Feminism

What do feminists regard inequality as?

That gender is not natural or inevitable(argued by Parsons) but as something created by society

Liberal Feminists

What are liberal feminists concerned with campaigning against?

Campaigning against sex discrimination and for equal rights and opportunity for women

Somerville argues women’s positions have improved considerably, but how?(give examples)

Better access to divorce, jobs, control over fertility, and ability to choose whether to marry/cohabit

How are women’s oppression being gradually overcome?

By changing people’s attitudes and through changes in the law

What is an example of a law that helps decrease women’s oppression, and what is its purpose?

Sex Discrimination Act(1975) which outlaw’s discrimination in employment

What do liberal feminists believe we are moving towards?

Greater equality

According to liberal feminists what do we need in order to achieve full equality?

Further reforms and changes in attitudes and socialisation patterns of both sexes

What is an example of how we are moving towards equality?

As men are doing more domestic labour than in the past

What did Gatrell find out about fathers in dual-earner families?

That they play a greater role in their children’s lives compared to their own fathers

Evaluation of Liberal Feminists

What is the name of one of the people who criticised Liberal feminists?

functionalist Parsons

What does Parsons say about both genders and their tasks?

Both genders have biological roles suites for them which leads to different tasks in the home

Give examples of the biologically linked roles given to each gender

Women- biologically able to bear children

men-biologically able to engage in more physical labour

What is the name of the organisation who criticise liberal feminists?

New Right

What does the New Right say about equality?

That it isn’t always positive as most women are working full time and children are suffering as they are being neglected.

What do the New Right say why women are suffering?

It’s because they are doing too much and would actually have a much easier life as ‘just a housewife!’

Marxist Feminists

What two things do Marxist feminists argue women are oppressed by?

By both capitalism and patriarchy

Which one out of the two do they see as the principal source of female oppression?

Capitalism as capitalists are the main beneficiaries

What do men benefit from in the home?\

Women’s unpaid work

Who identifies the three main ways women are oppressed by capitalism?

Benston

What are the three main ways women are oppressed by capitalism?

1)women undertake a large amount of unpaid labour in the home

2)Women attend to their husband’s needs, reinforcing gendered stereotypes

3)women produce and socialise future workers, reinforcing the reproductive role of women

What do Duncombe and Marsden argue women take on that leads to further inequality?

They take on the ‘triple shift’

What is the ‘triple shift’ women are responsible for?

-paid employment

-unpaid housework

-childcare and providing emotional support to the family

What does Ansley argue that the emotional support provided by the wife acts as?

Acts as a ‘safety valve’ for the frustration produced in husbands as workers

What are women deemed as, so the system isn’t threatened?

‘The takers of shit’

What do Marxist feminists also argue about what women act as for cheap labour?

They act as a ‘reserve army’ for cheap labour, useful if jobs require to be filled, such as in WWII and when they aren’t needed they are ‘sent back’ to be housewives

Evaluation of Marxist feminists

What is the name of the organisation that criticise Marxist feminists?

functionalists 

What does Murdock argue about in terms of who the roles would benefit?(give an example)

He argues they would benefit all individuals involved and society as a whole. For example, the emotional role played by women to support the emotional needs of the members and the reproductive role, which is the continuation of society

What is the name of the individual who criticises Marxist feminists?

Elliot

How many men were victims of domestic abuse in 2020?

757,000 men

Radical feminists

What do radical feminists believe women are oppressed through?

Male domination

What do they see society as?

Patriarchal

What do radical feminists believe society is founded on?

patriarchy

Who is the key division between in society?

men and women

What do radical feminists believe men are?

The enemy as they are the source of women’s oppression and exploitation

What two things are the key to the oppression of women?

Patriarchal ideology and biology

What two things are key institutions in patriarchal society?

family and marriage

What do women do that men benefit off?

Their unpaid domestic labour and their sexual services

What are some of the ways men dominate women?

Through dominating them and sexual violence or the threat of it

What do radical feminists believe needs to happen to the patriarchal system?

It needs to be overturned

What in particular needs to be abolished and what is this deemed as?

Family needs to be abolished as it is deemed as the root of women’s oppression

What is the only way that female oppression can end?

Through separatism (women must organise themselves and live independently from men)

What do many radical feminists argue for?

‘Political lesbiansism’

What is ‘political lesbianism’?

The idea that heterosexual relationships are inevitably oppressive because they involve ‘sleeping with the enemy’

What does Greer argue for in terms of households?

