Gender and Society Flashcards
Who set out an argument for the ‘vindication of the rights of women’, when did she do it and what does it detail?
Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792.
Argument for men and women to be educated equally.
Which contemporary example of a fight for women’s education is poignant?
What quote links to this?
Malala Yousafzai, saying ‘I raise up my voice not so I can shout, but so those without a voice can be heard’
Name three things Aristotle detailed women as being.
'more deceptive' 'more mischevious' 'more impulsive' 'more jealous' more prone to despondency'
What did Plato say about women and men?
‘it is only males who are created directly by the Gods and given souls’
Though, he did support the idea that women should be treated fairly and not as possessions of men.
Why did Aristotle argue that women were inferior?
he believed that because women didn’t produce sperm they are therefore defective => logos spermatikos!
thought females were just passive, empty vessels.
What did Aquinas say about women?
women are inferior both regarding physicality and intelligence
though, he did say females have a special high place in heaven, using the virgin mary as an example.
What does Ephesians 5:22-23 teach on marriage?
‘wives, submit to your husbands as you do to the lord, for the husband is head of the wife as christ is head of the church, his body, of which he is the saviour’
What are the traditional wedding vows?
woman says ‘to love cherish and OBEY’
What is Catholicism’s argument for no female priests and what contemporary example can be used to support this?
Which points can dispute this?
because jesus’ disciples were males priests who represent him must be too
=> this is supported by Hungary trying to make professions unisex but different genders gravitating towards certain professions regardless
it is disputed by the fact that the Bible was written and edited by males so who knows if the disciples were all male?
What is a counter point to the argument that jesus was a male so priests have to be?
jesus had to be male to be accepted in society
Which quote hints at both male superiority and equality?
‘so God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them’
What are the problems of the second creation story?
- male created first with female an afterthought
- God takes part of adam’s rib to make the female
Who uses eve’s temptation to blame women for the fall?
Augustine
What is the difference between biblical patriarchy and christian egalitarianism?
Biblical patriarchists use biblical passages such as that of Ephesians 5:22-23 to uphold patriarchy - ‘submit to your husbands’
Christian egalitarians argue that neither husband or wife should dominate, promoting equality.
What are the positives of the mullieris dignitatum (Pope John Paul II)?
wrote about the different qualities of women and emphasised how men and women have different but complimentary characteristics
What are the negatives of the mullieris dignitatum (Pope John Paul II)?
talks about virgin mary, which is good, BUT THEN GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW WOMEN SHOULD BE PURE WITH THIS VIRGINITY AND OBLIGATION OF MOTHERHOOD
women are naturally disposed to motherhood, which is the gift from God
whilst parenthood is shared, the husband has a special debt to the woman
motherhood enables a woman to be self-giving as she has a special openness to that new person (nurturing)
what are the bad parts of the mullieris dignitatum?
PJP II repeats the word ‘passive’ like Aquinas and Aristotle do
pain of childbirth due to original sin ‘happens’ - reference to passivity again
apparently gives insight into pain of christ, but men do not experience this?
What does Simone De Beauvoir say about motherhood being restricting? (1940’s)
motherhood forces women to suspend their own interests and personalities to take care of children
=> this struck a chord with many women of the ‘40’s as there was no birth control available
What did sociologist Anne Oakley say about motherhood being restricting?
interviewed women who said during childbirth they felt powerless as men took over
they said motherly ‘instincts’ were due to socialisation and not biology
just brought up with these ideals as children
‘frustrating to be a stay at home mother’
What does Mary Daly say about motherhood being restricting?
women’s abilities are superior to men’s and therefore should govern men as this would result in a more peaceful society
would also lead to a better environment (ridiculous point)
children (girls) in classes have to be ‘sexy’, thus not being able to think
Whose views does Rosemarie Tong detail in her ‘Feminist Thought’?
JSM, Harriett Taylor (Mill) and the first president of National Organisation for Women, Betty Friedan.
What did John Stuart Mill say?
women should ‘be recognised as fully rational and worthy of the same civil liberties and economical opportunities as men’
What did Harriett Taylor (Mill) say?
called for women to work outside the household as well as inside
What did both JSM and HT support?
the suffrage movement
What did Betty Friedan’s books generally support?
the humanist ideal of androgyny
attributing male and female qualities to both genders
What are some criticisms of liberal feminism?
focuses too much on women becoming like men
unnecessarily denigrates traditional roles of the female
emphasises rational over the emotional when humans need both
too focused on individual, not community
at one time liberal feminism was racist, classist and heterosexist, but it has overcome these issues
