Feminism Perspective On The Family

Question 1

Liberal feminists

Answer 1

• campaign against sex discrimination and for women’s equal rights / opportunities.
• argues women’s oppression is gradually overcome by changing attitudes via law changes like Sex Discrimination Act 1975 . They believe we are moving towards greater equality but full equality comes from more reforms and changes in attitudes / socialisation.
• they view the family similarly to march of progress, for example studies shows men are doing more domestic labour and sons/ daughters are being socialised into more equal aspirations .

Question 2

Criticisms of liberal feminists

Answer 2

• they don’t challenge underlying causes of oppression and their attitude /law changes aren’t enough to bring equality .
  -Marxists/ radical feminists argue deep-rooted structures need big changes for equality to happen.

Question 3

Marxists feminists

Answer 3

• argue main cause of women’s oppression in the family is capitalism , not men . They link women’s oppression to exploiting the WC so therefore argues
  The family needs to be abolished at the same time as a socialist revolution.
• women produce labour force because of unpaid domestic labour, socialising the next generation of workers and maintaining/ servicing the current one .
• women absorb anger , so it’s not aimed at capitalism . Ansley 1972 says wives are takers of shit who absorb the frustration husbands get from alienation / exploitation at work .
• women are reserve army of cheap labour , because they are recruited when extra workers are needed , then ‘let go’ to their unpaid domestic role later .

Question 4

Radical feminists

Answer 4

• argue all societies are founded on patriarchy , and society’s key divide is between men and women.
• men are the enemy because they are the source of women’s oppression or exploitation.
• family / marriage are key institutions of a partriachal society. men benefit from unpaid domestic labour/sexual services, and dominate women through or threatening domestic/sexual violence.
  -They argue patriarchal society need to be overturned and that the family is the root of women’s oppression, so it must be abolished.
  -This is done by separatism, men/women living independently.
  -Some radical feminists want political lesbianism as straight relationships are oppressive and ‘sleeping with the enemy’.
  -Greer (2000)- argues for creation of all-female/matrilocal households as an alternative to heterosexual families.

Question 5

Criticisms of radical feminists

Answer 5

-Somerville (2000)-liberal feminist who says radicals fail to acknowledge that women’s position has improved a lot- better divorce access, job opportunities, fertility control, choosing marriage or cohabiting, etc.
-Also argues heterosexual attraction means political lesbianism won’t work-
-Equality will come from family friendly policies like flexible working.

Question 6

Difference feminists

Answer 6

-Difference feminists don’t assume all women live in conventional nuclear families- they say we can’t generalise women’s experiences.
-They say lesbian, heterosexual, black white, MC and WC women all have different experiences of family. EG: white feminists regarding family as all negative. Black feminists see the black family as positive because they’re a source of support/resistance to racism.
- Criticisms- other feminists say difference feminists ignore the shared experiences women do have, like all facing the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, low pay, etc.