tensions within feminism

radical v liberal

• liberal feminists see patriarhcy in terms of the historial dominance of men in society

• radical feminists say that liberals fail to understand partiarchy’s true nature

  • it actually lies deep within human consciouness so simply trying to enact political and cultural reform is insufficient- revolutionar change is needed

• liberals say thatt here is a private spere and as long as there is a framework of legal and political euality women shoudl be free to adopt their own aspirations

  • howeve radicals criticise liberals by saying that the personal is political so barrier between private and public needs ti be broken

socialist v radical feminism

• argue that both radicals and liberals ahve underemphasised the importance of economic factors in the oppression of women0 they believe patriarchy has economic origins

  • under modern capitalism this has intensifies

• radical feminists believe that economic factors (esp marxists) are stressed excessively

difference v equality feminism

difference v equality feminism

• equality seeks equal treatement by emphasising sameness

• diffference seeks equal respst by emphasising gender based difference