to choose

radicals advance fundamental change and abolition of patriarchy through revolution/radical change;
e.g. protest against miss america pageant 1968

socialists advocate emancipation with abolition of capitalism and patriarchy – interlocked systems of oppression)
Engels: socialisation of housework/chores

Question 82

explain the equality/difference divide within feminism

Answer 82

Egalitarian feminists seek equality with men
“biology is NOT destiny”

Androgynous society
Liberal: PUBLIC formal equality
Radical: PRIVATE sexual expression domestic

Difference feminists emphasise fundamental, biological differences in traits/characters of women and men;
equality implies ‘like men’ and perpetuates oppression

celebrate the feminine (Mary Daly) pro-woman
women should seek separateness/withdrawal from corruption of male society, lesbian enclaves

Question 83

how have liberal feminists criticised difference feminism

Answer 83

as patriarchal society considers women the ‘other’, when there is no valid reason or case to place them as ‘the second sex’,

especially given modern technology and contraception that make biology irrelevant – difference reinforces their oppression.

Question 84

explain the divides between third wave feminism

Answer 84

Lesbian feminism; personal is political in extreme (all relations = political, so should cease- lesbianism = political and sexual choice)

Black feminism; post civil rights movement, reaction against white middle class

intersectionality: white woman (unwilled pregnancy), african-american (compulsory sterilisation programmes)
e. g. bell hooks

Question 85

in what ways do radical feminists overlap with liberal feminists

Answer 85

Both traditions characterised by belief women are disadvantaged by virtue of sex; this disadvantage can and should be overthrown

Liberal feminists and most radical feminists subscribe to equality feminism. Believe in androgyny (possession of both characteristics and ‘personhood’).

Committed therefore to liberating women from gender oppression, rather than celebrate differences between two

Question 86

explain the strategic differences between liberal and radical feminists

Answer 86

liberal feminism is reformist, believing that meaningful improvement in the position and status of women can be achieved gradually through legal and political reform.

Radical feminism is revolutionary in terms of its goals and sometimes its means: consciousness raising as means of illuminating inner oppression (conditioning from family of predetermined roles).

Question 87

explain the public/private divide difference between liberal and radical feminists

Answer 87

Radical feminists believe ‘personal is the political’, patriarchy in society stems from family organisation; implies need for radical, fundamental social change (change in family life and organisation).

Liberal feminists stress need to maintain private realm (individualism and personal freedom; Friedan; can choose domestic role if please), primarily concerned with transformation of public realm (= access in education, careers etc.) Wollstonecraft

Question 88

describe the difference in the fundamental concerns of liberal and radical feminists

Answer 88

Radical feminists believe gender = deepest, most politically significant division, reflected through patriarchal system which is institutionalised, systematic and pervasive;

liberal feminists primarily concerned with gender inequality (individual rights and entitlements)

Question 89

how is liberalism compatible with feminism

Answer 89

Concept of individualism implies individuals entitled to equal treatment regardless of sex (meritocratic judgement as opposed to sex). Rationality.

This leads to rejection of any form of female discrimination and belief in = rights

Liberalism inspired movement of female suffrage (= political rights)

‘first-wave’ feminism essentially liberal in character (18th century to 1960s)

Question 90

how is socialism compatible with feminism

Answer 90

Patriarchy only understood in light of social/economic factors
View patriarchy + capitalism as interlocking systems of oppression
Women = reserve army of labour; confined to domestic sphere under cap
Underpins patriarchy and capitalism (incentive for men to hold job)

Engels – subordinate role of women originates in institution of private property
Men only want sons to inherit property

Female emancipation only achievable through radical social change (to abolish capitalism and therefore undermine patriarchy)

Question 91

why do radical feminists argue feminism is incompatible with other ideologies

Answer 91

Radical feminists argue patriarchy only overthrown by radical social change
Patriarchal formation of family abolished and replaced (patriarchy stems from family oppression); fundamental social change


Question 92

why do radical feminists argue liberalism is inadequate

Answer 92

Liberalism feminists argue feminist ends achievable in existing structure through reform; does not seek revolution and the abolition of the public private divide

preaches individualismo not sisterhood

Question 93

why do radical feminists argue socialism is inadequate

Answer 93

socialist feminists argue feminist ends achievable through abolition of private property

doesn’t deal with issue of family patriarchy

more concerned with class war rather than sex war; emphasis on importance of labour movements as a result of capitalism tends to blur or conceal gender divisions

Question 94

how does liberalism criticise the personal is the political

Answer 94

important to remain the divide

individualism; private sphere defined as a realm of freedom

women freedom of choice
if thats domestic Friedan

Question 95

what is liberal feminism defined by

Answer 95

access to public realm male and females

oppose legal and attitudinal discrimination

focus on public reform a

Question 96

in what way is feminism defined by the belief the personal is political

Answer 96

oppression operates in all of life

conditioning in family (expected roles of masculinity femininity)

distribution of housework (women expected to do more)

sexual conduct is the root of patriarchal oppression

Question 97

how do the three schools of feminism view gender equality

Answer 97

o Liberal feminists understand the quest for equality in terms of equal rights and equal opportunities, especially in the public realm.

o Socialist feminists place an emphasis on social equality and combating capitalism.

o Radical feminists, for their part, are primarily concerned with the quest for equal personal power, power, above all, in the personal sphere.

