feminism views of family and households

• Radical Feminism

  • Greer argued the family disadvantages women through their roles as wives, mothers and daughters.
• Radical Feminism

  • (Greer) Women as Wives. marriage benefits men; married men are happier than single men, but single women are happier than married women.
• radical feminism, GREER, (WOMEN AS WIVES)

  - patriarchal ideology presents the role of the wife as the most important female role.

  -in politics, wives of politicians receive considerable publicity.

  -they must be seen to be" dazzled by everything he may say or do" and by his side at all formal occasions.

  -marriage reinforces patriarchy.
• radical feminism(Greer, women as wives)

  • " the ghastly figure of the bride" reinforces images of traditional femininity.
  • once the honeymoon is over general patterns of gender inequality emerge.
  • wives see their role as keeping the husband happy; men believe they have kept their wife happy by marrying her.
• Radical feminism(Greer, women as mothers)

  • motherhood is not valued by society
  • childbirth; attention is on the well-being of the child.
  • restaurants, public transport etc. do not welcome mothers.
  • Expectations of women to return to work after childbirth and maintain childcare duties.
  • the 'feminine ideal' and women's pregnancy bodies are 'unattractive'
  • Deviant children and blamed on poor mothering, especially single mothers.
• Radical Feminism(Greer, Women as mothers)

  • children leave home and owe their mothers nothing.
  • Greer notes many elderly people who die alone are mothers will children who accept no responsibility for them.
• Radical Feminism( Greer, Women as daughters)

  • daughters and step- daughters are quite likely to experience forms of sexual abuse for older male family members.
  • this is an extension of male heterosexuality and a form of patriarchy.
• Radical Feminism(Greer, Women as daughters)

  • Abuse is more common than people believe and is often underreported.
  • "heterosexual men fancy young things- youth is a turn on, but no-one is sure how young is too young. why, after all, are sexy young women called 'babes'?"
  • Greer's solution is matrifocal households and communities
• modernity

  • the period of time from the beginning of the age of enlightenment(late 1600s) to approximately 1970.
  • Economic production is industrial.
  • Increased urbanisation
  • Bureaucracy and the state.
  • Scientific thinking and rationality.
  • Technological advances improve society.
• Postmodernity

  • 1970 to present
  • Globalisation.
  • Expansion and importance of media technologies.
  • A fragmented and dynamic world.(work, fashion, music)
  • A consumer society.
  • Cultural diversity and increased choice.
  • No longer a 'single objective truth'- subjectivity.
• Difference feminism

  • A type of post- modern feminism.
  • Gender is socially constructed.
  • Concerned with women's wider experiences of patriarchy based on other social factors: social class, age, ethnicity, Disability, sexuality.
  • These different factors lead to overlapping oppressions of patriarchy: Racism, poverty, sexual discrimination
  • intersectionality
• Difference feminism

  • recognise increasing family diversity in modern society.
  • Women have different experiences of 'family' and may not be exploited equally across all family types.
  • i.e. matrifocal lone parent families
  • lesbian families
  • Differences in gender relationships from ethnic and/or religious backgrounds
  • Post- structuralist