Principles of feminism

Sex and Gender

Feminists believe there is a difference between sex (biological) and gender (societal). Radical feminists believe in differences between the sexes but believe that men and women are so similar that they are androgynous. The way that men have controlled society for so long has led to oppression of women, as women are seen to be child-bearers and housekeepers. The division of masculinity and femininity is not equal or fair, as femininity connotes weaknesses and a lack of achievement. These phrases and traits are socialised from childhood, with culture imposing norms and traditions upon young men and women.

Patriarchy

The dominance of women and their bodies by men is known as patriarchy. Reform is not possible; it can only be removed by revolution. There are many ways in which patriarchy can be seen in modern society:

• Household: women are expected to conduct housework, even if they have a full-time job.

• Sexuality: women are expected to remain virgins until marriage.

• Violence: domestic abuse is often kept hidden from the public eye.

• Parenthood: women are expected to give up a successful career in order to have a child, whereas a man can continue with their work.

The way to remove patriarchy is debated between feminists, with an incompatible divide emerging between difference feminists and equality feminists.

The personal is political

Patriarchy extends beyond the public sphere and has led to dominance of women’s lives by men. Feminists believe that these private issues should be made public and have an impact on the rest of society, including the division of labour, attitude towards women in the workplace and the objectification of women. The privacy of these matters is another example of male dominance over women.

Equality feminism

Equality feminists believe that there is so little that differentiates between men and women that they can both be capable of each other’s historic roles, such as women in the workplace and men as stay-at-home carers. There is no such thing as male or female characteristics, and any development of difference between them is a result of nurture rather than nature.

Difference feminism

In stark contrast to equality feminism, difference feminism (also known as essentialism) identifies the differences between men and women as natural. They argue that feminism has made women reject their femaleness and try to replicate male characteristics and behaviours. As life creators, women have a unique perspective on the world, and should be encouraged to explore their own characteristics rather than focus on being the same as men.

Intersectionality

Emerging in the 80s, intersectionality criticised mainstream feminism for just focusing on white middle-class women, rather than other ethnicities, classes and religions. The feminist writer bell hooks identified this and argued that women of colour felt out of touch with mainstream feminism as their experiences of oppression differed significantly with what was being portrayed and discussed thus far.