Feminist view of the family

Question 1

How do feminists view family diversity?

Answer 1

They see it as a positive and liberating trend where individuals, particularly females are able to live in units which reflects their own individual choice.

Question 2

What are the four types of feminists?

Answer 2

• Liberal
• Marxist
• Radical
• Difference

Question 3

What do Liberal feminists argue are the two most effective ways to promote gender equality?

Answer 3

• Changing peoples attitudes and behaviours through socialisation.
• Passing legislation to outlaw discrimination e.g. Sex Discrimination Act.

Question 4

What is the Feminists view on the family?

Answer 4

Critical. Believe it oppresses women.

Question 5

What do Marxist feminists argue is the main cause of women’s oppression?

Answer 5

Capitalism.

Question 6

What is the Feminist view on high divorce rate?

Answer 6

-Desirable because it shows women are breaking free from the oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family. :-)

Question 7

What do Marxist feminists believe are the key functions the family serves for capitalism?

Answer 7

• Women reproduce the labour force through their unpaid domestic labour, socialising t generation of workers with the values required by capitalist and maintaining the current one.
• Women act as a safety valve and absorb anger that would otherwise be directed at capitalism.
• Women are a reserve army of cheap labour that can be exploited depending on the needs of the economy.

Question 8

What does Benson argue a nuclear family acts as?

Answer 8

The nuclear family acts as a valuable stabilising force within capitalist society because the male wage is the family wage and the husband cannot withdraw his labour.

Question 9

What does Mitchell argue would make full gender equality in the labour market?

Answer 9

If women are freed from their domestic responsibilities.

Question 10

What do Marxist feminists see the oppression in the family linked to?

Answer 10

The exploitation of the working class more generally and argue that a socialist revolution would lead to the abolition of the family as we know it.

Question 11

What do Radical Feminists argue is the main cause of women’s oppression?

Answer 11

Patriarchy.

Question 12

What do radical feminists claim is the key division in society?

Answer 12

• Men and Women.
• Men are the enemy and the source of women’s oppression.
• The family and marriage are the key patriarchal institutions in society.

Question 13

What do radical feminists say men benefit from?

Answer 13

• Women’s unpaid domestic labour.
• Sexual services.
• Dominate women through domestic violence, or the threat of it.

Question 14

What do radical feminists focus their analysis on?

Answer 14

Domestic violence.

Question 15

What do Dobash and Dobash see widespread domestic violence as?

Answer 15

• An inevitable feature or patriarchal society arguing that it serves to preserve the power men have over women.
• Extension of male domination and control over women.

Question 16

What do radical feminists encourage?

Answer 16

-Separatism.
-Matrilocal households.
Political lesbianism.(Sarah)

Question 17

What is separatism?

Answer 17

Where women organise themselves and live independently.

Question 18

What is a Matrilocal household?

Answer 18

Where a women is head of the family/household.

Question 19

What is political lesbianism?

Answer 19

May be attracted to men but will not start a relationship with a man, to avoid sleeping with the ‘enemy’.

Question 20

What do the three feminist approaches outline?

Answer 20

Tend to assume most women live in conventional nuclear families and that they share a similar experience of family life.

Question 21

What do difference feminists believe?

Answer 21

-It is wrong to generalise in this way arguing that middle class and working class, black and white, heterosexual and lesbian, old and young women etc. all have different experiences.

Question 22

What evidence do Radical feminists use to support their argument that domestic violence has been legitimised in society?

Answer 22

Pahl argues that the legitimisation of domestic violence by wider society is clear in the denial that it’s incidence is rare.

Question 23

Why have liberal feminists been criticised?

Answer 23

Being too optimistic.

Question 24

What do Marxist feminists recommend could be introduced to promote gender equality?

Answer 24

• Longer paternity leave for men to look after the child as long as the mother.
• Lower childcare costs, to keep women working.
• Shared domestic roles around the home.

Question 25

Do feminists like Theories and social policies on the family?

Answer 25

No :( They believe they help to maintain women’s subordinate position.
also unequal gender division of labour in the family.

Question 26

What do they believe social polices work on?

Answer 26

The assumption about what the ‘normal’ family is like and in doing so the effect of these policies is often to reinforce that type of family at the expense of others.

Question 27

What does Land argue social policies often assume?

Answer 27

• That the ideal family is the patriarchal nuclear family.
• Male provider
• female homemaker
• Dependent children

Question 28

What have Tax and benefits policies assumed?

Answer 28

That he main wage earner is the male/husband - make it impossible for wives to claim welfare benefits, expected that their husband will provide.

Question 29

What does Leonard argue about social policies?

Answer 29

-That even when they appear to support women they may still act as a form of social control.
-Reinforcing patriarchal assumptions.
Dictating family roles and responsibilities. e.g. maternity leave and child benefits.

Question 30

How have feminists, on social policies, been criticised?

Answer 30

Other policies such as
-equal pay act
-sex discrimination laws
-Benefit for lone parents
-refuges for women escaping domestic violence
-equal rights to divorce
All said to challenge patriarchal family.