A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle!!!

A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle What points are being made by the following slogans? A woman is no longer a husband away from poverty You begin by sinking into his arms and end up sinking into his sink Women hold up more than half the sky

Feminism The development of feminism has led to attention being focused on the subordinate position of women in many societies. Feminist sociologists have been mainly responsible for developing theories of gender inequality. There is little agreement about the causes of the inequality.

In which ways do you think women are unequal in society?

Radical Feminism Radical feminism blames the exploitation of women on men.

Radical Feminism Oppressive and unequal relationships between men and women originate not in society but in the intimacy of personal relationships Based upon unequal distribution of power

Radical feminists see society as patriarchal. The family is seen by some radical feminists as the key institution oppressing women in modern societies. They tend to believe that women have always been exploited and that only revolutionary change can offer the possibility of their liberation

Shulamith Firestone (1972) believes the origins of women’s oppression is in their biology – the fact that they give birth. Mary Daly (1978) blames female oppression on male aggression.

Men are seen as the enemies of women’s liberation. Many radical feminists reject any assistance from the male sex.

Separatist feminists – women should organise independently of men outside male dominated society. The Leeds revolutionary Feminist Group (1982) – Only lesbians can be true feminists, since only they can be fully independent of men

Female Supremacists – women are not just equal to men but are actually superior. Wish to see patriarchy replaced by Matriarchy. Men responsible for not just exploitation of women, but also for many other problems.

Radical Feminism: Criticisms Ignores variations in experience of oppression of women.

Radical Feminism: Criticisms Encourages women to focus on only negative experiences of relationships with men Portrays women as “essentially good” and men as “essentially bad” which can lead to men being viewed as the enemy, which suggests that they cannot be trusted.

Marxist Feminists Women's subordination within the labour market is seen by Marxist feminists as suiting the needs of capitalism

Do not attribute women’s exploitation entirely to men. Capitalism rather than patriarchy is the principal source of women’s oppression and capitalists the main beneficiaries. Marxist Feminists

Place much greater stress on the exploitation of women in paid employment..Marxist feminists seek the establishment of a communist society.

Marxist feminists Women constitute a more disposable part of the work force: Change jobs more frequently Generally less skilled, part-time and have no union representation Capitalist ideology locates women in the home

Marxist Feminism: Criticisms Lost influence in recent decades It’s essentially a masculine theory that can not be adapted to explain the position of women.

Marxist feminism: Criticisms Abbott et al (2005) – Lack of emphasis on the way men oppress women, too much emphasis on the way the position of women relates to the capitalist system.

Marxist feminism: Criticisms The reserve army of labour theory has been criticised as it does not explain why female and male labour is put to different uses Patriarchy can be seen to be influential in its own right – once capitalism is abolished gender inequality will disappear

Liberal feminists aim for gradual change in the political, economic and social systems of Western societies. Nobody benefits from existing gender inequalities; both men and women are harmed because the potential of males and females alike is suppressed.

Socialisation into gender roles has the consequence of producing rigid, inflexible expectations of men and women. Discrimination prevents women from having equal opportunities

Liberal Feminism Anne Oakley (1974): women are subordinate in the labour market due to the dominance of the house-wife role Sue Sharp (1994): education and careers are of growing importance for girls today

They pursue this through the introduction of legislation and by attempting to change attitudes Try to eradicate sexism and stereotypical views of women and men from children’s books and the mass media.

Liberal Feminism Optimistic about the future Both partners will accept equal responsibility for childcare and domestic labour – dual career families will be the norm How far is this true in society today? What examples of support of criticism can be given for these ideas?How far is this true in society today? What examples of support of criticism can be given for these ideas?

Abbott et al (2005)Liberal feminism is a modernist theory because of its emphasis on human progress through rational thought

Gender-role socialisation does not fully explain why men are considered the dominant sex Fails to identify how experiences differ between race and social class Adequate and affordable child-care provides a massive hurdle for women Liberal Feminism: Criticisms

Dual Systems Theory Explains women's exploitation in terms of 2 separate systems of capitalism and patriarchy Patriarchy is not only about interaction of men and women in aspects such as subordination and oppression but it also interacts with capitalism to produce gender stratification

Dual Systems Theory An attempt to combine Marxist feminism and radical feminism Hartmann – capitalism and patriarchy Domestic work limits women’s availability for paid work – but the lack of work opportunities drives many women into marriage and economic dependence on a man. Thus, the two systems reinforce each other.