Feminism- The Origins of Feminism & The different types of Feminism & The different types of Feminism Flashcards
Patriarchy
Feminists use this term to describe society dominated by men and where women’s status is inferior. Patriarchy can be so powerful that women are unaware that it is actually happening.
Gender stereotype
The argument that men’s and women’s gender roles are predetermined by society so that they are socialised to behave in a certain way
Equality of opportunity
Everyone, regardless of their gender, should have the same life chances in society.
Political equality
Women should have the same right to vote and protest as men.
Gender equality
Men and women should be treated the same within society.
Legal equality
Everybody should be treated the same in the eyes of the law. For feminists this means that women should have exactly the same lawful rights as men.
Reformism
Believing that society can be reformed. In a feminist context, this means that negative consequences of oppression can, by legislation, gradually alter until equality is achieved.
Discrimination
Treating a group or an individual less favourably than another group or individual. In feminism, it refers to women being treated less favourably than men in a variety of ways.
Otherness
Women are treated as an inferior minority who are subordinate to men in a patriarchal society
Public sphere
The visible area of society where relationships are public, such as in culture and civic life, and in the workplace.
Private sphere
The area of society where relationships are seen as private. These relationships are less visible and centred on the home and domestic life.
Intersectionality
Challenging the belief that gender is the singular most important factor in determining a woman’s experience. Rather, women have multiple overlapping intersecting identities, including race, class, age and religion.
Generalising about the female experiences of patriarchy is pointless when white middle-class women will have a very different experience from black working-class women and other ‘types’ of women.
Where have feminist role models and themes been traced back to?
Feminist role models and themes have been traced back to ancient Greece.
When did feminism emerge as a set of political ideas?
Feminism emerged as a set of political ideas over four waves from 1790 to the present day.
What is a common theme in feminism for explaining female oppression?
Patriarchy is a common theme for explaining female oppression.
What is the debate within feminism regarding patriarchy?
There is disagreement and debate over the exact role and nature of patriarchy, as well as potential solutions to female inequality.
What is the goal of liberal feminists like Simone de Beauvoir and Charlotte Perkins Gilman?
Liberal feminists aim to reform society to remove its patriarchal elements.
What do socialist and radical feminists, such as Sheila Rowbotham and Kate Millett, advocate for?
Socialist and radical feminists believe society is beyond reform and argue for revolution to transform it, though they differ on the format of the revolution.
What is an example of an idea from 1970s radical feminism that is now considered outdated?
The idea of women living in separate lesbian societies is now considered a historical relic and is not widely supported by modern feminists.
What successes has liberal feminism achieved since the 1960s in western democracies?
Liberal feminism has contributed to legislation granting equal rights across a broad spectrum of society.
What is the status of patriarchy and women’s oppression in other parts of the world?
In many parts of the world, patriarchy and the oppression of women remain largely unaltered.
What do third and fourth wave feminists argue about patriarchy?
They argue that patriarchy is constantly mutating and that women face new, complex forms of oppression that vary depending on their particular circumstances.
What critique does bell hooks make about the feminist movement?
Bell hooks argues that the feminist movement has been too focused on the experiences of white women.
What is the contribution of transfeminism to the feminist movement?
Transfeminism has added nuance to discussions of gender and sex, broadening the understanding of oppression and inequality.
What are the four main types of feminism?
The four main types of feminism are:
1. Liberal feminism
2. Socialist feminism
3. Radical feminism
4. Postmodern feminism
How has feminism developed over time?
Feminism has developed through four key waves.
What are the views of third and fourth wave feminists on modern oppression?
They believe women face new, complex forms of oppression that are not limited to male oppression and vary depending on individual circumstances.
How does liberal feminism differ from socialist and radical feminism?
Liberal feminism seeks to reform society, whereas socialist and radical feminism argue for revolution to achieve transformation.
Why is the idea of separate lesbian societies not prominent in modern feminism?
