Feminism

• Feminism

  A key conflict theory in sociology that believes society is based on inequalities between men and women
• Feminist

  (in sociology) Someone who advocates the movement of feminism and gender equality
• Feminisation (or Feminization)

  The process by which society's sex and gender roles become focused upon femininity (where the focus was previously on masculinity)
• Liberal Feminism


  • Seeks to achieve gender equality in the public sphere through legal and social changes
  • Believes women want the same things as men: education, work, fair living
• Marxist Feminism

  • Looks at the combined impact of capitalism and patriarchy on the oppression of women
  • Claims capitalism requires the exploitation of women to function
• Radical Feminism

  • Blames women's oppression and exploitation on men and the patriarchal structure of society
  • Seeks to dismantle the entire system of patriarchy rather than make changes within the existing system
• Patriarchal society is one that has been built by and for the benefit of men at the expense of women
• Feminists believe the societal structure is patriarchal and that patriarchy is the cause of gender inequality
• The feminisation of the labour force refers to the increasing participation of women in the workforce, even in traditionally male-dominated sectors
• The feminisation of poverty means that women are more likely to experience poverty than men
• The feminisation of education suggests a school environment becoming more focused and oriented towards female students
• Capitalism and patriarchy

  Doubly oppress women according to Marxist feminists
• Patriarchy

  Is embedded into all aspects of society according to radical feminists
• According to radical feminists, men also maintain their power over women through domestic violence, sexual violence, and pornography
• Key aims of radical feminism

  • Dismantling the system which will remove the root cause of oppression; patriarchy
  • Proposing alternative family structures to the traditional nuclear family structure, which is oppressive to women
  • More extreme alternatives propose the separation of the sexes and the end of heterosexual relationships
• Evaluation of radical feminism

  • Positives of radical feminism:
  • Radical feminism addresses the root cause of the oppression, which it argues is the most effective way of tackling gender inequality
  • Radical feminists consider all aspects of society, including modern forms of oppression, e.g. pornography
  • Radical feminists recognise the biological exploitation of women, namely that the value of women is tied to their ability to reproduce and raise children
  • Negatives of radical feminism:
  • It can be seen as too extreme and unrealistic at times, especially the suggestion of separating the sexes
  • It ignores progress and achievements made by women, such as equal pay, the right to abortion, and many more
  • Radical feminism ignores women who are complicit in their own oppression, suggesting that not all women see the system as patriarchal
  • Many radical feminists believe that 'real' women were assigned female sex organs at birth. This discredits the experiences and biological exploitation of transgender women, even if they have faced the same difficulties as cisgender women
• Postmodernist feminism in sociology

  • A theory that differs in many ways from the three main modernist branches of feminism
  • Postmodernism generally challenges modernist approaches and narratives
  • In feminism, the postmodernist seeks to soften the emphasis on gender differences between men and women and focuses on the vast differences within each gender
  • Some believe that whilst patriarchy was a key characteristic of modernity, the postmodern era brings more choice in shaping gender identity, where individuals can 'pick and mix' from different characteristics
• Intersectional feminism

  • A key development within postmodernist feminism is the recognition that patriarchy affects women in many different ways depending on race, culture, religion, social class, sexuality, and physical abilities
  • Intersectional feminism is a relatively recent and developing branch that has arisen out of postmodern times
  • It seeks to examine how different social structures interact to affect women every day in many ways
  • In doing so, generalisations about oppression and solutions for gender equality are avoided
• Key aims of intersectional feminism

  • To consider the different intersections within feminism and women's experiences across the world
• Evaluation of intersectional feminism

  • Positives of intersectional feminism:
  • Postmodern feminism focuses on the power of language and narratives presented about women, for example, the portrayal of women in the media
  • Postmodern feminism and intersectionality are likely to resonate with many women if they feel the feminist narrative includes them
  • Intersectionality seeks to recognise the uniqueness of women's experiences, which can help reduce generalisations about women and lead to solutions for gender inequality
  • Negatives of intersectional feminism:
  • A heavy focus and discussion of language and narratives may alienate women who feel that such a focus is inaccessible or even irrelevant to feminism
  • The rise of intersectionality may make it more difficult to propose solutions for gender inequality as they may not be universally applicable
• Feminism

  A key conflict theory in sociology that believes society is based on inequalities between men and women
• Patriarchal society

  A society that has been built by and for the benefit of men at the expense of women
• Feminist

  Someone who advocates the movement of feminism and gender equality
• Feminisation

  The process by which society's sex and gender roles become focused upon femininity
• Types of feminism

  • Liberal feminism
  • Marxist feminism
  • Radical feminism
  • Postmodern feminism
  • Intersectional feminism
• Liberal feminism

  • Seeks to achieve gender equality in the public sphere through legal and social changes
  • Believes women want the same opportunities as men
• Marxist feminism

  • Looks at the combined impact of capitalism and patriarchy on the oppression of women
  • Argues that the capitalist structure is inherently patriarchal
• Radical feminism

  • Blames women's oppression on men and patriarchy being embedded in all aspects of society
  • Seeks to dismantle the entire system of patriarchy
• Postmodern feminism

  • Challenges modernist approaches and narratives
  • Focuses on the differences within each gender rather than differences between genders
• Intersectional feminism

  • Recognizes that patriarchy affects women in different ways depending on race, class, sexuality, etc.
  • Seeks to examine how different social structures interact to affect women