Feminist theories

Question 1

Feminism

Answer 1

-top down theory
-structural-conflict theory
-sees society as a male dominated & want to change women’s position in society
-emphasizes the conflict between men & women is universal
-Patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality: women are subordinate because men have more power.
-Sociology is malestream-male sociologist see society only from the male perspective
-Gender relations are based on power & economic inequalities-gender pay gap-women get payed less for the same job-reliance on men
-Gender roles are socially constructed(created by society & social interactions) and not determines by biology -maintained by patriarchy

Question 2

Evaluation-strength

Answer 2

-Feminism made the role of women & gender relations visible-both in socio & society

-feminists have exposed the dark side of family life,helping to free women & children from domestic violence & abuse

-Black feminists have exposed the colour-blindness of mainstream socio

-Feminists have increased people awareness of the inequalities created

Question 3

Liberal/reformist feminis-A02

Answer 3

-Creation of equal opportunities through policy and reformed socialisation is the mani aim
Changes in law-sex discrimination pay act
-Changes in education(GIST/WISE)
-Changes in family patterns(42% divorce rate)
-Changes in social attitudes

Question 4

Types of Feminism

Answer 4

• Liberal
• Radical
• Marxist (socialist)
• Difference/postmodern

Question 5

Liberal Feminists-optimistic theory

Answer 5

-gender inequality lies with culture rather than structure-this discrimination can be overcome without revolutionary changes but with legislation
institutions are patriarchal we can change them not societies structure
-education should provide equal opportunities
-stereotypes and prejudice about gender difference are what prevent equality eg women are more sensitive driven etc
-They reject the idea that biological differences make women less component/rational than men

Question 6

Sex & gender-liberal feminists-Oakley distinguishes between sex & gender

Answer 6

Sex (biological differences-ie physical)and gender(culturally constructed differences-these ideas about women and men are passed through socialisation) are different
-Sex differences are seen as fixed,whereas gender differences vary between cultures

Question 7

Liberal Feminists believe that:

Answer 7

-Changes in socialisation & culture-overcome prejudice & leading to a more rational attitudes to gender
-Political action to introduce anti-discrimanatory laws & policies-more,gender isnt as importance

Question 8

Evaluation of liberal feminism

Answer 8

-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.

Question 9

What are the main 2 methods of change in socirty-LF

Answer 9

-Changed in the law
-Re-socialise society-neutral toys,change our culture,remove stereotypes

Question 10

How LF view Functionalist views

Answer 10

Parson-biological roles
-LF challenge this devision-both genders can equally be capable to perform both roles in both spheres but traditional roles prevent that -they aim to break those barriers

Question 11

Radical feminism

Answer 11

-All men oppress all women-they benefit from patriarchy-especially 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

Question 12

Brownmiller

Answer 12

notes that fear of rape is used to keep women from going out alone at night

Question 13

The personal is political-RF

Answer 13

-Men dominate women in all areas of social life & this dominance over females they call sexual politics.
W0men are dominated in the workplace as inferior, dominated at home as domestic & sexual services-they fear being victims of rape
-patriarchal power passed through personal relationships often through sexual violence etc
-oppression occurs both in the public sphere(work)and private sphere(sexual relationships).

Question 14

Sexuality-radical feminists- constructed by patriarchy to satisfies their needs

Answer 14

-its social construct.
Heterosexuality has been forced upon society as being norm

Question 15

Change-strategies to free women from oppression

Answer 15

-Patriarchy & women oppression are reproduced through personal & sexual relationships-a form to oppress women

-SEPERATISM=they advocate separatism-living apart from men & create a new culture of female independence from patriarchy

-POLITICAL LESBIANISM=heterosexual relationships are inevitably oppressive bc they involve sleeping with the enemy and that lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality

Question 16

Evaluation of RF

Answer 16

-Marxists say that class not patriarchy is the primary form of inequality.Also 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 he 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

Question 17

Marxist feminism

Answer 17

-capitalism benefits from patriarch & the Bourgeois benefit from the subordination
-Their unpaid role leaves them in a dependent economic position
-Their disadvantage comes from the emerge of private property & women dont own any mean of production

Question 18

What do Radical Feminists want?

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

MF-Their subordination performs a number of important functions for capitalism:

Answer 19

• They are cheap exploitable labour for employers-Payed less bc they will be partially dependent on their husbands earnings
• Women are reserve army of labour they are the first to be exploited and discarded-their primary role is in their home
• ## ΅Women reproduce the generation of worker-nurture and socialise children into the next gen of workers-maintaing capitalismWomen absorb anger-they absorb family stress and anger (Ansley - ‘takers of shit’) to keep the workforce calm from the alienation & exploitation they suffer at work-this explains male domestic violence against women

Question 20

BARRETT(MF):the ideology of familism-argues we need to give more
attention to the role of ideology in maintaining their oppression

Answer 20

Womens subordination within the family performs important economic functions for capitalism.
-Women stay in this families bc family is portrayed as the only place where they can find fulfilment, through motherhood, intimacy, sexual satisfaction-Calls this ‘familism’.this ideology keeps women subordinated
-Therefore the overthrow of capitalism is important to secure womens liberation BUT ideology must be also overthrown

Question 21

Evaluation Of Marxist feminism

Answer 21

-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

Question 22

Dual System Feminism combines features of marxist + radical feminism in a single theory referred us:

Answer 22

-An economic system:capitalism
-A sex gender system:patriarchy

Question 23

Patriarchal capitalism-Hartmann
–ie domestic work limits womens availability for paid work but lack of work opportunity drives women into marriage and rely on men

Answer 23

-they accept patriarchy is universal
-must understand the position in both capitalism(paid work) and domestic division of labour(patriarchy)

Question 24

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

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Difference Feminism

Answer 25

Not all women are in the same category/group based on gender-dont see women as a homogenous group.
Women experience differing levels exploitation based on differing factors/individuals

Question 26

Difference Feminism-argue that feminist theory claimed a false universality

Answer 26

-claims its aboull all women but in reality is only about white,MC etc women
-ie-black women have experienced racial racism and see family as a heaven

Question 27

what are strengths and criticisms of difference

Answer 27

+ 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

Question 28

The problem of essentialism
–Difference feminists argue all other feminist theory are essentialist

Answer 28

-all women are essentially the same & share the same experiences of oppression
-they see all women the same & fail to reflect the diversity of all womens experience and problems.

Question 29

Poststructuralist feminism-Butler and Scott

Answer 29

Poststructuralist feminism discourses gives power/knowledge; (discourses=ways of seeing/thinking)-allows its users to define others
-power is knowledge-power to define the identities of others

e.g- defining childbirth as medical discourse, it empowers doctors and disempowers women as he defines the women as a patient although she heathy

Question 30

The enlightenment project-thinking rational-Butler
-enlightenment ideals were forms of power/knowledge that legitimated domination by white m/c males

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

what is the enlightenment project

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Waves of feminist movements

Answer 32

First wave-the suffragetes camp[aign for the right vto vote
Second wave-began in the US after WW2-focused on sexuality,reproductive rights & wages
Third wave-equality between gender issues,reduce patriarchy

Question 33

Socialisation-inequaity reinforced through family & schools

Answer 33

-patriarchy is reinforced through traditionl gender roles-which are socially constructed

Question 34

Firestone

Answer 34

argues that the root pf patriarchy is down to biological differences.