Feminism

Question 1

General view…

Answer 1

Family is a tool of female oppression
Serves the needs of men rather than women
This is through issues such as domestic labour and violence
Gender inequality is a construct not a natural phenomena

Question 2

What do liberal feminists believe?

Answer 2

Families are slowly becoming more equal via changes in law and social attitudes however full equality has not been achieved
E.g. parents are now socialising their children in more gender neutral ways both genders are now getting chores

Question 3

Criticisms of liberal feminists theory

Answer 3

Overstated the amount of progress
Women still have the triple shift
Marxists and radical feminists claim they fail to challenge the underlying issues behind female oppression, laws cannot change this, there needs to be a change in social structures

Question 4

What is meant by triple shift?

Answer 4

The three roles that women are expected to perform for the family

1. emotional support
2. domestic labour
3. paid work

Question 5

Radical feminism

Answer 5

Men are the enemy- marriage and family aid the existence of the patriarchy
In order to reach equality the patriarchy needs to be overturned
Want political lesbianism because heterosexual relationships are oppressive
Greer- society has made people think women only exist to be a wife and a mother

Question 6

Criticisms over radical feminist theory

Answer 6

Somerville-fail to see improvements
Better access to divorce+control over fertility = women are no longer trapped
Separatism is unobtainable due to heterosexual attraction

Question 7

Marxist Feminist theory

Answer 7

Family is a tool of capitalism whilst also pressing women in three ways;

1. Women reproduce the workforce then socialise them
2. Women absorb the anger of men. Ansley-women are takers of shit
3. Women are a reserve army of cheap labour that can be activated when they are needed e.g. WW2

Question 8

Criticism of the Marxist feminist theory

Answer 8

Women are no longer a reserved workforce as they have equal rights at work and are just as likely as men to be the breadwinner in the family

Question 9

Intersectional feminism

Answer 9

States that other feminist beliefs focus on the experience of women in the nuclear family, not other families
Not all women will have the same experience of family life

Question 10

Criticism of intersectional feminism

Answer 10

Neglects the fact many women share the same experiences of family regardless of ethnicity or social class