5.2 Feminism tensions Flashcards
1
Q
5
Describe unity on human nature among feminists
A
- Division between sex and gender
- All equality feminists - gender does not determine innate human nature
- Human nature is adrogynous - concepts of ‘masculinity’ and ‘feminity’ are artificially created
- All agree that women are equally rational as men
- Most agree with De Beauvoir and Millett that gender roles are imposed, socialising women into believing they are natural
2
Q
3
Outline disunity on human nature among feminists
A
- Disagreement on how engrained patriarchy is in consciousness - liberals argue it is more recent; radicals argue it is historically engrained
- Equality vs difference feminism
- Post-modern views
3
Q
2
Describe difference feminist views on human nature
A
- Essentialism - difference feminists argue women should embrace and not reject natural feminity
- cultural feminists argue that women’s values should be promoted as superior
4
Q
3
Describe postmodern views on human nature
A
- transfeminism argues that sex is socially constructed - liberal/socialist/radical feminists argue it is biological fact
- women have multiple identities and therefore experience multiple forms of oppression
- offer more complex analysis of human nature than other branches (intersectionality)
5
Q
3
Describe unity on the role of the state among feminists
A
- General agreement that state underpins patriarchy, reinforcing female subordination
- broadly agree that state can be restructured to enhance position of women in public sphere
- majority agree with loberal feminists that state should be a vessel to tackle patriarchy
6
Q
2
Describe liberal feminist views on the role of the state
A
- state can be agent of reform to end gender stereotypes through granting legal, economic and political equality
- state should only intervene in public sphere
7
Q
4
Describe socialist feminist views on the role of the state
A
- View state as agent of capitalism
- marxist/feminist-style revolution required
- Rowbotham argues state must be abolished to free women from capitalist and patriarchal oppresion
- Agreed with radicals/postmodernists on intrusion of patriarchy into private sphere, though focussed more on capitalism’s effects
8
Q
4
Describe radical feminist views on the role of the state
A
- more critical of state than liberal feminists
- see state as promoting and sustaining patriarchy
- state intervenes in private shere
- therefore state can not be effectively reformed to remove patriarchy - societal revolution needed
9
Q
4
Describe postmodern feminist views on the role of the state
A
- there is a complexity of state oppression
- other branches miss this cmpelxity as the view gender as only variable for female identity
- generalising female experience of patriarchy is pointless
- focus on state involvement in specific areas of patriarchy within both public and private sphere
10
Q
6
Describe unity on society among feminists
A
- all agree that women do and have historically faced discrimination
- broadly agree with hooks’ assessment that eliminating patriarchy would remove ‘the single most-life threatening social disease’
- Society creates gender stereotypes
- societal attitudes lead to women playing subordinate and supporting role to men in society
- Innate, institutionalised cultural disadvantages have limited female equality and advancements
- women seen as ‘other’
11
Q
3
Describe liberal feminist views on society
A
- Prefer term discrimination rather than patriarchy
- Discrimination limited to public sphere - so equality should be limited to public sphere
- Society can be reformed via state and legal means
12
Q
2
Describe socialist feminist views on society
A
- Society economically detrmined by male capitalism
- revolution needed to change status of workers and women by aboloshing capitalist patriarchy
13
Q
4
Describe radical feminist views on society
A
- Agree on Millett’s definition of ‘patriarchy’
- Patriarchy is essentially a cultural and psychological not economic, concept
- Have numerous solutions to how patriarchal society can be eliminated
- Patriarchy too deeply rooted in society to be reformed
14
Q
4
Describe postmodern feminist views on society
A
- Too simplistic to view problems women face in society through sole lens of gender
- Intersectionality - gender interacts with other factors to disadvantage women in different ways in society
- Understanding of intersectionality therefore key to reforming society
- Criticise post-feminist viewpoint (that patriarchy largely defeated in society and most feminist goals have been achieved) as white, middle-class centric and ignores struggles for WOC and those of lower class
15
Q
5
Describe unity on the economy among feminists
A
- Women’s work undervalued - unpaid domestic work and underpaid jobs
- Economic system creates ‘reserve army of labour’
- Gilman argued economic independence was fundamental to female emancipation - must be equality of opportunity in workplace
- agreement on labour market
- breakdown of gender stereotypes → equality in workplace and end economic dependence on men
