Non-core Ideology - Feminisim Flashcards
1
Q
What is feminism
A
- equality for women essentially
2
Q
What are the different waves of feminism
A
- first wave (1850-1940), focused on legal and political rights of women, famously in UK through suffragette movement
- Second wave (1960-80s), focused on different roles in society expected of men and women
- third wave (1990s) concerned with idea feminism was solely focused on middle class white women, failing to recognise concerns of women of other culture
Fourth wave (now) women acting against inequality based in media images of women, online misogyny and issues through social media
3
Q
How is sex and gender a main area of focus of feminists
A
- women were historically focused on domestic side of society, housekeeping and child-rearing
- sex refers to biological differences between men and women. Gender explains the innate character of men and women, with women being more sensitive and emotional and men being more logical and responsible.
- feminists argue there’s no justification for gender roles being ascribed to people. From culture to culture, the biological differences don’t change, but cultures have different ideas about femininity and masculinity, showing gender is learned through society
4
Q
How do women want femininity to be viewed
A
Calm, passive, compassionate and thoughtful
5
Q
How do feminists view the patriarchy
A
- most feminists describe it as a society dominated by men, run in the interest of men and a systematic oppression of women by men.
- in ‘theorising patriarchy’, Slygia Walby argues there were 6 overlapping structures of a patriarchal society
6
Q
What are the 6 structures of a patriarchy
A
- state
- culture
- household
- sexuality
- paid work
- violence
7
Q
How is the state one of the structures of patriarchy
A
- through history, women have been denied representation as being under representated in the formal positions of power. Even when they did take up these positions, they found the working hours to be anti-family or the culture to be sexist
8
Q
How is the household a feature of a patriarchy
A
- women have been conditioned to believe domesticity is their destiny, and been discouraged from pursuing occupations to take them out the home
9
Q
How is violence a feature of a patriarchy
A
- domestic abuse has only recently been taken more seriously, in the past police wouldn’t interfere as it was a family matter.
- according to statistics, 2 women are killed a week by a partner or force one (office for national statistics 2015)
10
Q
How is paid work a feature of the patriarchy
A
- when women took up jobs, they were pushed towards lower paid or part time roles, or jobs which focuses on nurturing children
11
Q
How is sexuality a feature of the patriarchy
A
- society forces women to repress their natural sexual desires and consider them dirty and unladylike
- at the same time, society encourages men to explore the full extent of their sexuality as a symbol of masculine virility
12
Q
How is culture a feature of the patriarchy
A
- society has thought to reinforce its message to women through culture, adverts in the 1950s emphasised women’s main role was to be a good wife to her husband.
- also unreasonable expectations of women have been imposed through media, like models in catwalks and advertising, as well as proliferation of lad culture magazines
13
Q
What slogan was associated with second wave feminism
A
‘The personal is political’ associated with Carol Hanish
14
Q
How did the slogan ‘the personal is political’ apply to feminists
A
- this highlighted to women, wider society, politicians that aspects of life which were considered personal, therefore private were apart of a system that sought to repress women (patriarchal society)
Eg: domestic abuse 60s-70s, when it was discussed women were blamed for provoking their husband, and that it was a private matter which police and doctors shouldn’t be involved in - aim of the slogan therefore ESS to raise awareness this they could challenge things which were normalised
15
Q
What did feminist Kate Millet believe about how the family affected women
A
- key area of women’ oppression
- socialises girls and boys to accept their different hierarchic roles as well as socialising women into accepting the role of housewife as a women’s only and most fulfilling role.
- essentially, women being raised to accept their domestic role, through observing their families and society
16
Q
Who are difference feminists
A
- believe there are biological differences between men and women
- believe will create a more female-oriented culture by celebrating women’s special and unique qualities, arguing traditional feminism encourages women to replicate men’s behaviour
17
Q
How do some difference feminists go further
A
- some stress the superiority of women’s cultural values, such as compassion and pacifism, believing these will overcome masculine qualities of selfishness, violence, lack of self control
18
Q
Who are cultural feminists
A
- they challenge the dominant cultural argument that women are inferior and subservient to men
- this comes in the form of separation is and political lesbianism, with some believing they should create separate societies from men, or spend time away from men to seperation themselves from the patriarchal society
19
Q
Who is Charlotte Bunch and what did she argue
A
- heterosexuality is a political institution and the practise of separation is is a way to escape its spdomination, suggesting it’s wrong if ur a women to be with
20
Q
What is intersectionality
A
- associated with third wave feminism
- an idea that challenged the notion that gender was Sutherland singular factor in determining a women’s fate, arguing that black and working class women’s experiences of patriarchy are different from that of white middle class women
( add more detail)
21
Q
What is liberal feminism
A
- taking liberal values of individualism and foundational equality and applying it to women.
