Outline and evaluate feminism
Feminism’s overall explanation covers the key institutions within society, more
specifically gender inequality. Feminist’s prefer sociologists to look at women’s
experience in the social world, there are 3 main strands of feminism and each
one has a different perspective of what it should look like. In its entirety,
feminist’s believe men control the key institutions within society, having a clear
power imbalance in comparison to women. Liberal, Marxist and Radical explore
the different ways the theory should take in terms of gender inequality.
Liberal feminists put emphasis on equal opportunities for women specifically in
the workplace, education and in political space. Their main focus is changing the
laws that contribute to gender inequality. They believe gender role socialisation
in combination with unfair laws within politics are the main outcome for why
inequality occurs. They believe changing norms and values will bring equality for
women. The Equal pay Act along with the sex discrimination act are significant
milestones for liberal feminists as they focus on changing the political space
instead of a social one.
The majority of feminists don’t agree with liberal feminism as a concept, as it
focuses on reforming existing structures rather than creating their own. Marxists
and Radical feminists argue liberal feminists are too optimistic when it comes to
their achievements, they don’t recognise the social impact outside of law,
changing laws doesn’t necessarily change people’s attitudes. Critics argue liberal
feminism comes from an area of privileged middle class women and doesn’t
specifically speak for ethnic minorities or any other group for that matter.
Marxists view on feminism incorporates family and social class when discussing
gender inequality, they argue family is a patriarchal institution that is there to
keep capitalism in order, highlighting how women are exploited by the system
and how proletariat men legitimise the system. They specifically see the
capitalist process leads to the oppression of women and how they play a key
role. Benston explains how the wife would keep the house in running order,
looking after the children and mainly taking on the majority of the unpaid
domestic labour. The wife will not only take care of the family physically but take
on the emotional workload of the man, he will express his stresses and worries
once work is complete. From the man’s perspective, he is less likely to challenge
capitalism because the system supports his family (the money they receive to
keep the family afloat.) When it comes to gender inequality, capitalism
maintains that by ensuring women are doing unpaid domestic labour, if they
were paid for the domestic labour they perform then a massive redistribution of
wealth would occur, reforming the entire capitalist system. Benston is highly
critical of the nuclear family, he believes it’s a key factor in oppressing women.
Men see women as a “safety valve” that they can rely on domestically and
emotionally.
Critics of Marxist feminism argue they put too much emphasis on social class
and capitalism as a factor that maintains gender inequality just like liberal
feminism, Marxist also neglects factors such as ethnicity and age. Radical and
feminist theorists question the authenticity of Marxist claims, as they believe a
Feminism’s overall explanation covers the key institutions within society, more
specifically gender inequality. Feminist’s prefer sociologists to look at women’s
experience in the social world, there are 3 main strands of feminism and each
one has a different perspective of what it should look like. In its entirety,
feminist’s believe men control the key institutions within society, having a clear
power imbalance in comparison to women. Liberal, Marxist and Radical explore
the different ways the theory should take in terms of gender inequality.
Liberal feminists put emphasis on equal opportunities for women specifically in
the workplace, education and in political space. Their main focus is changing the
laws that contribute to gender inequality. They believe gender role socialisation
in combination with unfair laws within politics are the main outcome for why
inequality occurs. They believe changing norms and values will bring equality for
women. The Equal pay Act along with the sex discrimination act are significant
milestones for liberal feminists as they focus on changing the political space
instead of a social one.
The majority of feminists don’t agree with liberal feminism as a concept, as it
focuses on reforming existing structures rather than creating their own. Marxists
and Radical feminists argue liberal feminists are too optimistic when it comes to
their achievements, they don’t recognise the social impact outside of law,
changing laws doesn’t necessarily change people’s attitudes. Critics argue liberal
feminism comes from an area of privileged middle class women and doesn’t
specifically speak for ethnic minorities or any other group for that matter.
Marxists view on feminism incorporates family and social class when discussing
gender inequality, they argue family is a patriarchal institution that is there to
keep capitalism in order, highlighting how women are exploited by the system
and how proletariat men legitimise the system. They specifically see the
capitalist process leads to the oppression of women and how they play a key
role. Benston explains how the wife would keep the house in running order,
looking after the children and mainly taking on the majority of the unpaid
domestic labour. The wife will not only take care of the family physically but take
on the emotional workload of the man, he will express his stresses and worries
once work is complete. From the man’s perspective, he is less likely to challenge
capitalism because the system supports his family (the money they receive to
keep the family afloat.) When it comes to gender inequality, capitalism
maintains that by ensuring women are doing unpaid domestic labour, if they
were paid for the domestic labour they perform then a massive redistribution of
wealth would occur, reforming the entire capitalist system. Benston is highly
critical of the nuclear family, he believes it’s a key factor in oppressing women.
Men see women as a “safety valve” that they can rely on domestically and
emotionally.
Critics of Marxist feminism argue they put too much emphasis on social class
and capitalism as a factor that maintains gender inequality just like liberal
feminism, Marxist also neglects factors such as ethnicity and age. Radical and
feminist theorists question the authenticity of Marxist claims, as they believe a
