Feminist theories Flashcards
Feminism
-top down theory
-structural-conflict theory
-sees society as a male dominated & want to change women’s position in society
- conflict between men & women is universal
-Patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality: women are subordinate because men have more power.
-Gender roles are socially constructed(created by society & social interactions) and not determines by biology -maintained by patriarchy
The First Wave of Feminism
appeared in the late 19th Century, with the Suffragettes’ campaign for women to have the right to vote.
The Second Wave of Feminism emerged in the 1960s and saw the movement go global
- Since then, it has had a major influence on sociology, the mainstream of which it criticises for being male stream - seeing society only from a male perspective;
Liberal/reformist feminis-A02
-Creation of equal opportunities through policy and reformed socialisation is the main aim
Changes in law-sex discrimination pay act
-Changes in education(GIST/WISE)
-Changes in family patterns(42% divorce rate)
-Changes in social attitudes
Types of Feminism
- Liberal
- Radical
- Marxist (socialist)
- Difference/postmodern
Liberal Feminists-optimistic theory
-concern with the rights of humans and all should have equal rights
-reformism will achieve gradual change-no revolution needed
-so believe women can achieve gender equality through reform
-gender inequality lies with culture rather than structure-this discrimination can be over come with legislation
institutions are patriarchal we can change them not societies structure
-education should provide equal opportunities
-stereotypes and prejudice about gender difference are the barrier towards equality eg women are more sensitive driven so cant do jobs etc-they say we need a culture change to change this
-They reject the idea that biological differences make women less rational than men
-Political action to introduce anti-discrimanatory laws & policies-more,gender isnt as importance
Sex & gender-liberal feminists-Oakley distinguishes between sex & gender
Sex (biological differences-ie physical)and gender(culturally constructed differences-these ideas about women and men are passed through socialisation) are different
-Sex seen as fixed,whereas gender differences vary between cultures
Liberal Feminists believe that:
-socialisation
Sexist attitudes and stereotypes are culturally constructed and transmitted through socialisation;
* Socialisation must be challenged, for example by promoting role models in the education system/the home;
* Over time this will produce cultural change and gender equality will become the norm;
* LF sees men and women as equally capable of performing the same roles;
* Traditional gender roles prevents both genders from leading fulfilling lives;
Evaluation of liberal feminism
-Seen as over-optimistic
-too much emphasizes on the public life not the private life
-Ignore other factors that cause women’s oppressions- capitalism/patriarchy-offer no explanations for gender inequality
-Marxist & Radical feminists argue that LF fail to recognise the causes of women subordination and are naïve to believe in law-revolution is the only way.
What are the main 2 methods of change in socirty-LF
-Changed in the law
-Re-socialise society-neutral toys,change our culture,remove stereotypes
Radical feminism
patriarchy-a society where men dominate women;
-All men oppress all women-they benefit from patriarchy- from women’s unpaid domestic labour and from their sexual services-pornography-as passive sex objects and sex is the main source of mens pleasure,images of women have been created to satisfy men needs
-Patriarchy is universal
-Men are the enemy
-exploitation of women is directly caused by man benefit from our subordination
Brownmiller
notes that fear of rape is used to keep women from going out alone at night
Sexual politics
The personal is political-RF
-patriarchy is direct and personal
-Men dominate women in all areas of social life & this dominance over females they call sexual politics.
Women are dominated in the workplace as inferior, dominated at home as domestic & sexual services-dominates them as they fear domestic violence
- Personal relationships between the sexes are political as men dominate women through them;
- power is used by men, through sexual and physical violence;
- RFs argue sexuality is socially constructed within patriarchy to focus on men’s desires (e.g. the portrayal of women in pornography as passive sex objects
-oppression occurs both in the public sphere(work)and private sphere(sexual relationships).
Change-strategies to free women from oppression
-Patriarchy & women oppression are reproduced through personal & sexual relationships-a form to oppress women we must transform to ensure liberalisation
-SEPERATISM=living apart from men & create a new culture of female independence from patriarchy and only female society
CONSCIOUS RAISING=women only groups should spread the messages of their experiences to let other women know that they arent alone and they can escape oppression
-POLITICAL LESBIANISM=heterosexual relationships are oppressive bc they involve sleeping and having sex with the enemy and should engage in political lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality-go with women
Evaluation of RF
-Marxists say argue that capitalism is the main cause of women’s oppression and not men.
-RF offers no explanations of why female subordination takes different forms in diff societies -it assumes all women are in the same position and ignores class, ethic etc differences between women
-Somerville-They neglect womens violence against men and violence within lesbian relationships
-LF women position have improved from reforms as a result better job opportunities, better education
Marxist feminism
-see women’s subordination as rooted in capitalism;
* Although men may benefit from it, the main beneficiary is the capitalist system;
- Women’s subordination results from their primary role as unpaid homemaker, which places them in a dependent economic position
What do Radical Feminists want?
