radical view of patriarchy in more detail Flashcards
the family
radical feminists saw the traditional family as a cornerstone of patriarchal society maintaining and perpetuating gender inequalities Kate millet wrote
” the family is patriarchy chief institution “
for her the undoing of the traditional family structure was essential to achieving a true sexual revolution.
millet saw the traditional family not as an 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 . patriarchal unit that reflected the patriarchy of society as a whole . she argued
that the traditional family is central to enforcing patriarchy by assigning authority and leadership roles to men , while women are relegated to submissive and dependent positions
the portrayal of women in society
radical feminists analyse how the portrayal of women in society upholds traditional gender roles that facilitate male dominance and exploitation , Naomi wolfs
“the beauty myth” exemplifies this critique by highlighting how societal standards of beauty are used to control and oppress women , such as the media and literature.
Kate millett sexual politics explained how art and literature are veichles for sexual politics and a special order that glorified male dominance and the control and abuse of women
- by challenging these traditional roles wanted to dismantle the mechanisms through which patriarchy perpetuate society
women reduced to a passive position in society have had their sexuality removed
radical feminist highlight how patriarchy reduces women to a passive position in society stripping them of sexual autonomy and facilitating male dominance and violence , from a young age
women are socialised to be passive submissive and nurturing . cultural norms and media portrayals often depict ideal felinity as complaint and self sacrificing , reinforcing the expectation that women should prioritise others needs over their own.
in contrast to women being passive submissive and nurturing men in contrast
are socialised to be assertive and dominant including sexuality , this is reinforced by the fact that women are expected to perform unpaid domestic labour which makes them economically dependent on men and removes their autonomy
women’s bodies are also frequently objectified in media and advertising portraying them as objects for male pressure rather than active agents with their own desires this objectification contributes to a societal view of women as passive recipients rather than active participants , their sexual autonomy has been removed as
they were socialised to belive that sexual desire was against their traditional gender role and that they should be passive recipients . if they were openly sexual women were condemned by society.
radical feminists strongly oppose pornography and prostitution viewing them as
tools of male control and sexual exploitation that comodify women’s bodies and perpetuate harmful stereotypes
by advocating for women’s sexual autonomy and opposing practices that exploit and objectify women radical feminist seek
to reclaim women’s bodies and assert their right to self determination
belief in a fundamental restructuring of society
radical feminists believe that achieving true gender equality requires a fundamental restructuring of society they argue
the patriarchal systems are deeply embedded in social political and economic institutions and incremental reforms are insufficient to dismantle them
instead radical feminists call for a revolutionary changes that transform the underlying structures of power , this included
creating new forms of family and community that reject traditional gender roles
developing economic systems that value women’s labour equally
establishing legal and political frameworks that protect womens rights and promote their full participation in all aspects of life
many radical feminists advocated for creating women’s only spaces founded by and run by women only to provide safety and protection to women they also
saw these spaces as important for the empowerment of women and as a form of political resistance against patriarchy
Andrea Dworkin argued for strong legal measures against pornograhy and prostitution viewing them as
industries that perpetuated patriarchal control over women’s bodies sexual exploitation and violence against women
Kate millet argued that the traditional family structure needed to be dismantled this would involve
redefining what families could look like including accepting non heteronormative relationships and family structures and redistributing roles in child rearing and household duties to be more equitable .
Kate millet also supported as end to monogamous marriage and the traditional family which she saw as
patriarchy chief institution writing “the complete destruction of traditional marriage and the nuclear family is the revolutionary of utopian goal of feminism “
