Theories: Feminism Flashcards
What view of the family do feminists take?
Feminists take a negative view of the family. The family is oppressive to women (no equality, domestic abuse and domestic labour).
There are 3 different types of feminism.
Liberal Feminism: What is liberal feminism?
- Protesting and campaigning for equal rights and against discrimination.
- They want to change attitudes towards laws, for example, the Sex Discrimination Act in 1975 (allows discrimination in employment).
- Gradual reform, not revolt (gradual change).
What study links to liberal feminism?
Young and Willmott (1975) - family → similar to the ‘march of progress’.
What are criticisms of liberal feminism?
(ethnocentric, responsibilities of women, domestic abuse)
- Ethnocentric → most liberal feminists are white women and come from middle class society.
- Many women still work within the household, as well as working in jobs (dual earner?).
- In 90% of families, women are the primary child carers.
- Domestic abuse is more common for women rather than men; ¼ of women are victims.
Marxist Feminism: What do marxist feminists state about the functions women perform for capitalism? (3)
- reproduce the labour force (children).
- absorb anger (warm bath theory).
- reserve army of cheap labour.
What are criticisms of marxist feminism from liberal feminists and radical feminists?
- Liberal feminists → women have more equality and freedom in capitalistic societies.
- Radical feminists → patriarchy is found in all societies, not just capitalist ones.
Radical Feminism: What do radical feminists believe?
- All relationships between men and women are based on patriarchy.
- Men are the cause of the oppression and exploitation of women.
- Against Liberal Feminism → paid work hasn’t been ‘liberating’ (fair). Women have obtained the ‘dual burden’ and the ‘triple shift’.
- The dark side of family life. 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse.
- Separatism and Political Lesbianism → ‘sleeping with the enemy’ is campaigning for women’s rights but then going home to your husband.
What are criticisms of radical feminism?
- Focuses on the amount of domestic abuse women receive in nuclear families.
- Heterosexual relationships don’t have as much equality in their relationships compared to lesbian relationships.
- Doesn’t highlight the progress that has been made (in work, contraception, divorce rights).
- It ignores the abuse suffered by men.
Difference Feminism: What do difference feminists believe?
(think about Black feminists’ views)
- They don’t want to generalise women’s experiences. They want to show not every nuclear family is ‘perfect’.
- Black feminists argue that white feminists neglect black women’s experience of racism.
- Black feminists also argue that black families are a positive course of support and resistance against oppression.
- Others argue women share many experiences compared to men → low pay, sexual assault and domestic violence.
What is a criticism of difference feminism?
It doesn’t identify that women do share experiences, despite their differences.
What is an evaluation of feminism?
(postmodernist theory, nuclear family, women negotiating their traditional role, ignores the positive side of the family)
- Postmodernist theory - the increase in family types (single-parent, gay and lesbian, cohabiting) in society has meant the nuclear family is generally no longer the dominant family type in the UK.
- The nuclear family is becoming less common.
- Women can negotiate their domestic role - women now have more career opportunities and are financially more independent than ever before.
- Ignore the positive side of the family - feminists focus too much on the negative side.
