Tensions Within Feminism:
- Radical feminists reject the liberal feminist agenda because it fails to understand the true nature of the patriarchy. Liberal feminists see patriarchy in terms of the historical dominance of men in society. Liberals explain the oppression of women; it is merely a characteristic of society rather than a fundamental explanation of how society works for women. They suggest the answers lie deep in the human consciousness.
- Liberals counter this by arguing that radical feminists are imposing their own views on female consciousness which seek to restrict their freedom of choice. If there is a framework of legal and political equality, women should be free to adopt their own aspiration. Liberals criticise radical because they do not recognise that there is a private sphere in which women can choose to be free.
- Socialist feminists argue that liberals and radicals have de-emphasised the importance of economic factors in the oppression of women. For them, the inferior exploited status of women in economic life is the true source of their oppression.
- Radical feminists take issues with socialists, for stressing economic factors. The patriarchal domination of society may have economic elements but the truth is more complex. Patriarchy is cultural and psychological not just economic. By over-stressing economics, radical feminists argue, socialists fail to recognise that there is still a great deal of patriarchy in socialist societies.
- The tension between difference feminists and equality feminists. Difference feminists say that seeking equality is a recognition that male characteristics are superior. The feminism of difference denies male superiority and seeks a different road to liberated consciousness by stressing sex differences and celebrating the superior quality of women.
Liberal:
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Radical:
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Socialist:
|
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A reform movement
|
Revolutionary, seeking a social and cultural revolution |
Often revolutionary but proposes an economic transformation of
society towards socialism.
|
|
Patriarchy is a modern phenomenon which can be combatted through
legal and cultural reform
|
Patriarchy has long and deep historical roots. It has penetrated
deep into male and female consciousness |
Patriarchy is largely economically based. Men dominate women
generally because they dominate them economically |
|
If legal and economic equality can be achieved for women, they
will achieve general liberation |
Male and female consciousness must change if liberation is to be
achieved |
Patterns of employment and the economic structure of the family
must be transformed to achieve the economic liberation of women |
|
Women should be free to choose how they conduct their lives and
their relationships with men |
It is not sufficient to create freedom for women – men’s
domination must be destroyed and their consciousness of
superiority reversed |
Women cannot be genuinely free until they achieve economic freedom |
Conclusion:
Feminism Today:
- Some argue that we live in a post-feminist society but many disagree.
- It remains relevant today as a social movement
- 5 principal areas of action.
- Liberal feminists have won most of their legal battles in western societies. They still campaign against sexist attitudes and language to seek equality. They notice the discrimination against women at work and in politics. Equal pay remains an aspiration. Women still earn less than men but some groups are trying to close the gender pay gap.
- The plight of women in traditional societies is a concern for all feminists. An issue is a female circumcision and forced marriage. The denial of education and dress codes also remains an issue.
- Socialist feminists insist that women are exploited by a class within modern capitalism. The liberation of women will be synonymous with the destruction of free-market capitalism.
- Radical feminists continue to argue that liberals are deluding themselves if they believe that women can escape oppression through reform. Patriarchy is deeply rooted in modern society. Some areas are still dominated by men such as the media and politics.
- There are specific campaigns being run by feminist groups in relation to specific groups and issues in society. This includes black and Muslim feminists where issues specific to them have become popular.
- A pressure group started to tackle feminism at it’s core: when children are young. They think that feminism starts at an early age and it remains a major issue in the world because children are used to it.
- They want to stop it in schools. They work with the NUT and the National Education Union too.
- They think that many girls in schools are sexually harassed, and it is gendered because it is mainly boys attacking girls.
- Over 37% of girls at secondary school have witnessed some form of sexual harassment whilst 32% of teachers have witnessed sexual harassment in their school on a weekly basis. A further 36% say they witness it daily.
- Stereotyping and discrimination are all usual forms of behaviour by boys in schools, and the pressure group say it starts at primary schools with many teachers who work in primary schools (34%) say they witness name calling towards female pupils from children from boys daily.
- They also want to tackle, that fact that many boys get master degrees and girls do not.
Tackling
The Issues:
- They want schools and governing bodies to show teachers and upper staff the information they have found and they hope that teachers can be trained to spot this form of behaviour and how they can tackle it. They do not want children to be punished (because the basis) is already there they do however, want children to know that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable.
- Right now, only 20% of teachers receive training on how to deal with this kind of behaviour and the pressure group want to change this by making over 50% of teachers receive this training
- They realise that teachers workload is too high to be dealing with this but they think that if just 20% of time was spent in a year then this issue could be tackled by 40%.
- They want to set up a safe space for students to report other students without any worry that anything will happen to the victim. But they understand that this will be hard because there is no much space to fund this.
Type
Of Feminism:
- They are liberal feminists who aim to reform society in and the evidence suggests that they accept the modern patriarchy can be combatted through cultural reform.
- They want a greater role for women but they accept that for these changes to occur, they need women to be free to choose the type of life they live and relationships with men.