14.3 - Feminism Key Thinkers

Question 1

What was de Beauvoir’s key work?

Answer 1

‘The Second Sex’ 1949

Question 2

What were de Beauvoir’s main ideas?

Answer 2

• Femininity was an artificial societal construct.
• ‘One is not born, but rather becomes a woman’.
• Humanist more so than feminist.
• ‘Otherness’ is imposed on women by men.

Question 3

When was de Beauvoir active?

Answer 3

1908 - 1986

Question 4

What was Kate Millett’s key work?

Answer 4

Sexual Politics 1970

Question 5

When was Millett active?

Answer 5

1934 - 2017

Question 6

How did Millett argue against liberal feminism?

Answer 6

‘the personal is the political’

Question 7

What were Millett’s main ideas?

Answer 7

• The family unit is the foundation of patriarchal thought.
• Patriarchy reinforces heterosexuality as superior to homo/bisexuality.
• Women’s gender roles are stereotyped in art and literature.

Question 8

What was bell hooks’ key work?

Answer 8

‘Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism’ 1981

Question 9

When was bell hooks active?

Answer 9

1952 - date

Question 10

What were hooks main ideas?

Answer 10

• Extension of feminism to women of colour.
• Intersectionality - gender is not necessarily the most important factor in determining a woman’s life experiences.

Question 11

What was Gilman’s key work?

Answer 11

‘The Yellow Wallpaper’

Question 12

What were Gilman’s main ideas?

Answer 12

• There is a link between sex and the capitalist economy (women are reliant on sexual assets to gratify men, who, in turn, support them financially)
• Gender roles are socially constructed from a young age.
• Economic independence for women.

Question 13

When was Gilman active?

Answer 13

1860 - 1935

Question 14

When was Rowbotham active?

Answer 14

1943 - date.

Question 15

What is Rowbotham’s key work?

Answer 15

‘Woman’s Consciousness, Man’s World’ 1973

Question 16

What were Rowbotham’s main ideas?

Answer 16

• Capitalism worsens the oppression of women.
• Family subjects and disciplines women to the demands of capitalism.

Question 17

What does Gilman think of human nature?

Answer 17

Women are equal to men and biological differences are irrelevant.

Question 18

What does de Beauvoir think of human nature?

Answer 18

Gender differences are not natural but the creation of men.

Question 19

What does Millett think of human nature?

Answer 19

Women are oppressed by men and should free themselves by engaging in lesbian relationships.

Question 20

What does Rowbotham think of human nature?

Answer 20

Female consciousness is socially constructed by men.

Question 21

What does hooks think of human nature?

Answer 21

Women have multiple identities and therefore experience multiple forms of oppression.

Question 22

What does Gilman think of the state?

Answer 22

No explicit views on the role of the state.

Question 23

What does de Beauvoir think of the state?

Answer 23

The state reinforces a male-dominated culture which limits women’s autonomy and freedom.

Question 24

What does Millett think of the state?

Answer 24

The state facilitates the patriarchy.

Question 25

What does Rowbotham think of the state?

Answer 25

The state facilitates capitalism, which in turn oppresses women.

Question 26

What does hooks think of the state?

Answer 26

White men dominate at the expense of women.

Question 27

What does Gilman think of society?

Answer 27

Women have historically been assigned inferior roles in society.

Question 28

What does de Beauvoir think of society?

Answer 28

Societal norms restrain both men and women from achieving self-realisation and true freedom of expression.

Question 29

What does Millett think of society?

Answer 29

Society is patriarchal in both public and private spheres.

Question 30

What does Rowbotham think of society?

Answer 30

Capitalist society reinforces the dominance of established males to the detriment of women.

Question 31

What does hooks think of society?

Answer 31

• Society is a multifaceted arrangement between different minority groups.
• Women of lower societal class are oppressed on several different levels.

Question 32

What does Gilman think of the economy?

Answer 32

Men dominate the economy because societal norms obligate women to a domestic role.

Question 33

What does de Beauvoir think of the economy?

Answer 33

Men dominate economy life which limits the life choices open to women.

Question 34

What does Millett think of the economy?

Answer 34

Resemblance to socialism, but peripheral to her feminism views.

Question 35

What does Rowbotham think of the economy?

Answer 35

Women’s main role in the economy is to provide a reserve of labour.

Question 36

What does hooks think of the economy?

Answer 36

• Women face different levels of oppression.
• White, middle-class, college-educated women face oppression but are more liberated than black working-class women.