Feminism - Theories Flashcards
What does Liberal Feminism think of society generally?
- Optimistic theory
- Concerned with human civil rights and freedom
- Men and women should be equal but change must be gradual and careful
What do Liberal feminists think has changed and what still needs to change?
Gendered socialisation and education are key areas to change but men still need to contribute more to domestic labour and be role models in education
What are Oakley’s key ideas? (Liberal)
- Sex = biological difference between men and women
- Gender = culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’
What are 2 criticisms of Liberal feminism?
1) Agencies of socialisation are very male stream so further the interests of men
2) Equal Pay act but there is still unequal pay
What does Radical Feminism think of society generally?
- Believe patriarchy is universal - male dominance in all societies
- Patriarchy is the most fundamental form of social inequality
- Patriarchal power is exercised through personal relationships by sexual or physical violence
What change do Radical feminists want?
- Separatism (men and women living apart)
- Consciousness raising (women share experiences in groups)
- Political lesbianism (recommend lesbianism as only non-oppressive sexuality)
What does Firesmith suggest? (Radical)
The roots of women’s oppression lie in the biological ability of women to have children which makes them dependent on men
What are 2 criticisms of Radical feminism?
1) From a liberal perspective there has been a march of progress which radical feminists ignore
2) People don’t want separatism = unrealistic
What does Marxist Feminism think of society generally?
- Women used as a source of cheap labour - assumed dependent on husband
- Women’s subordination a result of capitalism
- Women are the reserve labour force and reproduce the labour force
- Ansley ‘women are the takers of shit’ = absorb anger
What does Barrett suggest?
- Women’s roles support capitalists society and ideology
- NF is supposedly the ‘ideal’ place where women can achieve fulfilment from housewife role
- Need of a revolution
What are 2 criticisms of Marxist feminism?
1) Economically deterministic
2) Communist societies in the past have not benefited women
What does Dual-Systems Feminism think of society generally?
Combine Marxists and Radical feminism’s views = ‘patriarchal capitalism’
What does Hartmann suggest? (Dual-Systems)
- Capitalism and patriarchy reinforce each other
- There is a glass ceiling and dual burden
What are 2 criticisms of Dual-Systems feminism?
1) Economically deterministic
2) Separatism is unrealistic
What does Difference Feminism think of society generally?
- Different classes, ethnicities and sexualities have different experiences of patriarchy
- Black women are discriminated against at every stage in life
- Disagree with ‘essentialism’
What does Dunne suggest?
- Expectations of norms for men and women are different in lesbian relationships as their are no gender scripts
What is a criticism of Difference feminism?
1) Makes it more difficult to enforce social policy
What is Poststructuralism Feminism concerned with? (Butler)
- Discourses (a way of seeing, thinking or speaking about something)
- Power/knowledge
Butler: many discourses arising from enlightenment and industrialisation empowered men to use their power over women
Why does Butler suggest PS Feminism has advantages over the others?
Gives women the ability to analyse different discourses to reveal how they disadvantage different women
What are 2 criticisms of PS feminism?
1) Walby: although there are differences between women there are also a lot of similarities such as childbearing experiences
2) Celebrating differences may reduce the power of feminism by sub-grouping women into smaller factions
What does Oakley suggest? (Family)
Housewife role is socially constructed/dual burden
What does Ansley suggest? (Family)
Women are ‘the takers of shit’
What do Dobash and Dobash suggest? (Family)
Marriage legitimates domestic violence
What do Mac and Ghaill suggest? (Education)
There is a male gaze which reinforces hegemonic masculinity
