feminism

• overall argument

  -nuclear family socialises girls to conform to particular roles

  -oppresses women through unequal division of labour & domestic violence

  -doesn't regard gender inequality as natural > socially constructed
• liberal feminists - inequality due to

  -attitudes

  -working opportunities for women
• liberal feminists - inequalities solved by

  -laws

  -equal pay

  -educational opportunities
• Sommerville (2000) - liberal feminism 


  -recognises women yet to achieve full equality

  -many feminists failed to acknowledge significant progress made by women

  -due to heterosexual attraction, seperation is impossible so need to change attitudes in relationships
• marxist feminists - inequality due to

  -men not cause of gender inequality > capitalism

  -women employ these roles:

  > reproduce & socialise work force

  > absorb anger

  > act as reserve source of labour
• marxist feminism - inequality solved by

  -abolishing capitalism
• radical feminism - inequality due to

  -men & patriarchy causes

  -dual burden

  -triple shift

  -dark side of family
• radical feminism - inequality solved by

  -all women households
• radical feminism view on family

  -family is root of women's suffering

  -"sleeping with the enemy"

  -girls socialised to believe oppression & inequality is normal & accepted
• difference feminism view on family

  -no singular view

  -many women don't live in nuclear families & have different experiences

  -regard other perspectives as too ethnocentric
• liberal feminism criticisms

  -doesn't address core problem

  -doesn't take into account different experiences
• radical feminism criticisms

  -too aggressive > making feminism unpopular

  -unrealistic
• marxist feminism criticisms

  -outdated > women no longer stay at home as housewife

  -no longer reserve source of labour > no war
• difference feminism criticisms

  -doesn't have single unifying solution