It is considered an outdated concept and is not a solution favoured by many modern feminist
What are the four waves of feminism?
The four waves of feminism are:
1.First wave feminism (1790-1940s)
2.Second wave feminism (1960s-1980s)
3.Third wave feminism (1990s to early 2000s)
4.Fourth wave feminism (post-2008)
First Wave Feminism (1790-1940s)
Which type of feminism was prominent during the first wave?
Liberal feminism.
First Wave Feminism (1790-1940s)
Who were key figures in first wave feminism?
•Mary Wollstonecraft (rights for women)
•Charlotte Perkins Gilman (sex, domestic economics, societal pressure)
•Suffragists (emancipation)
•Suffragettes
First Wave Feminism (1790-1940s)
What other ideologies influenced first wave feminism?
Socialist feminism, influenced by Friedrich Engels (revolutionary communism).
Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s)
Which types of feminism were prominent during the second wave?
Liberal, socialist, and radical feminism.
Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s) Who were key liberal feminist figures during the second wave?
•Betty Friedan (personhood)
•Simone de Beauvoir (sex and gender, otherness).
Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s)
Who were key socialist feminist figures during the second wave?
•Sheila Rowbotham (capitalism and family)
•Juliet Mitchell (capitalism and family life)
•Chicago Women’s Liberation Front.
Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s)
Who were key radical feminist figures during the second wave?
•Carol Hanisch (personal is political)
•Kate Millett (family, art, literature)
•Shulamith Firestone (reproduction)
•Andrea Dworkin (pornography)
•Germaine Greer (sexuality)
•Charlotte Bunch (separate societies, lesbianism as a political choice).
Second Wave Feminism (1960s-1980s)
What are some subcategories of second wave feminism?
•Ecofeminism: Carolyn Merchant (patriarchy dominates nature and women).
•Difference feminism: Carol Gilligan (different, not equal).
Third Wave Feminism (1990s to early 2000s)
Which types of feminism were prominent during the third wave?
Postmodern feminism, post-feminism, and liberal feminism.
Third Wave Feminism (1990s to early 2000s)
Who were key postmodern feminist figures during the third wave?
•bell hooks (women of color)
•Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards (successive generational reinterpretation of feminism).
Third Wave Feminism (1990s to early 2000s)
Who were key post-feminist figures during the third wave?
•Camille Paglia (against ‘victimhood’)
•Natasha Walter (political, economic, social, hypersexualization).
Third Wave Feminism (1990s to early 2000s)
Who were key liberal feminist figures during the third wave?
•Sylvia Walby (six structures of patriarchy)
•Naomi Wolf (body image, technology, pornography).
Fourth Wave Feminism (Post-2008)
Which types of feminism are prominent during the fourth wave?
Postmodern feminism and transfeminism.
Fourth Wave Feminism (Post-2008)
Who are key figures and movements in fourth wave feminism?
•Femen (sexual exploitation, dictatorship, religion)
•SlutWalk (rape)
•Pussy Riot (religion, dictatorship, LGBTQ+)
•Kira Cochrane (technology)
•Kimberlé Crenshaw (intersectionality)
•Soma Sara (rape culture through “Everyone’s Invited”).
Fourth Wave Feminism (Post-2008)
What is transfeminism?
Transfeminism advocates for liberation for trans women.
What does liberal feminism argue can be eliminated via democratic pressure?
Gender stereotypes.
Which sphere does liberal feminism focus on, and which sphere do they argue is outside the remit of political analysis?
Liberal feminism focuses on the public sphere (society) and argues that the private sphere (family) is outside the remit of political analysis.
Which values heavily influence liberal feminism?
Liberal values of individualism, foundational equality, and equality of opportunity.
What liberty do liberal feminists argue women require?
The same liberty as men in determining their role in society and the labour force.
What did Mary Wollstonecraft argue for in A Vindication of the Rights of Women?
Political equality and that women should have the vote.