- a change in women’s personal/sexual relationships
- fewer male relationships - more independence
- to raise women’s consciousness to the possibility of change in relationships and sexuality
MF-Their subordination performs a number of important functions for capitalism:
- Reserve army of cheap labour
- Women are source of cheap labour for employers;
- Hired and fired when no longer needed to for capitalists;
- Treated this way because it is assumed their primary role is in the home
-dependent on their husbands earnings - Reproduction of the labour force-nurture and socialise children into the next gen of workers -maintaining capitalism
Women absorb anger-they absorb family stress and male anger which is caused by the exploitation they suffer at workt (Ansley - ‘takers of shit’)-this explains male domestic violence against women
BARRETT(MF):the ideological functions-argues we need to give more attention to the role of ideology in maintaining their oppression
Womens subordination within the family performs important economic functions for capitalism.
-The ideology of familism
* Presents the domestic division of labour as natural and normal;
* The family is portrayed as the only way women can attain fulfillment;so women create and stay in those families/perform their roles keeping them surbodinated
* Therefore capitalism and familism must be overthrown so women can liberate themselves
- Femininity and the unconscious
- Ideas about femininity and the “women’s role” is so deeply ingrained in women’s minds taught from a young age that it may take a long time to overcome patriarchal ideology
Evaluation Of Marxist feminism
-Fails to explain womens subordination in non-capitalist societies-in their defence their only explain womens position in modern capitalist societies.
-many women still agree their role is at home
- many women are not bosses of big companies and arguable do little to change stereotypical expectations
- they place insufficient emphasis on men oppressing women and benefiting from domestic labour but not capitalism
Dual System Feminism combines features of marxist + radical feminism in a single theory referred us:
- The two systems are capitalism and patriarchy;
- see these systems as intertwined, forming patriarchal capitalism;
- To understand women’s subordination we must look at women’s position in the domestic division of labour and in paid work;
- The two systems reinforce each other;even if u get rid of one u will still have the other so challenge both and defeat at the same time
- Sometimes the systems disagree:
- Capitalism wants cheap, exploitable labour
- Patriarchy wants to keep women in the domestic sphere
–they accept patriarchy is universal
Patriarchal capitalism-Hartmann
domestic work limits womens availability for paid work but lack of work opportunities drives women into marriage and rely on men
Walby-argues that capitalism and patriarchy are inter-related
-her approach is useful bc it shows how the two systems interact and structure one another
ie-capitalism demands cheap labour for its workforce, patriarchy want to keep women subordinated to men within the private,domestic sphere -patriarchy adapts this and women allowed to work in the capitalist sphere but only with a low status
Difference Feminism
.Women experience differing levels exploitation based on different individuals
Do not see women as a homogeneous group;
* Differences in class, ethnicity, sexuality etc. all lead to a difference experience of patriarchy;
* Emphasise diversity;
* Argues contemporary feminist theory claims a ‘false universalism’-all women experience the same ie-black women have experienced racial racism and see family as a heaven
- In reality it is only about the experiences of white, Western, heterosexual, middle class women and not minority
* Essentialism
- They claim that liberal, Marxist, and radical feminists are
‘essentialists’ - that they see all women as essentially the same, therefore excluding some women’s experiences
what are strengths and criticisms of difference
+ recognise diversity amongst women which is forgotten by other strands of feminism
- Walby (1992) ignores similarities of many women (low pay, sexual assault)
- divides women into infinite numbers of subgroups making change extremely difficult- weakens mvement
- oppression isn’t the only result of a discourse
Poststructuralist feminism-Butler and Scott
Poststructuralist feminism concerned with discourse (ways of seeing/thinking about something)
-power is knowledge-power to define the identities of others
e.g- defining childbirth as medical conditions, it empowers doctors and disempowers women as he defines the women as a patient although she heathy
The enlightenment project-thinking rational-Butler
-enlightenment ideals were forms of power/knowledge that legitimated domination by white m/c males
The enlightenment project-
White m/c females who dominate feminist movements have falsely claimed to represent ‘universal womanhood’
Womanhood in saudi arabia= islam but western= media
Butler- advantages for ps feminism= enables feminist to deconstruct different discourses to reveal how they subordinate women.
Socialisation-inequaity reinforced through family & schools
-patriarchy is reinforced through traditionl gender roles-which are socially constructed
what is the enlightenment project
Period in which scientific knowledge is providing the truth rather than religion
Liberal feminists believe this resulted in better understanding of women’s oppression- resulting in improvements
eg. changes in socialisation and culture: gradually leaning to rational attitudes towards gender
+ political action to introduce anti-discriminatory laws/ policies: progress to a society in which gender is no longer important
Radical
Firestone
argues that the root pf patriarchy is down to biological differences.
