Feminism: Theories of the Family

What is the feminist view of the family?

• the family preserves the social order

• the family benefits only a powerful group within society - men

• families preserve, support, and embed patriarchy

What are the 4 types of feminist views of the family?

• liberal

• radical

• Marxist

• difference/postmodern/intersectional

What is the liberal feminist view of the family?

• the goal of feminism should be to achieve equality for women

• the family is slowly becoming more equal for women

• women can become fully equal in the family through gradual change rather than evolutionarily change (e.g., parents are now socialising their children in more gender neutral ways)

• liberal feminists focus on striving for legal equality between the sexes
  

What are some examples of social policies that have strived for legal equality between the sexes?

• Equal Pay Act (1970)

• Sex Discrimination Act (1975)

• Family Planning Act (1967)

What are some criticisms of the liberal feminist view of the family?

• Marxist feminists have criticised liberal feminists for being too positive about the impact of social policy

• despite law changes, there is a glass ceiling in the workplace (women are often prevented from reaching the top positions in the workplace)

• radical feminists suggest that laws are created to benefit the patriarchy

• radical feminists suggest that women will never be liberated if they do not free themselves from the nuclear family

• ignores the ‘dark side’ of the family (e.g., domestic abuse)

What is the Marxist feminist view of the family?

• families help to preserve both capitalism and patriarchy

• women are the ‘slaves of wage slaves’

According to Marxist feminists, what 3 functions does the family perform for capitalism?

• women reproduce the labour force

• women absorb the anger of men that would otherwise be directed at capitalism

• women are a reserve army of cheap labour

According to Marxist feminists, how does women reproducing the labour force benefit capitalism?

• the capitalist system's workforce (the next generation) are fed, looked after, and properly socialised

• capitalism benefits from the unpaid labour of women (Benson)

• the unpaid labour of women creates a ‘dual burden’, and now a ‘triple shift’

What is the ‘dual burden’?

• domestic labour

• emotional support

What is the ‘triple shift’?

• paid work

• domestic labour

• emotional support

According to Marxist feminists, how does women absorbing the anger of men benefit capitalism?

• the emotional support a wife provides is a ‘safety valve’ for the frustration produced in the husband by capitalism (because of alienation and exploitation at work)

• the anger of men would otherwise be directed at capitalism

• women are ‘takers of sh*t' (Ansley)

• explains male domestic violence towards women

According to Marxist feminists, how do women being a reserve army of cheap labour benefit capitalism?

• women are extra workers who can be ‘let go’ when they are no longer needed

• women can be paid less than men because employers expect women to rely on their male partners’ incomes

• e.g., WW2

What are some criticisms of the Marxist feminist view of the family?

• women are still oppressed in non-capitalist societies

• intersectional feminists argue that Marxist feminists ignore the experience of racism

• females are not passive victims that just experience oppression and exploit

• assumes that the nuclear family is the only type of family

• men might be doing more housework now due to the division of labour

• women are no longer a reserve labour force due to equal rights at work

What is the radical feminist view of the family?

• the main role of the family is to maintain the patriarchy

• the family allows men to use and gain coercive power over women

According to radical feminists, what are the 4 different formats of men's coercive control over women?

• physical

• psychological

• sexual

• financial

As suggested by radical feminists, what 4 factors cause men to have power over women in the family?

• male dominance in decision making

• female dependence on men

• social expectations of women to be housewives and mothers

• the gender socialisation of girls into stereotypical roles (e.g., passive, submissive)

What are some criticisms of the radical feminist view of the family?

• Somerville argues that radical feminists fail to see the improvements that have been made to women's experiences of the family

• due to better access to divorce and control over their fertility, women are no longer trapped by the family

What is the difference/postmodern/intersectional feminist view of the family?

• all other feminists make generalisations about women's experiences

• it is important to consider intersectionality (e.g., by viewing the family purely negatively, radical feminists neglect Black women's view of the family as an important source of support and resistance against racism)

• just as not all families are nuclear, not all women will have the same experience of family life

What are some criticisms of the difference/postmodern/intersectional feminist view of the family?

• while it might be true that women share some different experiences, it is also true that all women are more at risk of domestic abuse and low pay

• neglects the fact that many women do share the same experiences of family, regardless of ethnicity or social class