|
FEMINIST THEORIES
|
|
| Liberal Feminism |
|
 | all people are created equal |
| faith in rationality |
| education is means to change |
| oppression of women is not a structural feature of
capitalist economic system |
| look to state to bring about women's liberation through
legislative measures - equality through law |
| professional and middle-class women |
| National Action Committee on the Status of Woman (N.A.C.):
umbrella organization representing 500 hundred feminist-oriented women's groups |
| National Organization of Women (N.O.W.) |
|
Socialist Feminism |
|
| women's oppression caused by their economic dependence |
| integrate issues of gender and class, i.e. unite concepts
of patriarchy and capitalism |
| inferior position of women linked to class-based
capitalistic system and family structure within this system |
| abolition of gender and class are goals where socialism
will only occur with the liberation of women and women's liberation will only occur under
socialism |
| sexuality is to feminism what work is to Marxism |
| working class women |
|
Radical Feminism |
|
| women's oppression is the fundamental oppression at the
root of other "isms" |
| sexism is at the core of patriarchy especially in the
family |
| male domination is the problem |
| create institutions for women only |
| extreme view would call for severing relationships with
men, i.e. end heterosexual relationships |
| total restructuring of society |
| violence against women (rape, sexual harassment, incest,
pornography and domestic violence) are focus issues |
|
Postmodern Feminism |
|
| All women are different |
| Can never generalize |
| A
feminist theory is not possible |
|
Multicultural/Global Feminism |
|
| Recognizing all other differences not just gender |
| Focuses
on inclusion of oppressions based on gender, class, ethnicity,
sexuality, able-bodiedness and age |
| Intersection of gender with race, class and issues of
colonization and exploitation of women in developing world |
|