Family - Feminism

Conflict

Tension/disagreement over resources, power, interests etc.

Patriarchy

Male dominated/ruled society

Liberal feminism

Focuses on social change already happened, thinks policy/legislation can solve inequality

Marxist feminism

Capitalism reproduces women’s oppression, gender inequality rooted in economic structure and patriarchal control

Radical feminism

Root cause of women’s oppression as patriarchy, solved by seperatism and political lesbianism

Difference feminism

Highlights diversity and intersectionality among women as important, we can’t generalise experiences

Wollstonecraft - Liberal

Women are trapped in metaphorical ‘bird cage’, socialised from young age to accept limited roles and ‘internalise their constraints’. Equal rights needed to break the birdcage.

Oakley - Liberal/Marxist

Housewife role: Women are economically dependant on men, forced to rely on them. Men have more money and so therefore power. Housework in unpaid labour, women’s role is to benefit capitalism

Benston - Marxist

Capitalism gets 2 workers for the price of 1. If women have jobs, employers are forced to pay more, so men can pay for childcare etc. services, reducing profit for capitalism

Ansley - Marxist

Wives are ‘takers of shit’ who soak up frustration of husbands because of their alienation and exploitation at work. Act as ‘emotional punch bag’

Rich - Radical

Compulsary heterosexuality, see women who enter into relationships with men as ‘sleeping with the enemy’, as family unit is seen as designed for patriarchy. Political lesbianism is the solution

Firestone - Radical

Men are the enemy, childbearing is a burden that disadvantages women. New reproductive technology will free women from dependency and contact with men (e.g. IVF)

Amos and Parmar - Difference

Views black families positively, as often a source of support and resistance against racism. We can’t generalise all family experiences as the same.

Loden - Liberal

Glass ceiling effect - invisible barrier preventing women from getting to top jobs. Reinforces the idea that women are housewives. Says we need policy to close gender pay gap.

Delphy and Leonard - Radical

Family is patriarchal institution that exploits women through unpaid domestic labour, sexual services and emotional work. Women provide 57 varieties of unpaid services to men.

Critisism of feminist viewpoint

Assume nuclear family is dominant family type, ignore diversity etc.

Critisism 2 of feminist viewpoint

Takes structural view of society, assume families are passive puppets, contrary to Social Action approach which suggests this ignores choice

Critisism 3 of feminist viewpoint

Functionalists would say they ignore the positive benefits of family for society

Domestic violence definition

An incident or pattern of controlling coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse among family members or intimate partners

Dobash and Dobash - Liberal (domestic violence)

109 interviews with domestic violence victims (women), found that husband was set off by what he saw as a challenge to his authority

Yearnshire - Domestic violence

On average, women suffer 35 assaults before making a report. Domestic violence is one of least likely to be reported

Cheal - Domestic violence

Police often unwillling to investigate/record domestic violence because of 3 assumptions made:

-Family is a private sphere

-Family is good so should ignore the darker side

-Individuals are free agents so are able to leave abusive relationships

Wilkinson - Material approach (Domestic violence)

Domestic violence is result of stress on family members caused by social inequality (money, job, housing etc.). Lack of money restricts peoples support networks

Millet and Firestone - Radical (Domestic violence)

Men dominate women in family through domestic violence (or the threat). Male domination of state institutions explains why police don’t intervene (all patriarchal)