Feminism

• Liberal feminists believe that women can achieve equality by working within existing structures.
• The three main approaches to feminist theory are liberal, radical, and socialist.
• Feminist theory is the theoretical framework that underpins feminist research.
• Radical feminists argue that patriarchy is the root cause of gender inequality, with men oppressing women through violence and control over resources.
• Postmodern feminists challenge traditional notions of identity and power relations, emphasizing the importance of language and discourse in shaping our perceptions of reality.
• Socialist feminists see gender as an important factor in understanding social class and economic exploitation.
• Radical feminists argue that the root cause of gender inequality is patriarchy, which they define as male domination over females.
• Socialist feminists combine elements of Marxism with feminism, arguing that both class and gender oppression need to be addressed simultaneously.
• Postmodern feminists reject essentialism and focus on how power relations operate at an individual level rather than through structural forces like patriarchy or capitalism.
• Radical feminists argue that patriarchy is an oppressive system that must be dismantled through revolutionary change.
• Postmodern feminists challenge essentialist views of womanhood and reject grand narratives about women's experiences.
• Socialist feminists combine elements of Marxism and radical feminism, arguing that class exploitation interacts with sexism to create multiple forms of oppression.
• Postmodern feminists challenge essentialist views of gender identity and reject the idea of a universal female experience.
• Marxist feminists focus on economic factors as the basis of gender inequality, highlighting how capitalist systems perpetuate patriarchal norms.
• Marxist feminists focus on how capitalist systems perpetuate gender inequality and advocate for revolutionary change.
• Patriarchal society is characterized by the subordination of women to men, including physical and psychological abuse, sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of violence against women.
• They also argue that patriarchy has been perpetuated throughout history, from ancient times to modern-day societies.
• Radical feminists believe that patriarchy is maintained through various mechanisms such as religion, education, media, and law enforcement agencies.
• Liberal feminists focus on individual rights and equality within existing institutions, while radical feminists reject these institutions altogether.
• Marxist feminists believe that gender inequality is linked to capitalist society and advocate for revolutionary change.
• Feminist standpoint theory argues that women's experiences are shaped by their position within society and can lead to unique insights into social structures.
• Liberal feminists believe in equality between men and women but do not necessarily challenge existing structures of society.
• Marxist feminists view gender inequality as a product of capitalist societies and advocate for revolution against this system.
• Liberal Feminism


  The most optimistic and progressive form of feminism with regards to their outlook in the quest for equality
• Liberal feminists don't blame men for inequality
• Liberal feminists believe that gender inequality does still exist although we are moving towards a more egalitarian society
• Marxist Feminism


  Inspired by the work of traditional Marxists, but they would criticise Marx for overlooking the exploitation of women in capitalism
• Exploitation


  Marxist feminists specifically focus on the way in which women are exploited within the family unit and therefore benefit capitalism
• Marxist feminists believe that due to the nature of capitalism, the only way in which status can be gained is to generate wealth through paid employment, but the problem for many women is that most of their days are dominated by domestic labour that provides them with no status
• Radical Feminism


  Focuses on patriarchy, which they believe is the main form of social inequality where all men oppress women through sexual politics
• Radical feminists argue that men push women into compulsory heterosexuality which they believe is narrow and unsatisfying to women but beneficial to men as it fulfills only their desires
• Gender role socialisation


  • The process in which we learn the core elements of our gender, which occurs in the family where we are taught to be either male or female due to the ways in which our parents raise us
  • Gender stereotypes are maintained and reproduced through generations which teach boys to believe they are dominant over women
• Social Policy


  • Liberal feminists suggest that although some progress has been made through legislation, there are still some laws that discriminate against women such as being expected to take maternity leave, as this can have an impact on their career prospects
• Postmodern feminists question the existence of an essential female identity and instead emphasize the importance of multiple identities and subjectivities.
• Radical feminists argue that patriarchy is the root cause of all oppression and seek to overthrow it through direct action or other means.
• Socialist feminists argue that the oppression of women is connected to class exploitation and advocate for structural changes.