That they should be all-female or ‘matrifocal’ households as an alternative to heterosexual families

Which type of woman tends to be happier according to Greer?

Single women are happier compared to married women

What does Firestone pose as an alternative to the biological expectations imposed on women?

Artificial wombs

What forms of reproductive technologies does Firestone support and what does this enable?

Supports IVF as it enables women to form families without the need for male involvement 

Evaluation on Radical feminists

What is the name of one organisation that criticise Radical feminists?

New right realists

What does Murray believe would be negative for individuals and society? 

Separatism and rise in female headed families 

What would separatism and a rise in female headed families lead to?

Lead to rise in underclass

What three things would the rise in the underclass lead to?

Lead to:

1)poor socialisation

2)welfare dependency

3)rise in criminality 

What type of family does Murray believe is best fit for individuals and society?

nuclear family

What is the name of the person who criticises Radical feminists?

Marxist Althusser

What does Althusser say that radical feminists ignore about how the family is set up?

He says they ignore that the family is set up to pass on capitalist ideology. and how family is set up to keep the working class in their lower positions, not allowing social mobility

How does the lack of social mobility occur?

Through people accepting beliefs and ideas such as hierarchy and power

Preference Theory - Post-feminists

How does Hakim believe we live in a more equal society?

As women increasingly have a choice and can choose what family type they wish to live in

What does Hakim believe inequality stems from?

Personal preference

What three things can women now decide?

1)a higher level of education

2)employment

3)focus on their role in the family

What are the three types of women that have emerged due to this idea?

1)Adaptive women- combine paid work and family life equally

2)Home-centred woman- focus on their kids and role in the family before employment and educational achievements

3)Work-centred women- minority of women who prioritise their work/career. Fitting their family life and children around work commitments

Evaluation of Preference theory

What is the name of the organisation that criticise the Preference theory?

New right realists

What do NRR argue about equality?

That equality isnt always a good thing

Why isnt equality always a good thing?

As most women become work-centred and children are being neglected as they are being put in low quality childcare, according to Unicef

What is the name of the individual who criticises the preference theory?

Marxist Feminist Benston

What does Benston say women are seen as?

A cheap reserve army of labour

When are women brought in for cheap labour and when are women thrown out?

Brought in during economic booms and thrown out during slumps

What does women being used and discarded allow for capitalists?

Flexibility

Triple Systems - Walby

Which two experiences complicate what it means to be a woman, according to Walby?

1)ethnicity

2)social class

Which three different studies should be combined to understand the position of females in society today?

patriarchy, capitalism and racism

Where does Walby suggest patriarchy exists and how does this impact women?

Patriarchy exists in private and public and in both spheres women are disadvantaged

What arguement do Black feminists oppose made by white feminists about the site of oppression?

That family is a site of oppression

What do black feminists see family acting as?

Acts as a haven from the racism of white society and it acts as a positive environment

Evaluation of Triple systems

Within society what still remains for men?

Inequality

What does the DFES state within the education system?

That young boys of a working class, black ethnic background continue to underachieve across all levels

What is the name of the person who criticises the Triple system?

Marxist Zaretsky

What does Zaretsky say the family truly acts as opposed to ‘haven’?

Family creates an illusion that it is a safety valve however by allowing frustration to be released, it only benefits capitalism

Difference Feminism - Foster

What do difference feminists focus on about women’s experiences?

class, ethnicity and sexuality

What did Foster find that lesbian couples do in terms of childcare tasks?

They share them more equally

What was reported about their domestic arrangements compared to heterosexual couples?

reported higher satisfaction levels

How many lesbian couple did Dunne study?

37

Why does she believe lesbian couples are happier in their families?

As there is an absence of gender scripts within the family

What do difference feminists say can’t happen to women in same sex families?

Can’t be exploited as there is no men 

What do they think about the growing choice women have?

It is positive and that it is a growing trend

Evaluation of Difference feminism

Even if women can pursue traditionally masculine goals, what is still expected of them?

To be hetrosexual

Due to hetronormativity, what do a lot of lesbians feel they should do?

‘Remain in the closet’

Regardless of differing factors and experiences, what are women at a greater risk of compared to all men?

-domestic violence

-low pay

-dual burden

If you get a feminism question look out for these key words and terminology

-inequality

-oppressive

-dysfunctional

-feminism

-patriarchy

-conflict

-negative