Feminism

?
View mindmap
  • Feminism
    • Key points
      • structural theory - has a macro approach to society, views society as a whole and sees people as moulded and shaped to become the products of society
      • Conflict theory - based on disagreement in society and sees conflict as the main feature of society. society is made of two main groups; a powerful and weak group
      • Political and historical movement as well as a sociological theory
    • Main beliefs
      • there is an inequality of genders
      • we live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society
      • men have more opportunities than women
      • society is socialised into patriarchal ideology - a set of ideas that only benefits males
      • we live in a malestream society
      • women are subject to the oppression of men
    • Waves of feminism
      • first wave feminism
        • the first feminist activity that took place
        • focused on fighting for basic rights - property, votes, eduction and getting more opportunities for women
        • seen as a bad thing to be a feminist - rebellious and troublemaking
        • 1800's -1900's
        • led mainly by the suffragettes
        • successful movement
      • Second wave feminism
        • feminist activity that took place in the 1960's and 1970's
        • focused on fighting for women to get equal rights to men, equal pay, equal job and education opportunities, free childcare, freedom from domestic violence and contraception
        • linked to other movements; gay rights, anti war and civil rights
        • women marched and protested and went on strike
        • 1970 - equal pay act and 1975 sex discrimination act
        • different types of feminism emerged
      • third wave feminism
        • focused on changing the image of women in the media and promoting the diversity of women from different backgrounds
        • the ideal image of a woman was a beauty icon and unattainable
        • the media suggested women should be a certain shape and size - causing them to feel pressured
        • women wanted to send the message that they all face different types of pressure and discrimination
    • Types of feminism
      • liberal feminism - argue that womens oppression is gradually being overcome with changes in the law and attitudes. we aren't fully there yet but men and women are becoming more equal
        • however - there needs to be far reaching changes to deep rooted problems
      • Radical feminism - argue that men and women are not equal and all societies are patriarchal.
        • men benefit from the unpaid domestic work of women
        • men are the source of womens oppression and exploitation
        • the family Is a source of oppression for women and should be abolished through separatism where women live independently from men
          • however - we have heterosexual attraction, it would also mean women can't give birth
      • Marxist feminism - the main cause of womens oppression is capitalism and the only way to end it is through revolution leading to communism
        • women reproduce the labour workforce for the bourgeoisie and maintain the current one
        • women socialise their children into RCI
        • women are  a reserve army of cheap labour when needed
        • women take the anger from men that is created through their exploitation and alienation at work. Ansley - 'takers of ****'
          • however - women have suffered oppression from men before working life and capitalism
      • difference feminism - argue that we cannot generalise that all women have the same experiences. women from different backgrounds will have different experiences
        • however - many women although from different backgrounds, have the same experiences
    • weaknesses
      • women from different backgrounds generally share the same experiences
      • there have been changes in the law but it hasn't been enough to change the deep rooted causes of womens oppression
      • women still have pressure from the media to live up to the ideal image and be a certain shape and size
      • in other countries, their cultures view women as less important and superior to men
      • women still experience domestic violence and sexual assault today
      • womens oppression existed before capitalism
      • we are socialised into gender stereotypes from birth
      • capitalism encourages the family to be male dominated
    • strengths
      • family roles of men and women are becoming more equal
      • men are doing more domestic housework
      • women have more access to jobs, birth control and a choice of marrying or not
      • there are laws in place - equal pay act 1970 and sex discrimination act 1975
  • led mainly by the suffragettes

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Sociology resources:

See all Sociology resources »See all Sociological theory resources »