This document includes everything you need about feminism. It has detailed summary of the content, each key thinker, essay plans for the state, the economy, society and human nature.
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Feminism
- A critique of patriarchal society
- Want to liberate women from physical and psychological barriers imposed by patriarchy
- Society where women lead is superior
The Waves
- 1st wave = 1850s - 1940s, focus on legal/political rights. Liberal approach, extended
liberal ideas of freedom and human nature to include women
- Wanted societal/economic reform
- Wollstonecraft, Perkins Gilman
- Equal workplace opportunities
- 2nd wave – 1960s - 80s – looked at gender roles society expected of women
- ‘Personal is the political’ - more than political emancipation
- 3rd wave – 1990s – angered feminism too preoccupied with white MC women, women of
colour and culture needed respect
- 4th wave – 2008 – reacting to inequality in media, transfeminism
Dichotomies
Equality feminists
- Majority of feminists – liberal, radical, socialist
- Want elimination of cultural differences to achieve absolute equality
- Women’s nature and gender is socially constructed and determined by society.
Biological differences are inconsequential. There are no specific feminist traits
- Equality is achieved when male superiority = destroyed, want gender neutrality (the
politics of sameness) androgynous
- Simone De Beauvoir – female characteristics = myth to confine women. Men and
women are the same and contraceptives and abortion allow women to compete with
men in society
Difference feminists
- Women are biologically and culturally difference, this should be recognised and
celebrated due to distinct gender characteristics. Sexes have natures
- Minority of feminists - essentialism where biological differences are consequential and
do determine fundamental gender and nature differences
- Difference – don’t accept one gender is superior
and differences should be embraced.
- Cultural – women’s natural qualities are superior – a
world where women dominated would be less violent
and would embrace nature and not exploit it
environmentally
- More extreme – challenge male dominance, women
are superior as female essence is more caring,
nurturing than competitive and aggressive men
(called inverted sexism by critics)
- The politics of difference – women born different with
different nature
- Carol Gilligan – argues biology does affect women’s human nature, essentially different
Strands of feminism
Liberal
- Reformist, via democratic pressure, gender stereotypes can be eliminated, no
revolutionary change is needed. Focus on public sphere over private sphere
- Liberal values of individualism – foundational equality and equality of opportunity e.g.
Wollstonecraft argued for political equality
- Freidan’s book began 2nd wave, also De Beauvoir emphasized concept of otherness and
women should be free to choose the roles they took
- Wanted an end of discrimination and inequality in the workplace, and gender equality,
wanted to end outdated cultural attitudes via and education and oppose sexist
language
- Changes in law to facilitate legal equality in all public spheres of society
- Inspired changes e.g. 1928 ROTP act and 1975 Sex discrimination act
- Accept sex differences and the superiority of men as an artificial construct, created by
a male dominated (patriarchal society). History, education, culture and media that has
reinforced this view so reform is needed
, - Individualism is the basis of gender equality
- Betty Friedan – feminine mystique – women still treated like second class citizens.
Chosen motherhood is liberation. The idea of being and a mother and wife is
glamorized and idealized by media and society when its not the goal – social construct.
Reform is needed for liberation e.g. education
- Motherhood should be a choice – equality of opportunity
Socialist
- Argues economics leads to gender inequality and capitalism causes patriarchy
- 1. Reformist socialism feminism – Collectivism and cooperation as female qualities.
Capitalisms exploitive qualities reformed patriarchy and that socialism would gradually
succeed – allow men and women to co-exist in egalitarian society and economy
- More humanist than feminist – wished parity between sexes
- Gilman supported intersectionality as she argued gender and capitalism were
interconnected oppression as only economic independence could give women freedom
and equality with men and that motherhood shouldn’t prevent women form working
outside the home
- the personal is the political approach
- She wanted communal forms of living where child rearing and housework would be
shared and professionalized allowing wider role of women on society
- 2. Revolutionary socialist feminists – Engles argued economics caused gender
inequalities and capitalism created patriarchy. Most extreme Marxist views.
- Women reproduced workforce and socialized children to continuing cycle of capitalist
oppression
- Women were a reserve army of labour to be cast off. Oppression and inferior status of
women linked to. capitalism, women and WC oppressed.
- Patriarchal societies assign an inferior role to women – source of cheap labour: in the
home they are a largely unpaid workforce, outside they are largely low paid, part time
worker (see recent gender pay gap debate for evidence). Dispensable, at times of a
slump it is women thrown out of work - often lack job security. Advocate the
destruction of capitalism. Women should be granted the same working conditions, pay
and opportunities as men; they must no longer be seen as ‘second class labour.’
- Gender inequality stems from economics and capitalism creates patriarchy
- Sheila Rowbotham – expanded on Engles theory, WC women found employment in
factories and paid less, had no childcare and argued men don’t understand the nature
of the oppression of women. ‘men will often admit other women are oppressed but not
you’. – men from the political left cannot understanding the nature of the oppression
they impose on women
- Women had always been oppressed and that alienation from capitalism and patriarchy
meant a ‘revolution within a revolution was needed’
- Shelia Rowbothman- looked into aspects of women’s life e.g. family, work, sexuality.
Need two revolutions, one against capitalism and one against patriarchy.
- Charlotte Parkins Gilman – technological development now means there is no difference
- Social and economic construct
Radical
- Radical argued both public and private sphere must be addressed as ‘the personal is
the political’ but liberal think just public
- Millet was critical of Romanic love and monogamous marriage as she thought children
were socialised by family unit and that these norms were reinforced by religion,
education, myths, art and literature
- Wanted to abolish nuclear family and replace with communal living and child rearing
- See gender differences as deep rooted affecting home, work and personal life
- Must be destroyed through cultural revolution and want androgyny
- Kate millet – sexual politics – roots of traditional patriarchy are in family structure. Men
and women relationships were about oppression and power. Women have accepted
their inferiority. Women can only be free when separate from men. Women shouldn’t
have relationships with men – form own communities. Self sufficient
- Large variety of reforms – lacks cohesion as different feminists have different focus
- E.g. Germaine Greer agued patriarchy socialized women to view desires as unfeminine
and to be embarrassed about their bodies however Greer argued that sexual liberation
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