Views - answer Feminists are conflict theorists - highly critical of the family, emphasize
the harmful effects of family life upon women
- See family as a negative environment for women
- Highlighted the economic contribution to society made by women's domestic labor in
the family.
Concerned about:
- Domestic labor
- Emotional labor
- Male domination
- Economic dependency
Domestic labor - answer Unpaid work in the house and cleaning is done by women.
Women make the contribution to the family and men receive the main benefits, which
are invaluable to capitalism.
Emotional lab our - answer Radical feminist suggest tat women provide their husbands
with emotional support - listening, agreeing, understanding and flattering their husbands
(delphy and Leonard)
Male domination - answer Feminists see the family as male dominated (patriarchy).
Men control the key areas of decision making including moving house and important
financial decisions. Sometimes men use violence to maintain control - usually it is
women who are on the receiving end of domestic violence (dobash and dobash)
Economic dependency - answer Married women are often economically dependent on
their husbands.
4 different branches of feminism - answerLiberal feminism
Radical feminism
Marxist feminism
Black/difference feminism
Liberal Feminism - answer- Focuses on social change that has benefited women
- Focus on campaigning against sex discrimination and equal rights and opportunities
for women
- They aim for gradual change in the political, economic and social systems of western
society to achieve equal rights for women (Through democratic system)
- Argue womens oppression is being gradually overcome through change in attitudes
and laws e.g. men now do more domestic labour
- Similar views to 'march of progess' (Young and Wilmott)
, - Suggest neither sex benefits from current gender inequality
Mary Wollstonecraft - answerArgued women should be equal partners in marriage +
entitled to education
- 'Bird cage' for women - trapped by patriarchal society
- Lack of education meant its impossible for them to gain employment and flourish as
individuals
Criticisms of liberal feminism - answerOther feminists criticise them for failing to
challenge the underlying causes of women's oppression and for believing that changes
in the law or in peoples attitudes will be enough to bring equality.
Marxist and radical feminists believe that far reaching changes to deep rooted social
structures are needed.
Marxist Feminism and the family - answer- Main cause of women's oppression is not
men, but capitalism
- See the family and the roles in the family as beneficial to capitalism as a whole
- Sexual division of labour = women responsible for domestic work + child care
(Become economically dependent on men - no access to own money)
- Women experience a lack of control over financial resources + inability to engage in
social activities
- Women are given poorly paid, part time, low status jobs as they are financially
dependent on husbands.
Oakley - sexual division of labour - answerSexual division of labour = women
responsible for domestic work + child care
- Women become economically dependent on men
- Women are expected to deal with anger of husbands + children but have no one to
turn to themselves.
- Women have lack of control over financial resources + inability to engage in social
activities + physical violence
- Women are expected to 'please' husbands + give sexual demands
- Their position in the family makes them a target for capitalist exploitation (Bad jobs)
Breugal - Women are a Reserve army of cheap labour - answerSuggests women are
easy to hire and fire - form a reserve army of labour
- womens unemployment is easily disguised as primary work is as a housewife
Benston - 2 workers for the price of 1 - answerCapitalism gets 2 workers for the price of
1. Women cook + clean for men.
If they didn't employers would have to pay higher wages so men could pay for these
services - would reduce profit for capitalists.
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