feminism

• key principles of feminism

  • sex & gender
  • patriarchy
  • personal is political
  • equality feminism
  • difference feminism
  • intersectionality
• 'the personal is political' meaning 


  Kate Millet (radical feminist) argues that patriarchy is perpetuated in the private sphere too, and feminism in the public sphere isn't enough
• equality feminism 


  sex and gender are different, gender is socially constructed, rejection of gender stereotypes will erase gender inequality
• difference feminism 


  sex & gender are the same, women are fundamentally different to men
• transfeminism 


  sex (as well as gender) is socially constructed
• simone du beauvoir principles (liberal/socialist feminism)

  1. men are the norm and women are the 'other' 'second sex'
  2. gender is a social construct 'one is not born, but rather becomes a woman'
  3. people are inherently androgynous
  4. humanism- being human more important than differences between humans
• charlotte perkins-gilman key principles (liberal/socialist feminism)

  1. sex and capatilism linked
  2. gender is socially constructed from childhood
  3. women should have economic independence to make them equal
  4. centralised nurseries, cooperative kitchens for women's autonomy
• sheila rowbotham key principles (socialist feminism)

  1. capatilism worsens women's oppression
  2. family disciplines women to the demands of capatilism
• kate millett key principles (radical feminism)

  1. personal is political
  2. family unit = foundation of patriarchy
• bell hooks key ideas (postmodern feminism)

  1. intersectionality
  2. must fight misogyny and racism and homophobia together
  3. feminism should aim for androgynous society
• Liberal feminism

  Individualism, foundational equality and equality of opportunity should apply to women too

  • Woolstonecraft: political equality will lead to gender equality
  • Friedan: women are alienated in roles of housewife and mother
  • De beauvoir: gender is socially determined and women are oppressed
  • Perkins-gilman: gender is irrelevant and women are intelectually equal
• Socialist feminism 


  Economics lead to gender equality, as capatilism causes patriarchy.

  Revolutionary think overthrow is necessary, reformist think change is enough

  • Rowbowtham: the home is both men's refuge from capatilism and where women are disciplined to it
  • Perkins-gilman: women need economic independence for equality, should have communal kitchens and childcare etc
• radical feminism 


  gender inequality is the sole biggest problem facing society

  • Kate millett: personal is political (need reform in the private sphere because patriarchy permeates that too)
  • Carol Gilligan: gender essentialist, women should embrace natural differences
  • Charlotte Brunch: heterosexuality will always be patriarchal so women should turn to political lesbianism for equality
• Postmodern feminism 


  Patriarchy manifests in different ways depending on other social factors

  • Kimberle Crenshaw: intersectionality (intersecting aspects of your identity shape experience- not just womanhood)
  • bell hooks: built on intersectionality, feminism focuses on white middle-class women, socialisation theory
• which strand: sex and gender different

  liberal, socialist, radical, postmodern
• which strand: society forces women to be wife/mother

  liberal (Betty Friedan)
• which strand: revolution needed to overturn patriarchy

  revolutionary socialist / radical
• which strand: cultural feminism and political lesbianism

  radical (difference feminists)
• which strand: society is too complex to consider through the lens of gender alone

  Postmodern
• which strand: state should reform in the public sphere but remain minimal for the private

  liberal
• which strand: capatilism uses patriarchy as oppression

  socialist
• which strand: state is intrinsically patriarchal

  radical, postmodern, socialist
• which strand: state and all other structures uphold the patriarchy

  postmodern
• which strand: the economy can be reformed to give women financial equality

  liberal, reformist socialists & radicals
• which strand: capatilism in inherently patriarchal- need to reform / overthrow to get equality

  socialist
• which strand: the economy is not only classist but also racist, ableist etc

  postmodern
• which strand: the economy is sexist

  all