feminist views on the nuclear family in contemporary society Flashcards
what is feminism?
-feminism is the basis for social and political movements that seek to change society, such as the woman’s liberation movement in the 1970s which sought to challenge patriarchal aspects of society including the subordinate role played by women in traditional families
what is radical feminism?
- radical feminists argue that traditional forms of the family represent a form of patriarchal control whereby womebs opportunities are limited by domestic sphere as wives and mothers
- for radical feminists, it is men, rather than the capitalist system who are the main beneficiaries of women performing unpaid domestic labour such as housework and childcare
what do the radical feminists delphy ad leonard (1992) say about the family?
-delphy and leonard point to the way in which meb are still usually regarded as the heads of households, often making key decisions
-men also tend to control the finances and property in most families
eomrn on the other hand are expected to perform unpaid domestic work and also indertake reproductive and sexual work
-though women contribute far more to families in terms of practical and emotionsl tasks
-they also argue women receive less in return as men often control the finances, have more leisure time and have more acces to the family car or the best car if there are more than one
what is Marxist feminism?
-they attempt to find the link gender inequality and capitalism
what does the Marxist feminist Benston (1972) say about the family?
- Benston analyses the way in which the unpaid domestic work of women help to support the capitalist system
- she argues that women help to reproduce labour power for capitalism as they renew men’s ability to go out to work and create profits for the capitalist class by cooking meals, washing clothes and attending to their emotional and sexual needs
- they also socialise and care for children, reproducing the next generation of workers at no cost to capitalist employers
- Marxist feminists this see women as being particularly exploited in family life not simply for the benefit of men but also because the profitability of the whole capitalist system depends on their unpaid work
what are liberal feminists?
- liberal feminists argue tha a process of gradual reform of society is more effective for example working within established institutions such as parliament, schools and busineses to change them from within
- liberal feminists would point to the extent to which their approach has achieved a range of legal rights for women such as equal pay, laws against sex discrimination, access to abortion and equal opportunities in education
what are the liberal feminist Somerville views on the family?
- Somerville argues that the picture of the family painted by some feminists of women being exploited by men in families is outdated and points to the progress women have much more choice today about whether to marry or cohabit etc.
- Somerville also acknowledges that many young women remain dissatisfied with many mens refusal to take on a full share of family responsibilities but points out that women at least have more freedom to escape from unsatisfactory
- Somerville also argues that the government needs to give more support to working parents by for example encouraging flexible working hours, enabling both partners to participate in paid work and contribute to childcare
what are the evaluation points of feminism?
+highlights the dark side of family life
- focus on the negatives
- hakim (2000)
- hooks and Collins (1990)
- postmodernist
how is the fact that liberal feminists highlight the dark side of family life a strength?
- feminists have highlighted the dark side of family life
- for example, domestic violence, child abuse and gender inequalities
- in many respects, feminism has gone from an outsider position in sociology attacking male stream sociology to becoming part of the established assumptions of psychology
- few sociologists today would ignore issues of gender and power in family life
how is the fact that feminists focus on a negative view a weakness?
- feminists have tended to emphasise the negative aspects of the traditional nuclear family, particularly for women and have ignored positive aspects of family life
- many women gain real satisfaction from performing traditional roles in the family such as bringing up children
how is Hakim (2000) a weakness of feminism?
- hakim now argues that women can now make free and rational choices about their lives
- for example, many women choose to only work part-time and take on a greater share of domestic responsibilities than their partners because that is what they want, not because they have been forced into these roles by the power of patriarchy
how are hill and Collins (1980-1990) a weakness of feminism?
- hill and Collins would argue that many feminists have focused specifically on white womens experiences and ignored the experiences of family life of women from ethnic minorities
- for example, for many cases such womens families represent their main refuge and protection from racism in the wider society
how is postmodernism a weakness of feminism?
- they argue that feminists have tended to lump all women together as a single category of people who are equally oppressed by patriarchy in nuclear families
- in reality, women are extremely diverse, coming from different situations in terms of working or not working, age, social class, ethnicity etc.
- women are therefore likely to experience family life in different ways and this may change over a woman’s lifetime
