13. The Significance of radical feminism (1960s-70s)

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  • Created by: Alasdair
  • Created on: 05-06-17 09:55
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  • The Significance of radical feminism (1960s-70s)
    • New type of 'sexual politics'
      • Had roots in political activism in favour of AA civil rights by radical student groups and also political protests about war in Vietnam
    • Alliances between groups problematic (between women issues and other civil rights issues)
      • Veteran civil rights campaigner Frederick Douglass rejected linking women's rights for his fellow AAs in 1868, and black activists of 1960s  did not always see role for women
      • One AA leader made made outrageous comment: 'The only position for women in the SNCC is prone'
    • Protests, writings and meetings against sexism did not take form of organised movement like many of ones considered to be so
      • General attitude
    • 'conscious raising'
      • Feminists saw as political activity but not of conventional kind
      • Small groups of women would meet to discuss position of women, sexual relations, etc.
        • Made women of 'unequal power relationships'
          • Arguably unimportant as women did not have the power for change but did have the power of protest
      • Manifested, as defined by feminist writer and activist Kate Millet wrote in influential book called 'Sexual Politics' (1970)
        • Manifested in equality of opportunity
        • Her view was that 'every avenue of power is entirely in male hands'
      • Given this is some 60 yrs after 1920 amendment, there was some political disillusionment with conventional means of attempting to gain political influence
    • Lack of political equality was mirrored in economic equality
      • Female wages on average 63% of men's in 1965
      • By time of 1970s agitation, this had fallen to 57% (1973)
      • Day-care centres were not adequate for number of working mothers
      • No tax relief for children until 1977
        • Already well established as support for women in UK

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