Feminist views on the family

Question 1

What do feminists believe about society ?

Answer 1

that society works in of and benefits men

Question 2

How are women viewed and controlled in society?

Answer 2

• Women are seen as being less good at things than men in society (media , workplace etc) - Male dominated
• Women are controlled in society- pressure to conform to ideal and unrealistic body image

Question 3

What is the aims of feminists?

Answer 3

To raise people awarness about the position of women and to try to change society so that ut benefits women more.
changes 1960’s & 1970’s in the position of women is down to feminism (equal pay act, sex discrimination act ect)

Question 4

What is liberal Feminism?

Answer 4

Want to change the culture and laws in society to make them more equal.
they see gender socialisation in the family as the main cause of inequality between men and women

Question 5

what is Marxists feminism?

Answer 5

the see family as the cause of inequality for women as women are domestic servants for men.
this inequality mirrors the inequality in wider capitalist society and the form of family and women’s positions as unpaid workers and careers suits capitalism

Question 6

What is Radical feminism?

Answer 6

See men as the enemy
marriage and domestics bliss seen as a fantasy created by men to control women and their behaviour. family suits men according to radical feminists and is both unequal and exploitative for women

Question 7

What are some of the key aspects of feminism and the family?

Answer 7

• gender role differences and expectations- boys are encouraged to be competitive and confident girls are encouraged to be obedient and domestic. this has changed a lot over the last 30 years because of feminists raising awareness - Ann Oakley
• Gender roles in family mean women often hear less and spend more time in the home often undertaking unpaid domestic or caring tasks
  -Men tend to have control of important decisions especially financial ones (edgell)
• domestic violence and sexual abuse or the threat of it used to intimidate and control some women (radical feminists)- known as the dark side of the family, highlighting that’s the family isn’t always a safe place - disagree with functionalists -dobash and dobash

Question 8

What are some of the strengths of the feminist view?

Answer 8

• It has acted as a corrective to the very positive view of family life peoposed by functionalists : highlighting that family isnt alwyas a happy place
• Feminism has pointed out that much sociology of the family has a male stream bias because it views things from a male perspective
• It has a huge impact on the freedom that’s ordinary women expect, even if they do not consider themselves feminists
• Feminists have triggered research into areas of daily family life such as motherhood, food, housework and emotional life that were previously not seen as significant

Question 9

What are some of the weaknesses of the feminist theory?

Answer 9

• Hakim and others have suggested that women are not as entirely oppressed as feminists claim and that many women do like domestic life
• It fails to recognize that men may be just as constrained by socialization into masculine toles as women are feminine roles
• Some feminists writing has been very extreme and hostile to men and assumes for men are potential rapists
• feminism is not a united theory so therefore it is difficult to generalize from the various point of view