Feminism (OCR A-Level Sociology): Revision Notes

Feminism

Walby's 6 Structures of Patriarchy

1. The Household:

• Women often bear the primary responsibility for housework and childcare, which limits their opportunities and advancement in paid work. This concept is related to the "triple shift" and "dual burden" where women juggle housework, paid work, and emotional labour.

2. Paid Work:

• Women are more likely to have lower-paid, lower-status, part-time, or temporary jobs. This contributes to the gender pay gap.

3. The State:

• Government policies often favour men. Examples include overgenerous maternity leave, which can reinforce the idea that men are the main breadwinners.

4. Sexuality:

• Society imposes different standards of behaviour for men and women, often reinforcing traditional gender roles.

5. Male Violence:

• Male violence against women, such as domestic violence (e.g., Dobash and Dobash), is often condoned, ignored, or inadequately addressed by the state. This violence is used by men to maintain power.

6. Cultural Institutions:

• Institutions like religion, media, and education reinforce patriarchal values by promoting gendered subjects and male-dominated figures.

5 Strands of Feminism

1. Liberal Feminism: Key Ideas:

• Women's inequality arises from sexist stereotypes, gender role socialisation, and women's primary responsibility for housework and childcare.

• Differences between sex (biological) and gender (cultural and socially constructed) are crucial, with gender roles being learned and variable over time and across cultures. Solutions:

• Legal and social reforms, such as the Equal Pay Act (1970), Sex Discrimination Act (1975), and promoting equal opportunities through educational programmes like GIST and WISE. Evaluation:

• Strengths: Led to significant legislative changes and demonstrated that differences are socially constructed.

• Weaknesses: Accused of being overly optimistic, ignoring deeper issues like capitalism and patriarchy, which may require revolutionary change.

2. Radical Feminism: Key Ideas:

• Patriarchy is the most fundamental form of inequality, dividing the world into two "sex classes" where men dominate women in all areas.

• Patriarchal power inequalities are present in both public and private life. Solutions:

• Advocates for the complete destruction of patriarchy, separatism (living apart from men), and political lesbianism (rejecting relationships with men).

• Germaine Greer (2000) suggests creating all-female households as an alternative to the traditional family. Evaluation:

• Strengths: Highlighted the idea that "the personal is political" and brought attention to domination in intimate relationships.

• Weaknesses: Criticised for assuming all women share common interests, and for overlooking differences between women (intersectionality). Other feminists argue that gradual reform (liberal) or capitalism (Marxist) is more relevant to women's oppression.

3. Marxist Feminism: Key Ideas:

• Gender inequality is primarily a result of capitalist society, where women are exploited for cheap labour, serve as a reserve army of labour, and reproduce the labour force.

• Women also absorb men's frustration with capitalist exploitation, a role described by Ansley as the "takers of shit." Solutions:

• Overcoming women's oppression requires challenging both capitalism and patriarchy. Evaluation:

• Strengths: Offers a deep understanding of women's exploitation within a capitalist framework.

• Weaknesses: Fails to explain patriarchy in non-capitalist societies and overlooks the role men play in perpetuating women's oppression beyond capitalism.

4. Dual System Feminism: Key Ideas:

• Combines Marxist and radical feminist theories, viewing capitalism and patriarchy as two separate but interacting systems (patriarchal capitalism) that subjugate women. Solutions:

• Advocates for the removal of both patriarchy and capitalism, alongside reform measures similar to those proposed by liberal feminists. Evaluation:

• Weaknesses: Criticised for being too theoretical and not offering new or practical solutions to women's subordination.

5. Intersectional Feminism: Key Ideas:

• Emerged from black feminism, challenging the idea that all women share the same experiences of oppression.

• Argues that race, class, and other factors intersect with gender, creating different experiences of subordination. Evaluation:

• Strengths: Recognises the diversity of women's experiences and the limitations of generalising feminist theories.

• Weaknesses: Criticised for potentially dividing the feminist movement by focusing too much on differences rather than shared struggles against patriarchy.