feminism political ideologies

Feminism is an ideology committed to ending gender inequality and achieving gender justice, based on the belief that women are systematically subordinated and that this subordination can be challenged and overturned.

Patriarchy shapes society and oppresses women. Sex vs gender distinction → Gender roles are socially constructed, not biologically fixed. Equality → political, legal, economic, and social equality. The personal is political → private life (family, household roles) is shaped by power.

Liberal feminism argues that women’s inequality stems from legal, political, and economic discrimination, not structure of society. It promotes: Equal rights Equal opportunities Anti-discrimination laws Education and workplace reforms

Radical feminism argues that patriarchy is the most fundamental form of oppression and is rooted in the structure of private life (family, sexuality, motherhood). It calls for a revolution of gender relations. Key features: The personal is political Critique of traditional family Emphasis on patriarchy Some strands favour separatism

Socialist feminism sees women’s oppression as rooted in both patriarchy and capitalism. Women are doubly oppressed as workers and women. Equality requires economic restructuring, not just cultural change.

Marxist feminism argues that capitalism is the primary source of women’s oppression, especially through unpaid domestic labour and reproduction of the labour force. Patriarchy is secondary to class.

Cultural feminism celebrates female values (care, compassion, cooperation) and sees women as inherently different from men. It argues society should value traditionally feminine traits.

It argues women and men are different and society must recognize and value these differences, rejecting the idea that equality means becoming like men.

It argues that gender oppression interacts with race, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and other identities. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Advocated education for women Believed reason is shared by men and women Early advocate for equal rights

“One is not born, but becomes a woman.” Gender is constructed, not natural. Examined how society teaches women to be “the Other.”

Middle-class women suffer from “the problem with no name”: frustration from confinement to domestic life. Advocated jobs, education, legal equality.

Patriarchy is a political system that organizes power relations between men and women. Literature, culture, and sex roles maintain male dominance.

Feminism must address race, class, and culture, not just gender. Criticised mainstream feminism for centring white middle-class women.

Because daily experiences (housework, childcare, relationships) reflect power structures and patriarchal norms, not just individual choices. Private life is shaped by political forces.

Liberal feminism: Seek equality within the system (laws, rights, reforms). Radical feminism: Believe the system itself (patriarchy) must be transformed or abolished.

The family is seen as a site of: Patriarchy Domestic labour exploitation Socialization into gender roles Reinforcement of female dependency

Through: Cultural norms Laws Workplace structures Family roles Sexual norms Violence and coercion

Can be divisive or essentialist Liberal feminism accused of individualism Radical feminism accused of exaggerating patriarchy Cultural feminism accused of gender essentialism Intersectionality sometimes seen as overly fragmented

movement for universal suffrage/legal-political equality– Mid 19th Century to the early 20th century (e.g. the Suffragettes) Mary Wollstonecraft – Vindication of the Rights of Women (vs. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen 1789; “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” … it literally meant men — not women) • Declaration of Sentiments (Elizabeth Cady Stanton), drawing on the language of the Declaration of Independence Political evolution II: From liberal/socialist feminism to postmodern feminism, intersectionality and intellectual fragmentation/diversification…