Theories of the family - Feminism Flashcards
Explain feminism
- Macro structural theory claiming that individuals are shaped by society and it’s a conflict theory: there are gender inequalities
- It is a social movement aiming to bring gender equality by changing people’s attitudes and introducing new laws and policies
- Feminsim developed in response to malestream views on family
- There are many types of feminism with different views, but they all argue that families are patriarchal and that women face the dual burden and that life in general is unequal
What do marxist feminists argue?
Women in the cereal packet nuclear family are doubly oppressed by capitalism and patriarchy.
What Benston argue?
(Marxist feminist)
Women are slaves of the wage slaves
* A woman’s role in a capitalist society is to look after the wage slave: cook tea, care for children and clean the house
* By the woman doing this, it allows the man to be free to work and he can relax at home
* Women’s unpaid work (housework) keeps the capitalist system going by providing male workers to return to work refreshed for the ruling class
What does Ansley argue?
(Marxist feminist)
Women are takers of shit
* Men take their frustrations out about capitalism onto their wives who absorb their anger
* For example, when men have a bad day at work, they come home and shout at their wives which releases their anger, allowing them to return to work refreshed and calm
* Wives act as a safety valve for capitalism: by absorbing husband’s anger, they keep capitalism going because male workers don’t challenge or question their position at work
What does Bruegel argue?
Women act as a reserve army of labour
* Women given their jobs in an economic boom - lots of jobs need filling
* They are then sacked during recession - there are not many jobs so men can have them
* This allows women to return to their true role as a housewife
What do Barret and McIntosh argue?
(Marxist feminists)
Familialism
* The family transmits ideas and beliefs that benefit capitalism through primary socialisation
* Familialism is taught: the ideal family to live in is a cereal packet family, and all other types of families are deviant and not normal
What do radical feminists argue?
In order for greater gender equality to be achieved, massive social changes are needed.
What do Dobash and Dobash argue?
(Radical feminists)
Heterosexual marriage legitimates violence
* Heterosexual marriage gives husbands all power and authority which makes wives economically dependent on them
* Marriage is used to legitimise violence against wife and the male has a sense of ownership over her
* D&D’s research based on police records and interviews with women in women’s refuges found that violent incidents were triggered by what their husband saw as a challenge to his authority: his wife asking him why he was late home for tea
What do Delphy and Leonard argue?
(Radical feminists)
Heterosexual marriage is patriarchal
* Men benefit from and exploit the work of women within the family
* Wives do more work in the family in terms of housework, child care and providing sex for their husband but they get less benfit from the family - less decision making power and less leisure time than men
What are the solutuions to the patriarchy in marriage set out by radical feminists?
- Separatism: live separately from men to avoid opression and exploitation
- Political lesbianism: They say personal is political, women should date women to escape oppression of a nuclear family
What do liberal feminists argue?
The position of women is improving, they are known for having the march of progress view. They believe that there are 2 ways to create gender equality: changing attitudes and the law.
What does Somerville argue?
(Liberal feminist)
Reform rather than revolution
* It is a more realistic approach to improving the position of women in society and the family
* Increased choice and the growth of dual earner families have created gender equality within marriage and led to the rise of symmetrical families
* State policies to help parents such as increased flexibility in paid employment will progress society to more equal relationships
* Paternity rights 2003- Sent out a clear message of support and acceptance that both parents are likely to work and it recognised the importance of the father’s role in a child’s life
* Shared parental leave 2014- 52 weeks can be shared however the couple decides
What do intersectional feminists do?
They criticise other types of feminists for failing to recognise that women experience patriarchy in different ways.
* Example: Black w/c woman in London may experience different forms of patriarchy compared to a white m/c woman in the country side
* Intersectionality is important: when these feminists study experiences of family life, they take into account a number of social factors like age,social class and ethnicity NOT just gender
