SOCIOLOGY FEMINISM

What do liberal feminists believe?

Women should have the same rights and freedoms as men

How can liberal feminists believe gender equality can be achieved?

Through Reformism- gradual changes to laws, politics and education

What changes do liberal feminists see in family

More women pursue careers, and household tasks/childcare are becoming more equally shared, although inequality remains.

What do lineral feminisrs say about education

Expectations have changed but more needs to be done, especially getting women into areas such as science and engineering

What social policies support liberal feminist aims

Shared parental/maternal leave and nursery vouchers/support

What work place inequalities do liberal feminists challenge

Institutional sexism and glass ceiling

What is the glass ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents women reaching the highest positions in organisations

What law helped improve women’s pay rights

The equal pay act 1970

When was the marital rape criminalised in the uk

1991

Give other legal changes supported by liberal feminists

Anti discrimination laws and better protection/care for victims of sexual crime

One strength of liberal feminists

Shows gender inequality is real but can be reduced through peaceful reform

What does liberal feminism suggest about gender differences

Many gender differences are socially constructed, rather than natural

One criticism of liberal feminism

Can be overly optimistic about how easily equality can be achieved

Whay deeper criticism is made of liberal feminism

It deals with the symptoms of oppression rather than it’s causes and may ignore the need for radical change

What do radical feminisrs see as the main source of women’s oppression

Men and patriarchy

What do radical feminisrs believe about men and the patriarchy

They argue that all men benefit from patriarchy

What does it mean to say patriarchy is universal

Male dominance exists across different societies and cultures

Why do radical feminisrs believe legal reform alone is insufficient

Because changing laws does not remove the patriarchal culture and power structure

What do radical feminisrs believe is needed instead

Major cultural and social change that creates female independence from patriarchy

What is separatism

Idea that women should organise/live separately from men to escape patriarchal oppression

What does Greer argue for

Creation of matrilocal households as an alternative to the traditional heterosexual family

What is political lesbianism in radical feminism

Belief that heterosexual relationships reinforce male power and that lesbian relationships can avoid this form of oppression

Why do some radical feminists describe heterosexual relationships as “sleeping with the enemy”?

Cuz they see men as the oppressor group within patriarchy

Whay other actions do radical feminisrs support?

Collective action, such as protests and demonstrations

What do Marxist feminisrs see as the main cause of women’s oppression

Capitalism, working alongside patriarchy

How do women benefit capitalism by raising children

Women create and socialise the next generation of workers

What does it mean that women form a “reserve labour force”.

Women can be brought into employment when workers are needed and pushed out again when demand falls

How do women help capitalism by absorbing men’s frustrations

Men may take frustration caused by their own exploitation at work out on women within the family

What does Barrett argue about capitalism and familism

The capitalist system promotes an ideology of familism, encouraging the traditional nuclear family and women’s dependence

How can pregnancy and childbirth create economic dependence according to Marxist feminism

Women may be forced to rely financially on men during pregnancy and after giving birth

How is the patriarchal nuclear family presented according to Barrett

As the main or only way in which women can supposedly achieve fulfilment

Strength of Marxist feminism

Highlights the importance of economic structures in explaining women’s oppression

Another strength?

Gives a structural explanation for gender inequality rather than blaming individual women

One radical feminism criticism of Marxist feminism

Places too little emphasis on men themselves oppressing women, instead focusing heavily on capitalism

What does Marxist feminism struggle to explain about domestic labour

Why women, rather than men, usually perform unpaid domestic labour

What evidence challenges the idea that capitalism alone causes women’s oppression

Women can still experience oppression in non capitalist societies