[PAPER 2] Feminism Flashcards
Where do feminists agree on Human Nature?
- all agree that nature is a factor in the oppression of women e.g with gender roles, women should be mothers and housewives, submissive to their husbands
- all believe that gender roles restrict women- shared view that this should be ended e.g Charlotte Perkins Gilman argued that there should be no difference in what girls and boys wear, the toys they play with or the activities they do
- all agree that gender oppression should be overthrown
- all seek to advance the role of women through their nature- without gender roles women will be free
Where do feminists agree on the state?
- all feminists recognise that the state does serve some purpose for women e.g laws on removing discrimination like equal pay act
- however feminists believe in the patriarchy which is reflected in the state- women have been denied representation in formal positions of power in the state, therefore because the state is mostly men, women’s rights aren’t always taken into consideration- women in these positions found working hours ‘anti-family’ and the culture to be sexist
- socialist and radical feminists agree that the state does not primarily have the interests of women at heart- there may be some legislation to help women but the state is an instrument to preserve Patriarchy
- all feminists believe the state could be used to enhance women’s position in society- integral to feminism
Where do different feminists agree on society?
- all feminists believe women are not treated equally in society
- believe in the patriarchy which exploits women in society:
- women are conditioned to be housewives and mothers e.g Kate Millet argued the family is a tool of the patriarchy
- women’s sexuality is more likely to be treated negatively e.g ‘grid girls’ and sex workers are treated very negatively, ‘slut shaming’
- women are more prone to being abused, also in family with domestic violence- state and society makes it hard for women to stand up to it
- women are oppressed through culture- 1950s-21st century ads show gender roles of women, size 0 models give unrealistic beauty standards for women
Where do feminists agree on economy?
- feminists agree that women are oppressed by the patriarchy and economy with paid work- women are pushed towards lower-paid or part-time jobs or ones that put them in assistant positions to men e.g nurses to support doctors
- some feminists made a link between the economy and sex e.g Charlotte Perkins Gilman argued that women need economic independence and this is the only thing that would make women equal to men- shows importance of economy
Where do different feminists disagree on Human Nature?
- equality feminists believe men and women are equal and the distinction between sex and gender is artificial and gender is a social construct e.g Charlotte Perkins Gilman is an equality feminist, Bell Hooks said society is gender neutral
- difference feminists believe men and women are fundamentally different with their biology
- equality feminists believe patriarchy can be overthrown when gender roles and stereotypes are challenged e.g Kate Millet doesn’t agree with gendered toys
- difference feminists believe liberation can be achieved when women are encouraged to allow their different natures to flourish. They also believe that getting rid of gender stereotypes means that women will adopt male ideas and lose their sense of feminism
Where do feminists disagree on the state?
- liberal feminists believe the state can help promote legal and political equality between sexes e.g Betty Friedan believed patriarchy can be solved by legislation
- radical feminists believe providing an equal, legal framework is insufficient to overthrow the patriarchy, ‘the personal is political’ and the fight must continue in the private sphere e.g domestic violence and pornography
- socialist feminists believe the state isn’t neutral and it works in the interests of capitalism e.g Sheila Rowbotham believes capitalism and sexism are linked and women are doubly oppressed by state and patriarchy
- liberal feminists believe state can help but should only concern itself with correcting inequality
- radical feminists believe the state is driven by patriarchy and should eradicate patriarchal values in public and private sphere e.g Kate Millet believes family is the tool of patriarchy
- socialist feminists believe the state works for capitalism e.g Sheila Rowbotham argued the state uses women as cheap labour
Where do different feminists disagree on society?
- liberal feminists argue women are discriminated in society but focus on the public sphere
- radical feminists believe ‘the personal is political’ and thag both public and private spheres are based on power and dominance from men e.g Kate Millet believes family is the key tool of oppression
- post-modern feminists challenge the notion that gender is the sole factor determining women’s oppression e.g Bell Hooks argues women of colour are in a ‘double bind’ with being oppressed from their race and their gender
Where do different feminists disagree on economy?
