feminism

Question 1

key concepts of feminism

Answer 1

• conflict theory - patriarchal oppression of women
• sociology is male stream - male thinkers focusing on issues of men
• feminism has evolved over time with contemporary issues and intersectionality of women’s experiences

Question 2

first wave of feminism

Answer 2

• political equality
• writers eg Wollstonecraft, Martineau
• suffragettes, suffragists
• fought over period exceeding 100 years to gain universal suffrage
• eg right to vote 1928 (ca: mostly white, mc women)

Question 3

second wave of feminism

Answer 3

• post ww2
• social and economic equality (equal rights + equal pay)
• women’s liberation movement

Question 4

Oakley and De Beauvoir (second wave)

Answer 4

• examined gender differences at home

Question 5

describe the women’s liberation movement (ca)

Answer 5

• typifies attitude of social change in post war USA + europe
• ca: didn’t do enough to address differences
  
  • ignored those of lower class, ethnic minority, lgbtq

Question 6

third wave of feminism

Answer 6

• rose from criticism of second wave
• focusing on experiences women face globally
• Europe: changing perceptions of women
• global: giving women reproductive rights + tackling issues eg female genital mutilation and forced marriage

Question 7

fourth wave of feminism

Answer 7

• recent
• empowerment of women using digital technologies - encourage and support women achievement
• eg #me too campaign - tackling historical sexual abuse

Question 8

what does liberal feminism look to address

Answer 8

• tackling gender inequality by utilising existing systems (legal reform)
• pressing for legal changes to address inequality

Question 9

have legal changes by liberal fems been successful?

Answer 9

• yes
• legislations eg Equal Pay Act, Sexual Discrimination Act, legalisation of abortion, availability of contraception on prescription, removal of marital rape exclusion clause, Equality Act
• also addressed issues eg educational underachievement, breaking barriers to edu for girls esp in male dominated domains, influenced girls to aim higher + pursue careers once seen as reserved for males

Question 10

how have the legal changes impacted females?

Answer 10

• addressing edu, family, work, social stratification

Question 11

what is a critic of the successfulness of liberal fems legal changes?

Answer 11

• inequality remains
• however, for lib fems there’s a march of progress towards equality
  
  • continue to tackle newer forms of exploitation eg media representations of women

Question 12

what does Marxism fems examine

Answer 12

• dual exploitation women face in soc from men and capitalism
• much of explanations comes from examining gender differences at home (eg domestic division of labour)

Question 13

benston (Marxist fem)

Answer 13

• women kept out of job market
• used to ‘reserve army of labour’
• taken in for economic growth, taken out in times of recession
• highlights difficulties women face in employment

Question 14

ansley (Marxist fem)

Answer 14

• women absorb men’s frustrations
• highlights dual exploitation of women by men and capitalism

Question 15

Delphy and Leonard (Marxist fem)

Answer 15

• unpaid labour women do at home benefits capitalism + husbands