Feminism

First Wave Feminism

Advocating for equal education, the right to vote, better working conditions, etc. 'There is no female mind'

Second Wave Feminism

Liberal with some radical and socialist feminism

• based around need to destroy patriarchy to obtain equality with some advocating a cultural revolution

Third Wave feminism

More radical

• seeing institutions as further entrenching the patriarchy

Fourth Wave Feminism (modern)

Intersectional feminism (hooks)

• has the interests of non-white and working class women as well as middle class white women

What is sex?

The biological differences men and women assigned at birth

What is gender?

Cultural differences assigned by society according to gender stereotypes and societal constructs

What is equality feminism?

The belief that sex has no bearing on gender as assigned by society and only men and the patriarchy benefit from any perceived differences between men and women

Otherness

Coined by De Beauvoir

• The idea that men are seen as superior to women and are the 'first sex' and that women are the 'other' or 'second sex'

Androgony

Radical feminist idea that sex differences should be eliminated and children created artificially

What is Patriarchy?

The social construct entrenched within institutions that men are the first sex

Public sphere

An area of patriarchy focused on by liberal feminists who believe that the state and therefore the patriarchy can be reformed through legal equality and education

Private sphere

Areas of patriarchy beyond the reach of the state focused on by radical feminists. Radical feminists believe there is no distinction between the public and private sphere and believe 'the personal is the political'

Intersectionality

A post-modernist concept that non-white and working-class women should be equally represented in the feminist movement

• face different issues

Shared view of human nature

There is a common human nature between men and women but this is stopped by social constraints

Liberal feminist view on human nature

Differences in gender are artificially constructed and reinforced by institutions such as schools so differences in gender should be tackled through reforms such as education reforms in order to break the cycle of male superiority over women

Radical feminist view on human nature

Gender differences are pervasive throughout life and must be destroyed accordingly. This can also be seen through the creation of a female consciousness on patriarchy

Socialist feminist view on human nature

The inferior role of women as a gender is due to capitalism where women have become an oppressed class. This can be solved either through the abolition of capitalism or radical modification to stop women being treated as second-class labour

Liberal feminist view on the state

The state can be reformed through legislation such as constitutional and legal reforms and giving women the vote

Radical feminist view on the state

Reforms do not address the fundamental issues of the state such as issues of discrimination, exploitation and inequality

Shared view of society by feminism

Society is deeply patriarchal in nature and must be driven out

Liberal feminist view of society

Reform of society should take place as patriarchy is a characteristic of society but not necessarily fundamental

Radical feminist view of society

Patriarchy is the key fundamental of society and so must be removed for women to be emancipated. This can be done through a full-scale attack on cultural values in society or through the creation of a female counter-culture

Socialist feminist view of society

Capitalism is the key fundamental of society which drives patriarchy

Post-modernist feminist view of society

Patriarchy is still a key fundamental of society but it does not apply equally to all women as there are other identities also undermined by society such as class and race

Shared view of the economy by feminists

Women's labour is worth less than men's labour as it is often treated as a second-class form of labour leading to a pay gap and a lack of equality of opportunity

Liberal feminist view on the economy

Reforms can create economic equality such as eliminating the pay gap and creating equality of opportunity

Socialist feminist view on the economy

Women created a reserve army of labour of cheap labour so the destruction of capitalism will see women become equal to men

Betty Friedan

Liberal Feminist. Patriarchy stopped the liberation of women as it was cultural in nature creating 'the problem with no name'

Simone de Beauvoir on human nature

Gender differences are created by society which leads to the idea that women are the Other

Simone de Beauvoir on society

Social constraints do not affect just women from achieving true freedom and self-realisation but everyone. The nuclear family should be destroyed

Simone de Beauvoir on the state?

The state reinforces a culture that prevents women from expressing true freedom and identity

Simone de Beauvoir on the economy?

Men's domination of economic life restricts the choices open to women

Perkins Gilman on human nature

The biological differences between men and women are irrelevant and women can compete equally to men

Perkins Gilman on society

Society has always assigned inferior roles to women

What are Perkins Gilman’s views on the economy?

Domestic servitude of women allowed men to dominate the outside economic world

Millett on human nature

Women are capable of freeing themselves from male oppression through forming lesbian relationships

Millett on society

Modern society is characterised by the patriarchy, which infests both the private and public spheres

Millett on the state

The state is an agent of the patriarchy

Millett on the economy

Quasi-socialist but not relevant to her feminism

Rowbotham on human nature

Women's consciousness is created by men

Rowbotham on society

Society is economically determined and reflects the dominant position of both men and capitalists

Rowbotham on the state

State is the servant of capitalism. There should be two revolutions to overcome patriarchy

Rowbotham on the economy

Women are a reserve army of labour

hooks on human nature

Women have multiple identities and so suffer oppression on multiple fronts

hooks on society

Society is full of complex relationships between different minorities and so love between multiple cultures must be established

hooks on the state

The state is dominated by white males and reinforces their dominant position in society

What are hooks’ views on the economy?

Feminists should focus on working class women as much as middle class women

What is de Beauvoir's main work?

The Second Sex

What is hooks' main work?

Feminism is for Everybody 2000