What assumption did first wave feminists make about political emancipation?
That political emancipation would lead to gender equality and legal equality.
What did Charlotte Perkins Gilman argue about biological differences?
That biological differences were irrelevant and women were intellectually equal to men.
What did Simone de Beauvoir argue about gender differences?
That gender differences are not natural but are the creation of men.
What did Betty Friedan argue society confined women to?
The narrow roles of housewife and mother, which alienated and oppressed women.
What did Betty Friedan champion?
Equality of opportunity across the public sphere and legal and economic equality with men.
What do third wave liberal feminists argue about patriarchy?
That patriarchy is constantly changing and adapting in how it oppresses women.
What did Naomi Wolf claim about patriarchy and technology?
That they determine how women perceive beauty through photoshopped images, which portray an unobtainable fantasy image oppressing young women.
What is the reformist belief of liberal feminists?
That discrimination and oppression can be reformed in both state and society.
What do all socialist feminists argue about economics and gender inequality?
That economics leads to gender inequality and capitalism causes patriarchy.
How is socialist feminism divided?
Into revolutionary and reformist branches, offering differing solutions and disagreeing with each other.
What did Friedrich Engels argue about capitalism and patriarchy?
That capitalism altered societal structures, requiring women to be unpaid helpers for male workers.
How did Engels view women’s role in capitalism?
Women were complicit in reproducing the workforce and socializing children into a cycle of capitalist oppression.
What did Sheila Rowbotham argue about the oppression of women?
That women have always been oppressed and men often fail to understand the nature of this oppression.
What solution did Rowbotham propose for women’s alienation?
A ‘revolution within a revolution’ to destroy both capitalism and patriarchy.
What are the origins of radical feminism?
Second wave feminism.
What do all radical feminists argue about society and patriarchy?
That society is purely patriarchal and a system of oppression unconnected with any other ideology.
What structural changes do radical feminists advocate for?
Fundamental changes to society’s structure.
How do second wave radical feminists differ from liberal feminists in their focus?
They address both the public and private spheres of life, claiming that ‘the personal is political.’
What do radical feminists argue about the private sphere of life?
That ignoring it perpetuates the oppression of women’s domestic circumstances.
What do difference feminists argue about a feminine-dominated world?
That it would be more peaceful and environmentally friendly.
How do ecofeminists relate the oppression of women and nature?
They see both as aspects of the male need to dominate.
What was Erin Pizzey’s contribution to addressing patriarchy in the private sphere?
She set up the first women’s refuge in London in 1971 for victims of domestic violence.
What did Charlotte Bunch argue about heterosexual relationships?
That they were based on power and lesbianism was a political choice.
What did Andrea Dworkin argue about pornography?
That it was symptomatic of men’s perception of women as sex objects.
What did Germaine Greer argue about women’s views of their sexual desires?
That patriarchy socialized women to view their desires as unfeminine and to be embarrassed by their bodies.
What alternative society did Shulamith Firestone envision?
One that eliminated gender distinctions, embraced androgyny, and used advanced technology to challenge biological differences.
What do post-feminists argue about feminist goals?
That most goals have been achieved and women should move on.
What critique did Camille Paglia make about feminism?
That it portrayed women as victims and argued women needed to take responsibility for their lives.
What do postmodern feminists reject?
Generalizations inherent in other feminist traditions.
What does intersectionality challenge?
The notion that gender is the most important factor in understanding women’s lives.
Who coined the term ‘intersectionality’?
Kimberlé Crenshaw.
How do postmodern feminists like Femen view nudity?
As empowering, using topless protests to challenge patriarchy.
What movement challenges patriarchal attitudes toward rape and women’s appearance?
SlutWalk.
How do fourth wave feminists like Kira Cochrane view technology?
As both a source of misogyny and a tool to challenge sexism and misogyny.
What does transfeminism demonstrate?
The complexity of defining sex and gender, aligning with intersectional values.
