THEORIES- FEMINISM Flashcards
What is the aim of Feminism as a sociological perspective?
Feminism aims to explain the subordinate position of women in society by examining the concept of patriarchy.
What is the relationship between Feminist theory and the wider feminist movement?
Feminist theory is part of a wider feminist movement that seeks to address gender inequality and challenge patriarchy.
How many waves of feminism are generally accepted, and what do they focus on?
There are three waves of feminism:
Wave 1: Focused on establishing legal equality between women and men, inspired by Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women, and expressed through the suffragette movement.
Wave 2: Aimed at the radical transformation of society to overcome patriarchy, influenced by Radical Feminists like Firestone in the 1970s.
Wave 3: Concerned with diverse, local forms of feminism, influenced by Postmodernism, rejecting a universal explanation of women’s oppression.
What are the five types of Feminism?
The five types of feminism are:
Liberal Feminism: Aims to establish equality between women and men through legal changes.
Radical Feminism: Aims to explain women’s oppression in a patriarchal society, arguing that biological differences are used to justify the subjugation of women.
Marxist Feminism: Aims to explain how class-based inequalities intensify patriarchy and focuses on women as a reserve army of labor.
Dual-System Feminism: Combines Radical and Marxist feminism, arguing that patriarchal capitalism exploits women.
Difference or Post-structuralist Feminism: Aims to explain women’s experiences of patriarchy on a local and diverse level, emphasizing the intersectionality of race and class in oppression.
What is the main concern of Liberal Feminism?
Liberal Feminism seeks to establish equality through legal reforms and cultural change, aiming to eradicate traditional prejudices and stereotypes about women, which are socially constructed.
How do Liberal Feminists believe change can be achieved in society?
They believe that gender equality can be achieved through gradual reforms, legal changes, and altering socialization patterns through role models in education, media, and family.
What is the concept of ‘genderquake’ according to Liberal Feminists?
The term ‘genderquake,’ coined by Wilkinson, refers to the significant changes in societal attitudes towards gender, including improvements in women’s opportunities due to factors like the feminization of the economy and changes in family dynamics.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Liberal Feminism?
Strengths: It is a positive and optimistic theory, showing that gender differences are socially constructed and not biological.
Weaknesses: It is seen as over-optimistic, ignoring deep-seated structures like capitalism and patriarchy. It also fails to acknowledge how women’s experiences differ based on ethnicity and class.
What do Radical Feminists argue about patriarchy?
Radical Feminists argue that patriarchy is universal and exists in all societies. It is the main form of inequality and conflict, with all men oppressing all women. They claim that patriarchy shapes sexuality to satisfy male desires and that women are often controlled through violence or the threat of it.
What strategies do Radical Feminists propose to end patriarchy?
Radical Feminists advocate for:
Separatism: Living apart from men in all-female communities.
Consciousness-raising: Spreading awareness of women’s oppression through activities like ‘reclaim the night’ marches.
Political lesbianism: Promoting lesbianism as the only non-oppressive form of sexuality.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Radical Feminism?
Strengths: It reveals how intimate relationships can involve domination and draws attention to the political aspects of personal relationships.
Weaknesses: It is deterministic and fails to consider that some women may choose to be mothers or housewives. It also presents an over-socialized view of women and ignores class and ethnic inequalities.
What is the core belief of Marxist Feminism?
Marxist Feminism argues that women’s oppression is rooted in capitalism. Women’s unpaid labor as homemakers sustains capitalism by providing cheap labor, a reserve army of labor, and reproducing the future workforce
How does Barrett describe the role of familism in Marxist Feminism?
Barrett suggests that the ruling class uses the ideology of familism to keep women subjugated, presenting the family as natural and normal, which helps maintain the patriarchal capitalist system.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Marxist Feminism?
Strengths: Highlights the structural factors in the subordination of women.
Weaknesses: Fails to explain the subordination of women in non-capitalist societies and doesn’t address why certain jobs are gendered. It also ignores the extent of male oppression.
What is Dual-System Feminism?
Dual-System Feminism combines Radical and Marxist Feminism to argue that patriarchy and capitalism are intertwined systems that reinforce each other, with capitalism demanding cheap female labor and patriarchy keeping women in the domestic sphere.
