Radical fems

Question 1

Radical fems make the following claims

Answer 1

1. Patriarchy is universal: male domination exists in all societies, acc to firestone, the origins of patriarchy lie in women’s biological capacity to bear children, therfore becoming dependent on males
2. Patriarchy is the primary and most fundamental form of ineqality and conflict
3. All men oppress women

Question 2

The personal is political

What is patriarchal oppression?

Answer 2

• Direct and personal, happens at work and at the private sphere
• Relationships are political because men dominate women through them, radical fems refer to these relationships as sexual politics
• Patriarchal power is often exercised through sexual or physical violence or the threat of it

Question 3

The personal is political

Sexuality

Answer 3

• Malestream sociology regards sexuality as a natural biological urge - and therefore outside the scope of sociology
• Rad fems argue that patriarchy constructs sexuality as to satisfy men’s desires, e.g. women being portrayed as passive objects in porn

Question 4

Change

Rad fems have proposed a number of solutions to personal and sexual relationships:

Answer 4

• Separatism: Living apart from men and thereby creating a new culture of female independence, Greer argues for creation of matrifocal houses
• Consciousness-raising: Sharing experiences in women-only consciousness-raising groups, allows for women to see that others face the same problem, e.g slut walks
• Political lesbianism: Hetrosexual relationships are oppressive, sleeping with the enemy

Question 5

Criticisms

Answer 5

• Marxists claim the main form of inequality isn’t patriarchy but capitalism
• Assumes women are all in the same position regardless of class, ethnicity etc
• Pollen (1996) argues that the concept of patriarchy is of little value because it involves a circular argument. E.g. male violence is explained by patriarchy, while patriarchy is being seen as maintained by male violence