intro - feminism Flashcards
What type of theory is feminism?
a conflict theory - sees inequalities in society as being based on gender
What is meant by first wave feminism?
- fought for the right for women to have legal equality with men
- e.g. women gained universal suffrage in 1928
What is meant by second wave feminism?
- fought for legal, economic and social equality from the 1950s onwards
- Women’s Liberation Movement = secured control over reproductive rights for women
What is meant by third wave feminism?
- developed as a criticism of those women excluded from second wave feminism
- developed from 1980s onwards = addressing inequalities between women based on social class, sexuality, ethnicity and geographical location
What is liberal feminism?
- concerned with the human and civil rights and freedoms of the individual, emphasises the rights of women as individuals
- social change should be gradual not revolutionary
- legislation can secure equal opportunities for women
- key areas to change include: gendered socialisation and education
Who are some key liberal feminist theorists?
Ann Oakley = the sex role theory, there are distinct gender roles in society: male dominance and female subservience
Sue Sharpe = inequality is coming to an end as women are focussing more on education and careers
What influences has liberal feminism had on society?
- Fight for equal pay
- Sex Discrimination Act
- Paternity pay
- Bechdel test = campaigning for equal rights in the entertainment industry
Strengths of liberal feminism:
- a lot of support from the public
- helped bring forward legislation which helps to protect more women
- extends its principles into the private sphere so as to protect more women from the forms of oppression specific to this sphere e.g. domestic abuse
criticisms of liberal feminism:
- overlooks differences of race, class = fails to recognise that everyone is different
What is radical feminism?
- blames the patriarchy for the oppression of women, all men oppress women because they gain from patriarchy
- there needs to be a revolution of women to dismantle the systems that are rooted in patriarchy
- the subcategory TERFs exclude trans-women
- believe in separatism = men and women living apart and political lesbianism is the only non-oppressive sexuality
Who are some key radical feminist theorists?
Greer = women are forced into submission under men
Millet = wants a sexual revolution
Firestone = the root of women’s oppression lie in the biological ability to have children which make women dependent on men
What influence has radical feminism had on society?
- protested for equal rights, pay and abortion
- but are not as popular as liberal because of their radical protests
strengths of radical feminism:
- very analytical, micro approach
- the want action - actually have solutions and they know what they want
criticisms of radical feminism:
- lack of intersectionality
- solely blame men for oppression
What is marxist feminism?
- women are doubly exploited, once by the patriarchy and then again by capitalism
- women are a source of cheap, exploitative labour
- women’s interests lie in the overthrow of capitalism
Who are some key marxist feminist theorists?
- Angela Davis
- Ainsley
- Benson
What influence has marxist feminism had on society?
- changed the perception of women’s housework, argue that women should be paid for housework
- challenged the value of women in society
- the protection of women’s rights
strengths of marxist feminism:
- shows the oppression of women in a capitalist society
- the awareness of imbalance
criticisms of marxist feminism:
- it is common now for women to be breadwinners
- doesn’t always incorporate race, class and disability
- women’s oppression was prevalent before capitalism
What is intersectional feminism?
- focuses on how systems of oppression impact people differently based on their race, class, etc
- criticises mainstream/liberal feminism for focusing on white middle-class Western women
Who are some key intersectional feminist theorists?
Kimberly Crenshaw = coined the term intersectionality
Bell Hooks = white feminism didn’t accurately present feminism as a whole
Angels Davis = capitalism impacts race and class and gender, she wanted to break the glass ceiling
What influence has intersectional feminism had on society?
- The Free Angela movement when Angela Davis got arrested
- Civil Rights Act(1964) - included that black women could work
- tend to be involved in smaller campaigns
strengths of intersectional feminism:
- takes into account differences
- uses a micro approach
- views others as more than a singular object
criticisms of intersectional feminism:
- differences makes it difficult for women to relate to each other, e.g. it would be difficult for a black trans woman to relate to a white cis woman.
- the differences weakens the voice of the actual feminist movement
