Feminism Summary A LEVAL

Explain the theme of the public/private divide. - Politics an activity which takes place in the public divide, family life and relationships seen in private sphere, modern feminists insist politics takes place in all social groups and not just within government, exists whenever social conflict is found, Millett- politics as 'power-structured relationships, arrangements whereby one group of persons is controlled by another, feminists argue sexual inequality preserved due to sexual division of labour running through society as 'natural' not 'political', typically public sphere is for men while private sphere for women, role of women and sexual equality of little or no importance for politics only in public sphere, challenge this divide, radical- 'the personal is the political', female oppression operates in all walks of life and originates in family itself, analyse 'politics of everyday life', process of conditioning in family, distribution of housework, politics of personal and sexual conduct, breaking down barrier means transferring responsibilities of private like to state eg nursery schools, liberal- object to restrictions on women's access to public sphere of education, warn against politicizing private sphere which is realm of personal choice and individual freedom. Explain the theme of the patriarchy. - Gender is a politically significant social cleavage, radical- gender deepest social division, theory of 'sexual politics', 'sexism' a form of oppression, conventional political theory ignores sexual oppression and fails to recognize gender as a politically significant category, feminists developed new theories and concepts, patriarchy- dominance of men, describe power relationships between men and women, describe structure of the family, others believe it symbolizes male supremacy in all institutions, Millett 'patriarchal government' as 'that half of the populace which is female is controlled by that half which is male', 'male shall dominate female, elder male shall dominate younger', hierarchic society, characterized by sexual oppression, domination has varied in different cultures at different times, eg FGM in other parts of the world, liberal- draw attention to unequal distribution of rights and entitlements in society, under-representation of women in senior positions in politics, socialist-economic aspects, operates in tandem with capitalism, gender subordination and class inequality interlinked systems of oppression, some reject term altogether for inequality is merely consequence of class system, capitalism is the issue, radical- systematic, institutionalized form of male power rooted in the family, pattern of male domination and female subordination that characterizes society at large is a reflection of power structures within domestic life. Explain the theme of sex and gender. - Conservative anti-feminist argument- gender divisions are 'natural', woman's physical and anatomical make-up suits her to subordinate and domestic role in society, 'biology is destiny', capacity to bear children unique to female sex, as well as menstruation, however these do not determine social destiny, do not need to accept responsibilities of motherhood, link between childbearing and childrearing is cultural over biological, 'symmetrical families' where