Feminist Persp Flashcards
Liberal feminists view
-Concerned w campaigning against sex disc & for equal rights for W
-Say W oppressions has lessened through changing attitudes & laws eg Sex Discrimination Act-outlaws dis in employment
-Full equality depends on further reforms & changes in attitudes/socialisation of both sexes. Hold a ‘march of progress view’
Evaluation of lib fem
-Studies show men are doing more DL, changes in socialisation ect
-However M & R feminists believe deep rooted social structures need to be changed. Which Lib fail to challenge & believing laws/ppl is enough.
Marxist feminist view
-Argue main cause of W oppression in family is capitalism, not men. This performs several functions for capitalism…
-Reproduce labour force
-Absorb anger
-Reserve army of cheap labour
-See W oppression in family linked to exploitation of wc, believe family must be abolished & have a revolution to replace capitalism w a classless
Radical Feminists view
-Argue all societies are founded on patriarchy.Key divisions between M&W
-Men are the enemy
-Family & marriage are the key institutions in patriarchal society. M benefit from unpaid DL, sexual services, dominate them with DV.
-Patriarchal system & family must be abolished. Through separatism and political lesbianism- it’s ‘sleeping with the enemy’
Evaluation of radical feminists
-Liberal fem Somerville: they fail to recognise that W position has improved considerably. Access to divorce, jobs, fertility control, marriage ect. (Also heterosexual attraction makes separatism unlikely)
-But she does recognise women have yet to achieve full equality. There’s a need for ‘family friendly’ policies to promote greater equality
Difference feminist approach
-Argues we cannot assume/ generalise women’s experiences. lesbian & straight, black & white, mc & wc women have very diff experiences.
Eg by regarding the family as purely negative, W feminists neglect B experiences of racial oppression. Instead B fem view the B family positively ie a source of support & resistance against racism
Critique of difference feminism
Other feminists argue they neglect the fact that all women share many of the same experiences.
Eg all face risk of DV, sexual assault, low pay ect
