Feminist theories
- Created by: Max_
- Created on: 05-12-16 09:00
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- Feminist theories.
- Liberal and reformist feminism
- The general idea of this feminist ideology is that they can achieve equality through gradual progression and policy reform.
- They believe they can be influential by affecting government policy, they argue policies against discrimination in employment will secure equality.
- However they also believe in cultural change, and that people still hold a lot of traditional prejudices which needs to stop.
- Sex and Gender - Ann Oakley(1972) distinguishes between the terms.
- Sex - refers to the biological differences between males and females such as reproductive role.
- Gender - Refers to culturally constructed differences between the masculine and feminine roles in society.
- Liberal feminism is an optimistic theory, very much in the Enlightenment project
- They believe that changes in socialisation and culture are leading to more rational attitudes to gender and overcoming prejudice.
- They also believe Political action to introduce anti-discriminatory laws and policies.
- Liberal feminism challenges the instrumental and expressive theory put forward by Talcott Parsons.
- They say that men and women are both equally capable carrying out both roles,
- Evaluation
- Over-optimism
- Ignore deep-seated structures causing women's oppression.
- Fail to recognise underlying causes.
- The general idea of this feminist ideology is that they can achieve equality through gradual progression and policy reform.
- Radical feminism
- Radical feminism came about in the early 1970s and believe in a few core ideas.
- Patriarchy is universal, male domination of women occurs in all societies - Firestone (1974)
- Patriarchy is the primary and most fundamental form of inequality and conflict.
- All men oppress women, all men benefit from women, their unpaid labour etc.
- In terms of relationships radical feminists believe in sexual politics.
- Leading on from this. Brownmiller has said the fear of **** has been great enough to stop women from going out at night.
- Furthermore they believe that women are portrayed to satisfy mens desires, such as in ***********.
- Evaluation
- Marxists assert the class divide is more important than the gender divide.
- It assumes all women are in the same position and does not take into account ethnic differences or class.
- Patriarchy is maintaining itself - Pollart.
- Change
- Separatism
- Consciouss-raising
- Political lesbianism
- Radical feminism came about in the early 1970s and believe in a few core ideas.
- Marxist feminism
- They see women's suboridnation to be rooted into capitalism.
- Women's subordination fills out some valuable functions for capitalism.
- Women are a source of cheap, exploitable labour.
- Women are a reserve army for labour.
- Women reproduce the labour force.
- Women absorb anger - Ansley.
- Barrett - Familism
- The nuclear family is where familism comes about, people can question why women stay in the family even though this is what oppresses them.
- Familism carrys out some fufillment for women, sexual satisfaction, through motherhood and intimacy.
- Untitled
- Evaluation
- Subordination in non-capitalist societies.
- Sex-blind marxism - Hartmann 1981
- Women labour isn't the only form of labour, over-emphasis.
- Liberal and reformist feminism
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