Feminist perspective of the family

Question 1

What are the different types of feminists?

Criticism of the feminist perspective in general:

(-) ignores family diversity and structure,
focuses on nuclear family e.g radical feminists don’t elaborate on how families with no male dominating figure (women-dominated single parent households or lesbian couples) are affected

Answer 1

Radical Feminists

Marxist feminists

Liberal Feminists

• also Black feminists

Question 2

What is the radical feminist perspective?

Answer 2

• families contribute to exploitation of women due to male domination + power
• family ensures women stay out of work to nurture children - makes them financially dependent on men = male power. Limits the women’s potential

(+) male domination idea uses functionalist ‘expressive roles’ to support point

Question 3

What are the criticisms of the radical feminist perspective?

Answer 3

(-) too much emphasises on men and the passiveness of women. some sociologists argue that women can overcome patriarchy if they act as individuals (individualisation thesis)

(-) ‘march of progress’ suggests improvement - men ‘help’ in the house

Question 4

What is the marxist feminist perspective?

Answer 4

• exploitation of women in families benefits capitalism
• ‘march of progress’ can create duel-burden - women have the responsibility of male role + female role e.g a job AND housework, providing emotional nurture for children, etc
• exploited because:
- domestic division of labour: duel burden = women have more work and less pay (housework goes unpaid)
- gender pay gap - discrimination in work

Question 5

What are the criticisms of the marxist perspective?

Answer 5

(-) ignores culture, sexuality and race

(-) too much emphasis on women’s exploitation in work - marxists say that both men and women are exploited in work + families socialise us to accept this

Question 6

What is the Liberal feminist perspective?

Answer 6

• both men and women are negatively affected by ‘home maker’ and ‘bread winner’ roles in families
• men are pressured to get good jobs and pay to provide for family due to bread winner role, if not they may be embarrassed
• women are pressured to do many tasks e.g nurture children + work + be independent

Question 7

What are the criticisms of the liberal feminist perspective?

Answer 7

(-) assumes all women want to work, whereas this may not be true: post-modern feminists believe that individuals want different theres therefore some women may actually want a homemaker lifestyle

Question 8

What is the black feminist perspective?

What is a criticism of it?

Answer 8

• black women/non-white women endure more exploitation because families socialise racism

(-) ignores sex and class, too much emphasis on race