- socialist feminists believe economy is the key factor in female oppression, argue that capitalism needs women to play a subservient role in the economy and act as a reserve army of labour e.g Sheila Rowbotham believes capitalism and sexism are linked and women are doubly oppressed
- modern socialist feminists argue there is an interplay between capitalism in the economy and patriarchy in society that oppresses women
What do feminists believe about sex and gender?
agreement:
sex- biological differences between men and women
gender- used to explain ‘innate character’ of men and women, women seen as sensitive and caring, men seen as confident and strong- believe gender is learned behaviour imposed by society
- all believe there is some distinction between sex and gender and that women are oppressed due to their gender e.g expected to look after children
disagreement:
equality feminists- men and women should be equal in their sex and gender- there should be no difference between men and women or how boys and girls are raised e.g no gendered toys, Simone de Beauvoir is an equality feminist
difference feminists- men and women are fundamentally different in sex and gender, women should celebrate what makes them feminine and different to men, bell hooks is a difference feminist
What do feminists believe about patriarchy?
agreement:
- all believe patriarchy exists and that it is men oppressing women
- all agree state can help stop the patriarchy to an extent
examples of patriarchy:
state- women unlikely to have formal power and representation
household- women more likely to do housework and look after children
violence- women more prone to being abused e.g domestic violence
paid work- women likely to be paid less
sexuality- women’s sexuality treated negatively
culture- women misrepresented in media and popular culture
disagreement:
radical- believe patriarchy is the cause for all oppression of women and it should be overthrown in a sexual revolution, believe govt acts are not enough to stop patriarchy- Kate Millet
liberal- patriarchy can be overthrown by passing legislation to help women’s position e.g equal pay acts- Simone de Beauvoir
socialist- capitalism is the main oppressor of women, not patriarchy, patriarchy will be removed when capitalism is overthrown in a socialist revolution- Sheila Rowbotham
post-modern- some argue that race is a main factor in female oppression, even more significant than patriarchy- bell hooks
To what extent have feminists claimed ‘the personal is political’?
the personal is political- oppression happens in the public sphere not just the private sphere, all relationships between men and women are based on power and dominance from men
radical feminists believe the personal IS political- radical feminists e.g Kate Millet identify family as a key area of women’s oppression
- family socialises boys to be dominant and girls to be obedient
- it socialises women into accepting the housewife role and to carry out domestic work while doing paid work
liberal feminists focus on the public sphere and believe women can be helped through govt action
- believe women and individuals so if they want to be housewives and aren’t forced into it, that is okay
What is equality and difference feminism?
equality- men and women should be equal in society and that biological differences are not significant
difference- biological factors are significant and men and women are fundamentally different
agreement:
- all agree there is some distinction between sex and gender
- all believe women are oppressed in society and effort should be made to improve status of women
disagreement:
- equality feminists believe men and women should be equal in society e.g with no gendered toys
- believe biological differences aren’t significant and gender has been constructed by society e.g Simone de Beauvoir argues ‘one is not born but rather becomes a woman’- men and women are equal at birth but society forces them into gender roles
- difference feminists argue traditional, equality feminism has encouraged women to replicate men’s behaviour and deny their own nature
- some difference feminists argue there are key cultural differences between women, they seek to challenge dominance of male culture in society
e. g Bell Hooks argues that white women are different to women of colour and that women of colour are in a double bind- oppressed due to their race and their gender
What is intersectionality?
- criticised previous forms of feminism for ignoring black and w.c women’s experiences of patriarchy- their experiences are different from white women and they are doubly oppressed by their class/race and gender
e. g bell hooks argued all women do not share the same experiences and that white, middle class women do not serve as an accurate representation of all women - aimed at widening the narrow focus that feminism traditionally had, to welcome different experiences of women from different cultures, classes and religions
