radical feminism , personal is political Flashcards
the personal is political was a key slogan of radical feminism this idea challenged the
traditional separation of the private and public sphere
it asserted that issues within the private sphere such as
domestic labour
sexual violence
power relationships , within the home and family were political issues that needed to be addressed
these power relationships underpinned
patriarchy across society
radical feminist argued that the family unit , traditionally viewed as a private and apolitical space and was a
central site of womens oppression
they saw the patriarchal family structure as a microcosm of broader societal inequalities where
male dominance and female subordination were perpetuated and reinforced
the unpaid and undervalued domestic labour that women performed in the home such as housekeeping , child rearing and caregiving is
central to this exploitation
millet saw the traditional family not as apolitical social unit but as a political system that
normalised and perpetuated male dominance and female subservience both in the domestic sphere and in society as a whole result
millett argued that the traditional family is central to enforcing patriarchy by
assigning authority and leadership roles to men while women are regulated to submissive and dependent positions
radical feminsts also brought attention to the widespread issues of
domestic violence
rape
sexual harassment
rather than dismissing them as private matters that were normal they asserted that these forms of violence were
manifestations of patriarchal power and control and needed to be addressed as societal issues requiring systematic change
radical feminists focus on the personal also focused on women’s control of their own bodies which they saw as central to liberation , without control
over their reproductive lives through contraception and the right to an abortion women could not achieve true autonomy and equality
to explore the connections between personal experiencers and larger social and political structures radical feminists organised consciousness raising groups these groups provided
a space for women to recognise common patterns of oppression understand how their epxeriences occurred within the context of systematic patriarchy and organise to fight this oppression