If you want to get an A* in sociology then these summarised revision notes are your step to success. This document contains detailed notes on Feminism in the Theory and Methods Topic. All notes are summarised and will save you hours of time which can be used revising these notes.
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Liberal feminism
Concerned with human/ civil rights and freedoms of individual, believe all humans should
have equal rights
Gender equality can be achieved through laws/ policies + cultural change (no
stereotypes)
Oakley: Sex: biological differences between M/W (seen as fixed)
Gender: culturally constructed differences between M/W roles (vary between
cultures/ time
Eg: rare to see women bus drivers in Britain
To achieve gender equality, we must change society's socialisation patterns.
Eg: role models in education/ family ( female teachers) -> cultural change
Liberal feminism critique functionalist view of gender roles.
- Eg: Parsons instrumental/ expressive roles (men/ women)
- LF: M/W equally capable of performing both roles
- Conflict between M/W is a product of outdated attitudes.
Evaluation of liberal feminism
- Demonstrate that gender differences are not inborn but due to socialisation
patterns.
- Marxists: ignore deep structures causing women's oppression (patriarchy)
- Walby: offer no explanation for structure of gender inequality.
- Marxist /radical feminists: fails to recognise underlying causes of women's
subordination, need revolutionary changes, not changes in laws
Radical feminism
1. Patriarchy is universal: exists in all known societies.
- Firestone: origins of patriarchy lie in women's biological capacity to bear infants ->
become dependent on males.
2. Patriarchy is fundamental form of inequality/ conflict between M/W
3. All men oppress all women
The personal is political
- Patriarchal oppression occurs in public sphere of work + private sphere of family
- Focus on how patriarchal power is exercised through personal relationships
(Brownmiller: fear of rape stops women going out alone at night)
Sexuality
- Patriarchy constructs sexuality to satisfy men's desires.
- Eg: women are portrayed in pornography as passive sex objects
- Rich: men continue to force women into 'compulsory heterosexuality'
Change
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