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To what extent do feminists agree about the nature of the economy in a future society? You must use appropriate thinkers you have studied to support your answer. - Edexcel - A-Level Politics - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 2
Question 5
To what extent do feminists agree about the nature of the economy in a future society? You must use appropriate thinkers you have studied to support your answer.
Worked Solution & Example Answer:To what extent do feminists agree about the nature of the economy in a future society? You must use appropriate thinkers you have studied to support your answer. - Edexcel - A-Level Politics - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 2
Step 1
Points of Agreement
Answer
Feminists agree that the current economic system discriminates against women in various ways. According to Gillman, a future economy must be organized to ensure that women are able to access resources on an equal basis.
Additionally, there is a consensus among feminists that domestic labor is undervalued and incorrectly seen as the role of women, which further reinforces their subservience in the economic sphere. This view places responsibility on both society and women to redefine and acknowledge domestic work as valuable and necessary.
Feminists also agree that the economy must be structured to actively promote the availability of well-paid work for women, ensuring equal access to opportunities.
Step 2
Points of Disagreement
Answer
While there is significant agreement, differences arise, particularly among liberal feminists who assert that women need expanded opportunities for both social and economic participation. They emphasize that economic changes must address the legal and political dimensions to recalibrate the overall economic structure, diverging from merely focusing on traditional patriarchal constraints.
Radical feminists have a more fundamental critique, rejecting the idea that the economic system can be reformed without addressing its patriarchal roots. They argue that liberation must occur at both personal and systemic levels to genuinely alter women's economic status.
Socialist feminists align to some extent with radical critiques, supporting the re-evaluation of capitalism as they position it as an intrinsic part of women's oppression but acknowledge the need for women's agency in this transformative process.