Feminism

Question 1

What is feminism

Answer 1

• feminists study society from the perspective of women, they see women as subordinated by men and seek to free women from their oppression
• different feminists differ on the means of which they should do so
• liberal seek legal reforms and change in attitudes
• radical see patriarchy as fundamental conflict in society and believe separatism is the only solution
• Marxist determine capitalism to be the main reason of women’s oppression not men
  Difference determine all women to be different and therefore each women experiences a different level of oppression

Question 2

What do liberal feminists say - Oakley

Answer 2

• Oakley distinguishes between sex and gender
• sex, is your biological makeup
• gender, what you socially regard yourself to be

The enlightenment project
- liberals recognise the successive progress towards equality
- changes in socialisation and gender, gradually leading to more rational attitudes towards gender
- political action to introduce anti discriminatory laws and policies, bringing progress to society in which gender is no longer important

Question 3

What do radical femisints say about- Firestone

Answer 3

• argued that a women’s ability to get pregnant, give birth and raise children puts them in a subordinate position
• she argues this biological difference has been used by men to control women throughout history
• believed that true equality would only come when women are free of the burden of childbirth
• abolish nuclear family as it reproduce male dominance

Question 4

What did Marxist feminist say - Benston

Answer 4

• women’s unpaid work ( housework, childcare ) supports capitalism
• it keeps workers ( mainly men ) healthy fed and ready to work without paying extra wages
• women are a reserve army of labour - bought into paid work when needed and pushed back into the home during job shortages

Question 5

What do difference feminists say - butler

Answer 5

• do not see women as a single homogenous group, difference of class ethnicity sexuality all lead to different experiences of patriarchy, therefore they emphasise diversity
• argue previous feminists claim to apply to all women but in reality it is only about the experience of white western heterosexual middle class women
• criticise radical liberal and Marxist feminist for being essentialists whereby they see women as the same and therefore fail to recognise diversity