Theories - Feminism Flashcards
(23 cards)
What are the 4 basic features of feminism ?
- Inequalities between men/women based on power status.
- These create conflict between men and women
- Gender roles/inequalities are socially constructed.
- Patriarchy - A system of social structures and practices which men dominate to oppress and exploit women.
These 4 features reinforce patriarchy. and institutions.
What are the 6 structures of patriarchy (Walby)
The state - The gov is run by men so policies and laws tend to favour men interests.
Domestic labour - Women still complete most of the domestic labour. (family/households)
Violence - Men are physically stronger than women so can intimidate them. (Domestic violence)
Paid work - Women earn less than men and they are low paid or in part time work (glass ceiling effect)
Sexuality - the difference in how men and women sexuality is perceived. (Women over sexualised)
Culture - portrayal of women in media is often in a sexual way this reinforces their lower status as still seen as an object.
What do Liberal feminists argue?
Women should have the same rights/freedom as men.
Equality can be achieved by gradual reforms so changes to laws/policies/education
What changes to laws attitudes and policies have been made?
Family - More women pursuing careers (demographic trends - lower birth rates)
(Equal divisions of labour)
Social policy - Shared paternity/maternity - nursery vouchers.
Education - Change in expectations but sometimes have to put more effort in.
Workplace - Challenge the glass ceiling - equal pay acts.
Law - Equal pay act - anti-discrimination laws
Evaluation of Liberal feminism
Positive
Gender inequality/discrimination are real and can be overcome without violence.
Gender differences = social construction (as attitudes change so do the differences)
Important influence on social policy
Evaluation of liberal feminism
Negative
Overly optimistic of changes
Deals with the symptoms of oppression but not the causes (Marxist criticism)
What do Radical feminists argue?
Action theory
Women main enemy are men
All men benefit from the patriarchy.
It is universal
Derived from women’s ability to bear children.
What 3 main actions are needed to create a new culture of female independence free from patriarchy?
Separatism
Political lesbianism
Collective action
Explain
Separatism
Political lesbianism
Collective action
Separatism - Greer - Creation of (matrilocal) households is an alternative to the heterosexual family. (seperation from the male)
Political lesbianism - Only way to achieve equality - men =the enemy and heterosexual relationships are sleeping with the enemy.
Lesbian relationships are the only non-oppressive form of sexuality.
Collective action - Protests/Demonstrations
Evaluation of Radical feminism
Positive
Raises private issues
Exposes social construction of gender/gender roles
Evaluation of radical feminism
Negative
Sommerville - Ignores the progress that has been made.
(Men haters - make feminists seem crazy)
Ignores element of choice
(Saying heterosexual relationships are bad)
What to Marxist feminists argue?
What do they say about women
Capitalism is patriarchal and the cause of women’s oppression
Women create and socialise the next generation of workers.
They act as a reserve labour force.
Women absorb men’s frustrations at their own oppression. (Fran Ansley - women are the takers of shit)
What does Bartlett argue about capitalism ?
How are women treated in the capitalist system. (two points)
Once it is overthrown equality will be enabled.
In capitalist system women forced to rely on men. (during pregnancy/after)
(Women can only attain fulfilment in the patriarchal nuclear family).
Evaluation of Marxist feminists
Positive
Shows importance of economic production in all areas of social life.
Show greater understanding of structural causes of women’s oppression.
Evaluation of Marxist feminists
Negative
Lack emphasis on how men oppress women not capitalism.
Not explain why women perform unpaid domestic labour (more than men)
Even in non-capitalist societies women still oppressed.
What do Difference feminists argue?
Do not see women as one single homogenous group who all share same issues.
Other feminists have created a false universality based on white - western middle class women.
(Ethnocentric)
(Class specific)
What do differences feminists say about our identities and discussion/analysis
Identities - are constituted through many different discourses. (A way of seeing/thinking/speaking about something)
Discussion/analysis - of different forms of oppression. (ethnic - class - sexuality - age)
Evaluation of difference feminists
Positive
Allows for analysis of different forms of oppression
Allows for different forms of resistance/struggles to achieve equality.
Evaluation of difference feminists
Negative
Walby - there are still important similarities - patriarchy
Segal - Abandons any notion of objective social structures.
Having multiple sub-groups weakens the feminist movement.
What are dual system feminists?
Combine Marxist and radical
The two systems of oppression are the economy and sex gender system.
(Capitalism)
(Patriarchy)
What is patriarchal capitalism according to Hartman ?
Focus on relationship between women position in domestic divisions of labour and paid work.
What does Walby argue about patriarchy and capitalism?
They are at odds with each other
Capitalism seeks cheap female labour.
Patriarchy seeks the domination of women in the private sphere.
Capitalism is more powerful so patriarchy adapts by keeping women low status jobs so they can still depend on the male.
Evaluation of Dual system feminism
(Pollert) - What does she say against Dual feminists?
Patriarchy is not a system in the same way capitalism is.
It is a descriptive term for practices such as male violence and control of women’s labour.
