Lecture 1 Flashcards
What are the 4 main criticisms of Liberal Feminism?
- No level playing field without radical societal change
- Lacks intersectionality (white, middle-class feminism)
- Implies women should be more like men (status quo)
- Focuses on self-preservation, not liberation
What are the three tenets, focus and goals of Liberal Feminism?
- Three tenets: individualism, legal & political reform, pragmatism (practice solutions)
- Goals: equality in public and private spheres
- Focus: changing laws and policies to enshrine equality
What is Radical Feminism’s view on patriarchy and oppression?
Believes that patriarchy is the root cause of women’s oppression and seeks to dismantle all gender-based structures of power.
What are some key social issues that Radical Feminism address?
- Reproductive rights
- Inequitable gender roles
- Access to childcare
- Compulsory heterosexuality
- Exploitation in pornography
- Rape as a tool of power
How does Socialist Feminism view the relationship between capitalism and patriarchy?
- Socialist Feminism views capitalism as a patriarchal system that contributes to gender inequality by making women economically dependent on men.
- Focuses on issues like unpaid work, unequal wealth distribution, and the pink tax.
What are the key ideas of Women of Color Feminism?
- Women’s inequality linked to White supremacy
- Intersectional approach emerged because perspectives of Women of Color were ignored
- Not all women are equally oppressed
- Focuses on affirmative action, affordable housing, and prison reform
What are the key concepts of Queer Feminism? (3)
- Challenges the idea that sex, gender, and sexuality are always aligned
- Critiques gender binaries
- Emphasizes that gender is performative, not fixed (Butler’s theory)
What changes did colonization bring regarding laws affecting Indigenous people? (4)
- 1850 Act defined “Indian” status and rights
- 1868 Indian Act imposed assimilation
- Created powerless band councils
- Removed status from women who married non-Indian
What were women’s roles during the pre-industrialization period (pre-1800s)? (5)
- Women were subordinate to husbands in patriarchal family systems
- Contributed to family farming
- Gave birth to many children
4.Handled domestic chores
- Status determined by birth and community contributions
How did the industrializing period (early 1800s) affect gender roles?
The shift to factory production led to a wage-based economy. Work became defined as paid labor outside the home, devaluing housework and separating home and work into distinct spheres.
What were women’s roles and rights during the early industrial period?
- Women were considered non-persons with no legal status
- Forced to work where instructed
- No rights to land or property
- Had to give wages to their husbands
- Lacked legal protections
What societal changes caused the first moral panic around gender roles?
Massive societal changes led to concerns about family stability, promoting the idea of “true womanhood,” where women were expected to stay in domestic roles and fit stereotypes of being fragile and in need of protection.
What key changes in education occurred between 1840-1850?
- Formal education became compulsory
- Child labor laws were enacted, and children shifted from being seen as economic assets to economic liabilities.
What were women’s roles during the industrial period (1870s onward)? (4)
- Women worked in factories or held jobs like secretaries and nurses
- Most were unmarried
- Faced significant wage gaps, earning a third to half of men’s wages
- Dependent on men with limited career choices
What characterized the mid-1940s to late 1960s for women?
- The baby boom occurred, and “true womanhood” ideals were promoted, emphasizing women’s roles as wives and mothers.
- Conformity prevailed, unmarried women were stigmatized, and women’s education declined
