Radical feminism Flashcards
When did Radical Feminism start?
Emerging in the 1970’s, this group of feminists key principles are: patriarchal oppression is universal, men exploit women in the family by relying on free domestic labour, patriarchy controls women’s bodies and sexuality, violence against women is key to male supremacy, the ‘personal is political’.
What is the most fundamental argument of Radical Feminists?
Radical feminists argue that patriarchy is the most fundamental form of inequality and conflict. All men oppress all women, all men benefit from patriarchy – especially women’s unpaid domestic labour and from their sexual services.
What is patriarchy for Radical Feminists?
Patriarchy is Direct and Personal
For radical feminists patriarchy is direct and personal. Oppression takes place in the public sphere of the workplace, media and politics as well as the private sphere of the family. They claim that all relationships involve power and they are political when one person uses this power to dominate another.
Where do Radical Feminist focus?
Radical feminists therefore focus on the ways in which patriarchal power is exercised through personal relationships, often through sexual or physical violence or the threat of it. This has the effect of controlling all women, for example, not necessarily directly, but women for example, being scared of going out alone in the dark.
Name three Radical Feminists
Dates
Brownmiller 1976
A miller was typically a man, so she is a tanned man.
Firestone 1970
A strong person with two strong images: Fire and Stone
Germaine Greer 2000
What did Radical Feminist Brownmiller state?
Male violence against women is central to male supremacy. Domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment are all part of the systematic oppression of women. Male violence, or the threat of it, controls all women
What did Radical Feminist Firestone state?
Firestone (1970) argues that the roots of women’s oppression lie in the biological ability of women to have children. This forces women into dependency on men. Women can be emancipated (freed) only through the abolition of the family and the power relations that go with it. Reproductive technology can help liberate women from male control
What did Radical Feminist Germaine Greer state?
Germaine Greer (2000) - Women are always going to suffer from male power if they live in the same household. Men’s oppression of women is exercised through intimate domestic and sexual relationships. Therefore, women should separate from them. She argues that women must live separately than men in women only ‘matrilocal’ households. This way, men and women would only interact in neutral settings removing the power men have over women in the home.
How do Radical Feminists want to improve women’s position in society?
- Radical feminists argue that for change to occur to benefit women, relationships and therefore sexual politics must be transformed.
- Separatism – men and women living apart.
- Consciousness raising – when women share experiences in groups, they see that they are not alone. This may lead to collective action, such as marches.
- Political lesbianism - is the only non-oppressive sexuality, therefore they recommend lesbianism
Did Radical Feminism make any change?
Radical Feminism did make change to the lives of many women, especially women who were experiencing violence against them by men.
What is the Personal is Political argument
The ‘Personal is Political’ argument draws attention to how marriage, domestic labour, rape and pornography all have a political dimension
What is the Marxist view on Patriarchy?
Marxists argue that social class, NOT PATRIARCHY, is the primary form of inequality in society. They argue that capitalism is the main cause and beneficiary of women’s oppression, not men.
Discuss historical and cultural variations of patriarchy
The universal conception of patriarchy cannot explain historical or cultural variations of patriarchy. Radical feminists cannot argue why women’s subordination takes different forms in different cultures.
What is Difference Feminism
Difference Feminism: It assumes that all women are the same position and therefore ignores the important influence that race, class and/or ethnicity may have on women’s experience within society.
What are the Liberal Feminists views on Radical Feminists?
Liberal feminists argue that Radical feminism is outdated: women’s position has improved greatly in recent years, many men do more housework and childcare, education has improved, more job opportunities etc.
