Theory and Methods- Perspectives (Feminism) (7)

Question 1

What does Feminism mean?

Answer 1

-advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

Question 2

What is sociological feminism?

Answer 2

-society based on the exploitation of women by men (patriarchy) .

Question 3

What are the four basic tenants of sociological feminism?

Answer 3

1. Inequality: between men + women.
2. Conflict: between men + women.
3. Gender Inequality: are socially constructed.
4. importance of Patriarchy in explaining inequality.

Question 4

What are the 6 structures of patriarchy?

Answer 4

1. Paid work
2. Household work
3. Culture
4. Sexuality
5. Violence
6. The State (the gov.)

Question 5

What is liberal feminism?

Answer 5

• idea that all humans should have equality, rights + freedom.
• women should have the same rights as men.
• reforminism: equality achieved by gradual reforms + changes to laws, attitudes + policy.

Question 6

Work place (CLAP):

Answer 6

• challenge institutional sexism.

-challenge “glass ceiling”. (invisible barrier that prevents women from rising beyond a certain level)

Question 7

Law (CLAP):

Answer 7

• equal act pay.

-anti-discrimination law. -> gender no longer important.

-better care for victims of sexual crime.

Question 8

Social Policy (CLAP):

Answer 8

• more work to be done on paternity/maternity leave.

-nursery vouchers. (allows working parents the opportunity to sacrifice part of their pre-tax salary to pay for registered childcare.)

Question 9

Education (CLAP):

Answer 9

• Expectations have changed but more work needs to be done.
  i.e: women in science or engineering.

Question 10

Family (CLAP):

Answer 10

• more women pursuing careers.
• more equal parts in household tasks + childcare.

Question 11

Evaluation of liberal feminism: (FOR)

Answer 11

• shows gender ineq. and discrimination can be overcome w/o violence.
• gender diff. are socially constructed.

-has had an important influence on social policy.

Question 12

Evaluation of liberal feminism: (AGAINST)

Answer 12

• ignores the need for revolutionary action.

-deals w/ symptoms of oppression not causes.

-overly optimistic. (confident/hopeful)

Question 13

Who are the Key thinker for liberal feminism?

Answer 13

-Anne Oakley: distinguishes between sex + gender.
Sex: biological makeup
Gender: what you socially regard yourself to be.

-Sue Sharpe

Question 14

What does radical feminism mean?

Answer 14

• extreme version of feminism.
• sees society as being completely dominated by men.

-sees interests of men + women being v. diff.

Question 15

Radical Feminism:

Answer 15

• patriarchy -> universal

-women’s main enemy -> men

• asking for legal change is unlikely to bring equality.

Question 16

What do some radical feminists advocate and why?

Answer 16

• Separationism: women’s separation from men.
• Collective action
• Political Lesbianism:
  heterosexual relationships -> ‘sleeping with the enemy’
  ∴ lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality.

} creates a new culture of female independence.

Question 17

Evaluation of Radical Feminism: (FOR)

Answer 17

• raises profile of what has been considered “private issues”.

-exposes social construction of gender/ gender roles.

Question 18

Evaluation of Radical Feminism: (AGAINST)

Answer 18

• uses violence to achieve its aim.
• ignores elements of “choice” in relationships.

-ignores progress that has been made -> Jenny Sommerville.

Question 19

What does Marxist feminism mean?

Answer 19

• argue that working-class women are exploited by both patriarchy and capitalism.

Question 20

Marxist feminism:

Answer 20

• Capitalism main cause of women’s oppression (not patriarchy)

-Capitalism main winner from female oppression (not men).

Question 21

What do Marxist feminism believe about women?

Answer 21

WOMEN:

-provide cheap exploitable labour.

-a reserve army of labour.

• reproduce the labour force (create +socialise next generation of workers)

-absorb men’s anger.

Question 22

Who was the key thinker for Marxist Feminism and what did she say?

Answer 22

Michele Bartlett:

-In capitalist society women were FORCED to rely on men during late pregnancy + after birth.

-Patriarchal nuclear family: only place where women can attain fulfilment.

-Over throw capitalism:
ideology of familism will follow allowing equality.

Question 23

Evaluation for Marxist feminism (FOR):

Answer 23

• shows importance of economic production.
• shows greater understanding of the structural cause of women’s oppression.

Question 24

Evaluation for Marxist feminism (AGAINST):

Answer 24

• women are still oppressed in non-capitalist societies.
• doesn’t ? why women perform unpaid labour.

-lack of emphasis on how MAN not capitalism oppress women.

Question 25

What does the duel system feminism mean?

Answer 25

• seeks to combine Marxist + radical feminism.

Question 26

What are the 2 systems of oppression?

Answer 26

The economy : capitalism

The Sex gender system: patriarchy

Question 27

Heidi Hartman: Patriarchal Capitalism.

Answer 27

• patriarchy -> universal but takes specific forms in capitalist society.
• focuses on relationship between women’s positions in domestic division of labour + paid work.

Question 28

Sylvia Walby:

Answer 28

• patriarchy + capitalism are at odds with each other.
• Capitalism = cheap female labour
• Patriarchy: dominance of women in private sphere.

-Capitalism more powerful than patriarchy by keeping women in low status jobs.

Question 29

Evaluation of Duel System Feminism:

Answer 29

• patriarchy is not at the system as capitalism.
  } is a descriptive term for practices i.e male violence + control of women’s labour.

Question 30

What does Intersectional Feminism mean?

Answer 30

do not see women as a single homogeneous (similar) group who all share the same issues + problems.

Question 31

Who was the Key thinker for Intersectional Feminism and what did she say?

Answer 31

Judith Butler:

-white-middle class women dominate feminist movement + falsely claim a universality of women’s experience.

-our identities constituted (be a part of) through many discourses.

Question 32

What do discourses mean?

Answer 32

• A way of seeing, thinking or speaking about something.

Question 33

Evaluation for Intersectional feminism (FOR):

Answer 33

• allows analysis of different forms of oppression
• allows for different forms of resistance + struggle to achieve equality.

Question 34

Evaluation for Intersectional feminism (AGAINST):

Answer 34

• having many subgroups weakens movement.
• SEGAL: abandons any notion of objective social structure.