Feminism and Family

Given that feminism is not one single theory and not just a sociological movement, there is a huge amount of debate on the domestic situation of women. You need to be aware of the following key points, however:

• Different gender socialistion within the family is believed by most feminists to be the cause of social differences between males and females. Boys are taught to be aggressive and competitive whereas are encouraged to be domestic and obedient.
• Gender roles within the family mean that women have less freedom than men because they tend to earn less and spend more time on domestic labour
• Men tend to control important decisions because they have financial power.
• Many men control women through the exercise or threat of domestic violence…