Origins of feminism:
- Wollstonecraft who claimed that women were not rational or physically capable enough so were denied a place in politics and society.
- Aim is to achieve equality to ensure that everything is free and fair.
Essays:
- Most essays will be on comparing different strands of feminism.
Liberal:
- Equality and legislation needed, this means that women self-actualise and become what they want.
- Has it worked: Equality Act 2010, Equal Pay Act 1970, 1918 Franchise, 1967 Abortion Act, 1991 Rape Ban, 1961 Contraception available through NHS. All Women Shortlists in Labour.
Marxist/Socialism/Economistic:
- Laws are not enough.
- Men and women have been exploited by the economy and the business owners. Women are doubly “screwed” because they are exploited by both the business owners and men too. This is just part of our society. In short, they blame the economy and men.
- Until there is a revolution and the economy has changed as well as the social outlook that men and women have – a false consciousness. Until this is changed, women shall remain exploited.
Radical:
- Don’t blame the economy, just blame men.
- De Beauvoir: Men treat women as second class objects. This has been set up as part of society to become the plaything of men
- Women shouldn’t have sex with men and can bear children through IVF. Women do not need men. Androgyny society.
- So the personal is political, in other words, women do not need men in either of their lives.
Patriarchy:
- Men have deliberately set up society and spread this attitude that men are the dominant sex. All of society is set up to control all power but in particular to control women.
- In all areas of life such as the state, culture and work
- Society has been set up by men for men.
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Equality – One method for radical feminists
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Difference: - Another method for radicals
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Men and women are equal. No real difference between the two
genders.
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Men and women are not the same, clearly they are different.
Biological and psychological differences.
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Different is how they’re socialised. The difference and links
between sex and gender. Given sex at birth e.g men but gender is
something which is given to you by society |
Celebrate the differences between the two sexes and feminine
traits. They agree with the separation of male and female.
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Equality feminists say the link between sex and gender is wrong
and we are socialised into this way of thinking.
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Solution is female separatism as all male and female relations are
oppressive. Define yourself through lesbianism and autoeroticism |
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Every individual should be given the freedom to be androgynous and
choose from the various masculine and feminine traits.
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Post-modern
feminism:
- Intersectionality – a black women is likely to face more oppression than a white woman.
- Feminism had contorted itself to the white middle class but there was more issues facing other feminists.
- Revolution should include class and race as well as gender too.
- What feminists forget is that women’s are treated differently around the world. An Asian woman is going to have a different experience than a black woman in America or London.
- Oppression was different depending on where they lived.
Post-feminist:
- Things have been achieved, women have achieved equality with men e.g women leaders in Politics, Theresa May etc etc
- Time to move on and focus on female accomplishments and female power.
- Some women claim that women have the power to dominate and manipulate using their sexualised bodies but some do not view this as a form of feminism at all but rather anti-feminism.