NON CORE POLITICAL IDEAS: feminism: key thinkers and their ideas

Simone de Beauvoir - human nature

Gender differences are created by men in society and are not natural

Bell Hooks - human nature

Women, like men, have multiple identities and therefore experience multiple forms of oppression

Sheila Rowbotham - human nature

women’s conciousness/view of the world is created by men.

charlotte perkins gilman - human nature

the biological differences between men and women are irrelevant. women can compete equally with men.

kate millet - human nature

woman are all capable of freeing themselves from male oppression by engaging in lesbian relationships.

simone de beauvoir - the state

the state reinforces a culture that prevents women from expressing their true freedom and identities.

bell hooks - the state

the state is dominated by white males and therefore reflects their dominant position in society.

sheila rowbotham - the state

the state is a servant of capitalism.

kate millet - the state

the state is merely the agent of the patriarchy. it is part of the problem but not the solution.

simone de beauvoir - society

De beauvoir’s existentialism dominated her feminism, meaning she believed that social constraints prevented individuals of all genders from attaining true self realisation and true freedom.

bell hooks - society

society is full of complex relationships between different minorities. in order to resolve social conflict, love between different minority cultures must be established.

sheila rowbotham - society

the nature of society is economically determined. society reflects the dominanty position of both capitalists and men in general.

charlotte perkins gilman - society

society has always asigned inferior roles to women. in modern society, this no longer has any justification.

kate millet - society

modern society is completely characterised by patriarchy, which is all-persuasive and infests both the private and public spheres.

simone de beauvoir - the economy

men’s domination of economic life restricts the life choices open to women.

bell hooks - the economy

women living in poiverty have problems that middle-class women do not face. the liberation of the poor is an economic as well as a social issue.

sheila rowbotham - the economy

rowbotham has a marxist perspective that women are a low-paid reserve army of labour.

charlotte perkins gilman - the economy

the domestic servitude of women allowed men to dominate the outside world.

kate millet - the economy

Millet argues that the patriarchy is deeply embedded in all aspects of society, including economic structures, and that women's liberation requires a radical restructuring of society.

liberal feminists

champion legal and political equality with men. thinkers include betty friedan and mary wollstonecraft.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman - main work

women and economics

simone de beauvoir - main work

The second sex.

what were the main focuses of the first wave of feminism?

Legal rights, suffrage and education for women

who was the key thinker of the first feminist wave and what did she contribute?

Charlotte Perkins Gilman. she promoted female economic independance and criticised female domestic roles

what were the main focuses of the second wave of feminism?

ending the Patriarchy, embracing sexuality, working women and a cultural change

who were the key thinkers of the second feminist wave and what did they contribute?

Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millett and Sheila Rowbotham. they promoted Gender as social construct, sexual politics and Marxist feminism

what were the main focuses of the third wave of feminism?

Identity, diversity, intersectionality - recognizing how different aspects of a person's identity can create unique experiences of privilege and disadvantage.

who was the key thinker of the third feminist wave and what did she contribute?

bell hooks. she promoted Intersectionality, critique of white feminism, feminism for all.