Feminist Theory

Traditional (functionalist) views of the family are oppressive to women in many ways. Feminist Theory

Feminist Theory Feminism: Key Assumptions: A struggle for the achievement of women’s equality, dignity, and freedom of choice to control their life and bodies within and outside the home Feminism: Feminist Theory Key Assumptions: The personal (e.g. the family) is political Family comes in many forms Gender is a social construction The family is an institution involving power relationships Women’s experiences are central to our understanding of families

Liberal feminism Marxist feminism Radical feminism Feminist Theory

Emphasizes importance of socialization and education of females in such a way that they have equal opportunities and free choice as to whether to focus primarily on their employment careers , on motherhood or on a combination of the two. Liberal Feminism

Marxist Feminism Emphasizes how capitalism uses the family to oppress women and the harmful consequences of the family to women’s lives

Emphasizes the patriarchy undergirding society and the family that oppresses women Sees families as an important tool in maintaining a patriarchal society Radical Feminism

Emphasizes the idea that there is an essential “female nature” and that those attributes (e.g., nurturing, self-awareness) are positive and should be privileged alongside—and maybe, over—masculine attributes. Cultural Feminism

Who benefits from the family? Men benefit from marriage more than women do in many ways, including health Married men tend to have much better physical and mental health than single men Married women have worse physical and mental health than single women Women rather than men also reported more unhappiness in their marriage and regret in marrying Avoiding the burdens of marriage, more women are opting out to become single parents