Feminism - Theories

Question 1

What does Liberal Feminism think of society generally?

Answer 1

• Optimistic theory
• Concerned with human civil rights and freedom
• Men and women should be equal but change must be gradual and careful

Question 2

What do Liberal feminists think has changed and what still needs to change?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What are Oakley’s key ideas? (Liberal)

Answer 3

• Sex = biological difference between men and women

- Gender = culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’

Question 4

What are 2 criticisms of Liberal feminism?

Answer 4

1) Agencies of socialisation are very male stream so further the interests of men
2) Equal Pay act but there is still unequal pay

Question 5

What does Radical Feminism think of society generally?

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

What change do Radical feminists want?

Answer 6

• Separatism (men and women living apart)
• Consciousness raising (women share experiences in groups)
• Political lesbianism (recommend lesbianism as only non-oppressive sexuality)

Question 7

What does Firesmith suggest? (Radical)

Answer 7

The roots of women’s oppression lie in the biological ability of women to have children which makes them dependent on men

Question 8

What are 2 criticisms of Radical feminism?

Answer 8

1) From a liberal perspective there has been a march of progress which radical feminists ignore
2) People don’t want separatism = unrealistic

Question 9

What does Marxist Feminism think of society generally?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

What does Barrett suggest?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

What are 2 criticisms of Marxist feminism?

Answer 11

1) Economically deterministic

2) Communist societies in the past have not benefited women

Question 12

What does Dual-Systems Feminism think of society generally?

Answer 12

Combine Marxists and Radical feminism’s views = ‘patriarchal capitalism’

Question 13

What does Hartmann suggest? (Dual-Systems)

Answer 13

• Capitalism and patriarchy reinforce each other

- There is a glass ceiling and dual burden

Question 14

What are 2 criticisms of Dual-Systems feminism?

Answer 14

1) Economically deterministic

2) Separatism is unrealistic

Question 15

What does Difference Feminism think of society generally?

Answer 15

• Different classes, ethnicities and sexualities have different experiences of patriarchy
• Black women are discriminated against at every stage in life
• Disagree with ‘essentialism’

Question 16

What does Dunne suggest?

Answer 16

• Expectations of norms for men and women are different in lesbian relationships as their are no gender scripts

Question 17

What is a criticism of Difference feminism?

Answer 17

1) Makes it more difficult to enforce social policy

Question 18

What is Poststructuralism Feminism concerned with? (Butler)

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Why does Butler suggest PS Feminism has advantages over the others?

Answer 19

Gives women the ability to analyse different discourses to reveal how they disadvantage different women

Question 20

What are 2 criticisms of PS feminism?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

What does Oakley suggest? (Family)

Answer 21

Housewife role is socially constructed/dual burden

Question 22

What does Ansley suggest? (Family)

Answer 22

Women are ‘the takers of shit’

Question 23

What do Dobash and Dobash suggest? (Family)

Answer 23

Marriage legitimates domestic violence

Question 24

What do Mac and Ghaill suggest? (Education)

Answer 24

There is a male gaze which reinforces hegemonic masculinity

Question 25

What does Sharp suggest? (Education)

Answer 25

Girls have become more aspirational

Question 26

What does Lobban suggest (Education)

Answer 26

Reading schemes reinforce gender roles

Question 27

What does Daly suggest? (Beliefs)

Answer 27

Christianity spreads a patriarchal myth

Question 28

What does Watson suggest? (Beliefs)

Answer 28

Veil allows women to avoid male gaze

Question 29

What does Heidnsohn suggest? (Crime)

Answer 29

CJS influenced by attitudes to gender = women treated more harshly when they deviate from the norms of female sexuality

Question 30

What does Carlen suggest? (Crime)

Answer 30

Women are more likely to be sentenced according to the courts assessment of them as wives and mothers rather than the severity of their crime

Question 31

What does Adler suggest? (Crime)

Answer 31

As women become more liberated from patriarchy their crime will become as frequent and serious as men’s

Question 32

What are 4 general strengths of Feminism?

Answer 32

1) Points to how gender is a key social variable
2) Emphasises that men and women experience the world in different ways
3) Addresses the male stream nature of sociology
4) Encourages us to see gaps in sociological research and problems with methods

Question 33

What are 4 general weaknesses of Feminism?

Answer 33

1) Ignores masculinely and that this role is also socially constructed
2) Post feminists believe many battles have been won (e.. over education and work) and that women should enjoy marriage and family
3) Black feminists criticise mainstream feminists for being racist and ignoring their experiences
4) Post modernists suggest women can ‘pick and mix’ and construct their identities so can choose different femininities