- Mary Wollstonecraft was a key voice, publishing ‘A vindication of the rights of women’ in the 18th century
- liberal feminism is also concerned with the equal distribution of rights and entitlements in society known as legal and political equality, as well as educational equality
22
Q
How is Betty Friedman a liberal feminist
A
- her book ‘the feminine mystique’ in 1963 is often credited in starting second wave feminism. She asserted women were as capable as men in any career path and lobbied for the frock of laws that restricted women, she also believed women were held back from their potential because they were limited to jobs
23
Q
What does reformist mean, and are liberal feminists reformists?
A
Reformists seek to change society gradually and peacefully, and yes liberal feminists are reformists
24
Q
What is socialist feminism
A
- believes gender inequality in society stems from economics and more specifically capitalism
- Friedericks Engels argued women were oppressed by capitalism and that women served the needs of capitalism, as women were confined to domesticicity, which helped reduce the laborforce
- women acted a reserve army of labor, seen in ww2 and could be used as part of a workforce when needed then sent back home when not needed
25
Who is Charlotte Perkins Gian and how is she a socialist feminist
- she envisaged a society where childcare would not be the concern of individual mothers, instead with couples living alongside other couples allowing the responsibility of housework to be shared and companionship to be enjoyed by all
26
How do modern social feminists view capitalism
- see the patriarchy and capitalism as interlocking systems of oppression suggesting the patriarchy could survive the collpappaose of capitalism.
27
What is radical feminism
- believe there needs to be radical changes to society - a sexual revolution to change the structure of society
- it’s more of a collection of ideas
28
What strand of feminism is second wave feminism associated with
-second wave feminism, and the slogan : the personal is the political
- seek to raise awareness by challenging the patriarchy and its existence among women as much as men
29
Who’s Kate millet, and how did she start radical feminism
- her ‘sexual politics’ book in 1970 critiques the patriarchy and the role of the family
- argued way women were portrayed in art and literature was degrading
30
What is post modern feminism
- associated with 3rd wave feminism
- argues for a more fluid understanding of being a women
- challenges the notion that gender alone was the primary factor affecting women in society, criticising focus on white middle class women and not recognising other types of women
31
Why does post modern feminism argue gender alone isn’t only thing affecting women
- it’s gender alongside other factors such as race, religion, class. Claims women experience oppression in various configurations
EG: in the book ‘ Ain’t I a women’ by Bell Hooks suggested that black women in America were the lowest status of any group because of sexism and racism
32
How do feminists view human nature as a whole?
- overall it’s divided, majority of feminists are equality feminists, who believe the natures of men and women are the same, and they support gender equality, believing gender stereotypes to be a social construct.
- difference feminists disagree with equality feminists as men and women have different natures stemming from biology (essentialism). Asplso believe liberation can happen when women are encouraged to allow their different natures and creative spirits to flourish, different to equality feminists
33
How do feminists view the state as a whole
- Lib Fems think the state can okay a role in promoting female liberation by promoting legal and political equality, and ensure equality of opportunity between the sexes.
- Radical fems disagree with Lib fems as they think the lib fems stance is insufficient to overthrow patriarchy, as they argue the state promotes the interests of the patriarchy.
- Socialist Fems reject the liberal idea of a state as a neutral body, saying it works in the interest of capitalism.
- Radical Dems think the state should eradicate patriarchal values, outlaw porn, ensure harsher punishments for domestic violence, rape, and other crimes v women
34
How do feminists view society
- all believe women aren’t treated equally
- liberal Fems think they are discriminated against, but focus attention on public sphere
- radical fems think society is pervaded by patriarchal values seeking to preserve male dominance in society
-radical equality fems want a society where gender ceases to structure a persons identity, whereas radical difference Fems think this encourages women to be ‘male identified’
- post modern fems challenge notion that gender is sole factor in women oppression in society, known as intersectionality
35
How do feminists view the economy
- social fems believe the economy is the key determinant of female oppression, that capitalism determined the nature of female oppression in society. They argue capitalism should play a subservient role in the economy and society as a reserve army of labour.
