Feminism

• Liberal Feminists believe that women‘s oppression is being gradually overcame through peoples changing attitude and changes in the law.
• Liberal feminists use laws like the Sex Discrimination law, which outlaws discrimination in the workplace, as proof of their beliefs.
• Liberal feminist hold a ‘march of progress‘ view.
• Liberal feminists believe that there is more equal division of labor in the family and parents are socializing their children more equally.
• Liberal feminists still believe that we haven’t reached full equality yet.
• Liberal feminists are criticized by other feminist for believing that changes in people attitudes and laws are enough to get equality.
• Marxists Feminists believe that women’s oppression is down to capitalism not men.
• According to Marxists feminists, women reproduce the labor force through unpaid domestic labor. This refers to socializing the next generation of workers and serving the current one.
• As Fran Ansley says, women are ‘the takers of shit’ allowing men to return to work calml.
• Marxists feminists say that women are reserve army for cheap labor. This refers to when society needs workers it hires women, then when they are no longer needed they are ‘let go.’
• Radical feminists argue that all societies are founded in patriarchy.
• Radical feminists see men as the enemy and the source of women’s oppression.
• Radical feminists argue that the family and marriage are the key institutions that maintain patriarchy.
• Radical feminists argue men benefit from women’s unpaid domestic labor and sexual services. Men dominate the world through domestic and sexual violence.
• Radical feminists believe in ‘separatism.’ This refers to where men and women live in separate communities and independent of each other.
• Greer argues for the creation of all-female or ‘matrilocal’ households as an alternative to the heterosexual family.
• Radical feminists argue for ‘political feminism.’ This is the idea that heterosexual relationships are oppressive because they involve ‘sleeping with the enemy.’
• Somerville argues that radical feminists fail to recognize that women’s position in society has improved.
• Somerville also argues that heterosexual attraction makes it difficult for separatism to work.
• Difference feminists argue that we can’t generalize women’s experiences as women from different classes or ethnicities aren’t the same.
• Difference feminism see that black women seek comfort in families and relationships, and that this is a result of the racial oppression they experience.
• Feminists critique difference feminism as it ignores the experiences that most women share. For example, higher rates of being domestic and sexual abuse victims.