Question 98

how did simone de Beauvoir view femininity

Answer 98

femininity and domesticity are not natural attributes of womanhood

artificial creations which limits women’s freedom and deny them the expression of their full humanity

woman’s biology had PREVIOUSLY made their secondary situation irrelevant
but technology and contraception make biology irrelevant

Question 99

explain lesbian feminists opposition to heterosexuality

Answer 99

it entailed men’s social power and should be rejected

lesbianism is not just a personal choice but is politically empowering
liberating women from the need to please men

Question 100

what is the method of cultural feminists for female liberation

Answer 100

male control of culture language and knowledge
challenge patriarchal assumptions to be internalised by women as well as by men

create a counter culture to expose male bias and assert female knowledge at all levels
eg rediscovery of women’s history to the development of gender neutral language

eg bell hooks: language itself is a construct that supports racism and sexism; dismantling it is crucial to mental and physical liberation.

Question 101

who advocates cultural feminism

Answer 101

difference feminists
encouraging women to become female identified
embracing women’s unique contributions to society in art and literature
as women alone can experience certain things e.g. childbirth

Question 102

why is the sex gender difference crucial for difference feminists

Answer 102

difference feminists absolutely disagree with this distinction, instead arguing that there are profound and ineradicable differences between men and women.

essentialist perspective, social and cultural characteristics are reflective of deeper biological distinctions.

not distinguishing between sex and gender is how women are freed – they should not be encouraged to behave ‘like men’, as this deprives society of their distinctive contributions.

they should embrace their womanly traits of being caring, compassionate and sympathetic, becoming ‘female identified’.

This approach leads to cultural feminism, an emphasis on women’s arts and literature, unique as they embody female experience alone e.g. childbirth, motherhood.

Question 103

why have post modern feminists emphasised the sex gender distinction

Answer 103

who have questioned whether the distinction between ‘sex’ is a clear cut biological distinction.

For example, the features of biological womanhood do not apply to many who are classified as women: some women can’t have children, not sexually attracted to men etc.

If biology and culture are blurred rather than clear cut in a fixed divide, then the categories male and female become arbitrary – the distinction between sex and gender becomes hopelessly entangled.

Question 104

how have feminists sought to redefine the nature of politics

Answer 104

radical feminists analyse:

personal and sexual conduct/ conditioning: consciousness raising groups

domestic responsibilities and housework:`can involve transferring the responsibilities of private life to other public bodies. E.g. the burden of child rearing on women could be relieved by more generous welfare support or provision of free nursery schools at work

Question 105

why is gender the most important of all social divisions for radical feminists?

Answer 105

Greer suggested women are conditioned to a passive sexual role, which has repressed their true sexuality as well as the more active and adventurous side of their personalities.

‘Castrated’ and turned into sexless objects by stereotypes. Millett described patriarchy as a ‘social constant’ running through all structures of society.

Different roles of men and women originate from process of ‘conditioning’ – conform to specific gender identities from young age. Family largely responsible for this, ‘patriarchy’s chief institution’.

Question 106

explain the radical feminist belief in social revolution

Answer 106

Patriarchy should be challenged through ‘consciousness raising’ – strategies to remodel social identity and challenge cultural inferiority by an emphasis on pride, self-worth and self-assertion.

Sexual oppression fundamental feature of society – gender deepest social cleavage.

Female liberation thus requires a sexual revolution to overthrow structures, a goal based on the assumption that human nature is androgynous. SDB ‘woman is not born’,.

Some go as far as separatism as they believe the root of the patriarchy lies within the male sex.

Question 107

explain the radical feminist belief ‘the personal is the political’

Answer 107

Public/private divide helps to domesticate women ­ Friedan in the ‘feminist mystique’ argued that the divide creates a cultural myth that women seek security + fulfilment in domestic life, the myth seeks to discourage women from entering employment, politics and other forms of public life.

She highlights what she called ‘the problem with no name’ = the sense of despair + deep unhappiness many women experience cos they’re confined to a domestic existence unable to gain fulfilment in career etc.

Figes ­ in all walks of life women are portrayed as inferior + subordinate to men, stereotype of femininity imposed on women by men.

Question 108

why do radical feminists claim the personal is the political?

(public/private divide helps to domesticate women)

Answer 108

Friedan in the ‘feminist mystique’ argued that the divide creates a cultural myth that women seek security + fulfillment in domestic life, the myth seeks to discourage women from entering employment, politics and other forms of public life.

She highlights what she called ‘the problem with no name’ = the sense of despair + deep unhappiness many women experience cos they’re confined to a domestic existence unable to gain fulfillment in career etc.

Figes ­ in all walks of life women are portrayed as inferior + subordinate to men, stereotype of femininity imposed on women by men.

Question 109

why do radical feminists claim the personal is the political?

(helps to legitimise patriarchy)

Answer 109

Millett described the patriarchy as a social constraint running through all political, social + economic structures.

It socially conditions women and men to accepting different roles in society and encourages them to conform to gender identities.

Greer argues that female liberation requires a sexual revolution as women are currently conditioned to passive sexual roles + an overthrow of the structures in society and a move towards an androgynous society.

If politics takes place only within the public sphere, the role of women and the question of sexual equality are issues of little/no political importance.
Women are effectively excluded from politics.

Question 110

why do radical feminists claim the personal is the political?

(helps to conceal oppression)

Answer 110

Radicals argue liberals advance institutional reform whilst ignoring the interpersonal power of men over women.

Radicals such as the Redstockings identify male supremacy as the oldest, most basic form of discrimination with all other forms of exploitation simply being expressions of male supremacy.

Therefore, sexist foundations need to be publicly exposed in the public and private.

Patriarchy should be challenged through ‘consciousness­raising’ – strategies to remodel social identity and challenge cultural inferiority by an emphasis on pride, self­worth and self­assertion