- modern socialist fems argue there is an interplay between capitalism in the economy and patriarchy in society causing oppression
36
Who are the 5 feminist thinkers
- Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Kate millet
- Sheila Rowbotham
- Bell Hooks
37
What were Charlotte Perkins Gilmans key ideas
- to be free, women need economic independence
- gender stereotyping in childhood is wrong
38
Why did Charlotte Perkins Gilson believe in her key beliefs
- she was a prominent American feminist, associated with Socialist feminism
- best known for her short story ‘the yellow wallpaper’ in 1892, based off of her herself and how her husband confined her to one room
39
What were Charlotte Perkins Gilans key arguments
- sex and domestic economics went hand in hand, women were reliant on their sexual assets to please husband so he’d financially support the family
- from childhood girls conform to a domestic role and motherhood, and are prepared for this by toys and clothes marketed to them, she argues there should be no difference in clothes for boys and girls, or toys or activities they do
- she believed economic independence was the only thing that could liberate women
- she argued communal housing should be constructed open to men and women so people could live singly and still have companionship and comforts of a home
40
What were Simone de Beauvoir’s key ideas
- women are taught and socialised into becoming women
- otherness - men are the norm, women are the other
41
Why did simone de Beauvoir believe in her key ideas
- was initially reluctant to call herself a feminist, believing socialist development and class struggle were needed to solve society’s problems, but when socialist development did not leave women better off, she publicly stated she no longer believed in a socialist revolution to be sufficient to bring women freedom.
42
What were simone de Beauvoirs key arguments?
- she famously stated ‘ one is not born, but rather becomes, a women’, here she’s arguing that women are teaught and socialised to do and be what is perceived to be a women, and how motherhood turns women into slaves in society
- she discussed issue of otherness, in which women accepted it and was imposed by men, thus women weren’t inferior in just eyes of men, but inferior to themselves as well
- she recognised that the women’s movement had been good, but some feminists shouldn’t reject being a part of the man’s world, whether in organisational power or with creative work
43
What were Kate millets key ideas
- the family is the key tool of patriarchy
- socialisation gives men power and denies women power
44
Why did kate millet believe in her key beliefs
- she write ‘sexual politics’ in 1970, giving birth to radical feminism
45
What were Kate millets key arguments
- that female oppression was both political and cultural, and that for a sexual revolution the idea of a traditional family had to be undone as ‘the famil’ was the patriarchy’s key institution
- traditionally, patriarchy granted father control over wife and children. Her status as his property seen in loss of her surname to his, and legal assumption that marriage involved exchange of women’s domestic service and sexual consent in return for financial support
- chief contribution to family was socialisation of young into patriarchal attitudes
- she argued art and literature were degrading to women, and that they were commodities by the freedom of men to sexually possess them
46
What were Sheila Rowbatham’s key ideas
- women are oppressed economically and culturally
- capitalism and sexism are closely linked
47
Why did Sheila Rowbatham believe in her key beliefs
Rowbatham is associated with socialist feminism, combining a Marxist analysis with feminism, she thought women’s oppression was as a result of both economic and cultural forces
48
What were Sheila Rowbatham’s key arguments?
- she presented her analysis of contemporary social conditions from a Marxist feminist perspective, arguing origins of sexism predate capitalism, and that marriage closely resembled feudalism
- she argued women’s liberation required a ‘revolution between a revolution’ and that to destroy capitalism and sexism it needed a radical change in cultural conditioning of humanity
- she argued capitalism affected women, as they are forced to sell their labour to support husband and children.
49
What were Bell hooks’ key ideas
- mainstream feminism excludes the concerns of women of colour
- solidarity is important, between genders, races, and classes
50
Why did bell hooks believe in her key beliefs
- she adopted the pseudonym of her Great grandmother, empowering her to fight against her opposition, she even chose to use lowercase letters to distance herself from ego associated with names (utter woke nonsense)
51
What were bell hooks key arguments
- argued boys and girls were constantly knowcked down to fit into boxes of characteristics expected of them, as boys taught to hold in emotions, and girls taught to change in hopes of pleasing people
- She wrote about the need to articulate and recognise a feminist theory accessible to people of colour, arguing feminism had no solidarity between gender, race, and classes
