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Feb 13, 2024 · Feminist theory is a major branch of sociology. It is a set of structural conflict approaches which views society as a conflict between men and women. There is the belief that women are oppressed and/or disadvantaged by various social institutions.
- Introduction – Feminism: The Basics
- Radical Feminism
- Marxist Feminism
- Liberal Feminism
- Difference Feminism/ Postmodern Feminism
Inequality between men and women is universal and the most significant form of inequality.Gender norms are socially constructed not determined by biology and can thus be changed.Patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality: women are subordinate because men have more power.Feminism is a political movement; it exists to rectify sexual inequalities, although strategies for social change vary enormously.Society is patriarchal – it is dominated and ruled by men – men are the ruling class, and women the subject class.Blames the exploitation of women on men. It is primarily men who have benefitted from the subordination of women. Women are ‘an oppressed group.Rape, violence and pornography are methods through which men have secured and maintained their power over women. Andrea Dworkin (1981)Radical feminists have often been actively involved in setting up and running refuges for women who are the victims of male violence.Capitalism rather than patriarchy is the principal source of women’s oppression, and capitalists are the main beneficiaries.The disadvantaged position of women is because of the emergence of private property and the fact that women do not own the means of production.Under Capitalism the nuclear family becomes even more oppressive to women and women’s subordination plays a number of important functions for capitalism:(1) Women reproduce the labour force for free (socialisation is done for free)Nobody benefits from existing inequalities: both men and women are harmedThe explanation for gender inequality lies not so much in structures and institutions of society but in its culture and values.Socialisation into gender roles has the consequence of producing rigid, inflexible expectations of men and women.Discrimination prevents women from having equal opportunities.Do not see women as a single homogenous group.There are differences in the experiences of working class and middle class women, women from different backgrounds and women of different sexualities.Criticise preceding feminist theory for claiming a ‘false universality’ (white, western heterosexual, middle class)Criticise preceding Feminists theory of being essentialist.Jul 25, 2024 · This article provides a comprehensive understanding of feminist theory, underscoring its significance in sociology and its commitment to challenging and transforming the pervasive inequalities within society.
Feminist sociological theory is both an academic and a political approach to the study of society. It is critical and didactic; it analyzes and informs. It is inseparable from method. Feminist sociology emerged as a response to the missing gender in classical sociology,
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Jul 27, 2011 · Feminist theory explores both inequality in gender relations and the constitution of gender. It is best understood as both an intellectual and a normative project. What is commonly understood as feminist theory accompanied the feminist movement in the mid-seventies, though there are key texts from the 19th and early- to mid-20th centuries that ...
From the early work of women sociologists like Harriet Martineau, feminist sociology has focused on the power relationships and inequalities between women and men. How can the conditions of inequality faced by women be addressed?
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Feb 20, 2021 · Feminist scholars study a range of topics, including sexual orientation, race, economic status, and nationality. However, at the core of feminist sociology is the idea that, in most societies, women have been systematically oppressed and that men have been historically dominant.
