Feminism
Family Diversity
“Political, economic and social equality for women”
Society is patriarchal, male dominated
Liberal:
Take an optimistic view, happy with changes
Focus on increased equality
Relationship is now an equal partnership
Emergence of “new man”
Advocate change through legislation eg Equal Pay Act, Sex discrimination Act
Radical:
Critical and negative view
Men benefit, exploit + oppress women
Marriage is a prison for women, men violent
Support family diversity
Support divorce
Extreme, believe in “Radical Separatism”
Men dominate paid work, women excluded
Marxist:
Women are the “Reserve army of labour”, useful when jobs need filling, when there is none, sent back to being housewives
Bad day at work, take anger out on women, exert control here as have none of their own
Nuclear family distracts frustrated men from rebelling
Fran Ansley (1972):
Women “takers of shit”
Margaret Benston (1972):
Women “slaves of wage slaves”
Women give birth to generation of workers
Black:
Critical of other feminists
Argue white feminists ignore ethnic differences
Argue ethnicity important as well as gender
Criticisms:
Too many subgroups - message weakened through contradictions
Dated views
For most, men are not the enemy
Society is patriarchal, male dominated
Liberal:
Take an optimistic view, happy with changes
Focus on increased equality
Relationship is now an equal partnership
Emergence of “new man”
Advocate change through legislation eg Equal Pay Act, Sex discrimination Act
Radical:
Critical and negative view
Men benefit, exploit + oppress women
Marriage is a prison for women, men violent
Support family diversity
Support divorce
Extreme, believe in “Radical Separatism”
Men dominate paid work, women excluded
Marxist:
Women are the “Reserve army of labour”, useful when jobs need filling, when there is none, sent back to being housewives
Bad day at work, take anger out on women, exert control here as have none of their own
Nuclear family distracts frustrated men from rebelling
Fran Ansley (1972):
Women “takers of shit”
Margaret Benston (1972):
Women “slaves of wage slaves”
Women give birth to generation of workers
Black:
Critical of other feminists
Argue white feminists ignore ethnic differences
Argue ethnicity important as well as gender
Criticisms:
Too many subgroups - message weakened through contradictions
Dated views
For most, men are not the enemy
Demographic Trends
Marriage favours man - inequalities in housework, childcare and domestic violence
Like divorce - no longer trapped in a violent/empty shell marriages
Most initiated by women, shows not prepared to put up with poor marriages
Accepting of co-habitation, women have chance to “check the man out”
Campbell (2001):
Frees women from patriarchal oppression
Sue Sharpe (1993):
Radical Feminist - anti-marriage, views as a hindrance to career
Dutchman-Smith:
Radical Feminist - marriage gives the impression of woman being owned
Like divorce - no longer trapped in a violent/empty shell marriages
Most initiated by women, shows not prepared to put up with poor marriages
Accepting of co-habitation, women have chance to “check the man out”
Campbell (2001):
Frees women from patriarchal oppression
Sue Sharpe (1993):
Radical Feminist - anti-marriage, views as a hindrance to career
Dutchman-Smith:
Radical Feminist - marriage gives the impression of woman being owned
Social Policy
Like benefit system - gives women more independence to raise children alone
In favour of Civil Partnership Act 2004 - enable similar rights, more equal than nuclear
Divorce Law Reform Act 1969 - easier for women to escape patriarchy and oppression
Against maternity leave being more generous than paternity and child benefit being paid to mother - encourage sexist views that women should be primary caregiver
In favour of Civil Partnership Act 2004 - enable similar rights, more equal than nuclear
Divorce Law Reform Act 1969 - easier for women to escape patriarchy and oppression
Against maternity leave being more generous than paternity and child benefit being paid to mother - encourage sexist views that women should be primary caregiver
Gender Roles
Domestic Violence:
Radical feminist - way for men to control and oppress women using physical force
Stems from patriarchal attitudes, should have a “good” wife, used as justification
Women work, threatens masculinity, leads to violence
Nazroo (1999):
Women often live in fear of male violence, men less threatened in wife violent
Domestic Labour:
Dual burden - women have do paid work and the housework
Hart:
"Triple shift” – includes emotional work as well
Argues this is an unfair burden
Liberal feminist – “new man” helps around the house more
British Household Panel Survey (2001):
Whatever the family set-up, women do more work
A02 – social desirability, larger/random sample, no ideological bias, neutral
Radical feminist argue no “march of progress” (will suffer from ideological bias):
Dryden (1999):
Gender inequality in distribution of childcare and housework still cause of massive dissatisfaction in married women
Women still take major responsibility for housework and childcare
A02 – unrepresentative sample (17), limited
Lader (2006):
Women in paid work spent 21 hours a week on housework
Men spend 12 hours
92% women do some sort of housework per day
72% men do some sort of housework per day
Little sign of traditional sexual division of labour changing
A02 – possible social desirability
Oakley (1974):
15% of husbands have a high level of participation in housework
25% of husbands have a high level of participation in childcare
A02 – unrepresentative sample
Boulton (1983):
Fewer than 20% of husbands took a major childcare role
Ferri and Smith (1996):
Women still more likely to be responsible for childcare
Man main carer in only 4% of families
Gillian Dunne (1999):
Showed equality in lesbian households
37% couples more likely to share housework and childcare
Both spend equal time with children
Radical feminist - way for men to control and oppress women using physical force
Stems from patriarchal attitudes, should have a “good” wife, used as justification
Women work, threatens masculinity, leads to violence
Nazroo (1999):
Women often live in fear of male violence, men less threatened in wife violent
Domestic Labour:
Dual burden - women have do paid work and the housework
Hart:
"Triple shift” – includes emotional work as well
Argues this is an unfair burden
Liberal feminist – “new man” helps around the house more
British Household Panel Survey (2001):
Whatever the family set-up, women do more work
A02 – social desirability, larger/random sample, no ideological bias, neutral
Radical feminist argue no “march of progress” (will suffer from ideological bias):
Dryden (1999):
Gender inequality in distribution of childcare and housework still cause of massive dissatisfaction in married women
Women still take major responsibility for housework and childcare
A02 – unrepresentative sample (17), limited
Lader (2006):
Women in paid work spent 21 hours a week on housework
Men spend 12 hours
92% women do some sort of housework per day
72% men do some sort of housework per day
Little sign of traditional sexual division of labour changing
A02 – possible social desirability
Oakley (1974):
15% of husbands have a high level of participation in housework
25% of husbands have a high level of participation in childcare
A02 – unrepresentative sample
Boulton (1983):
Fewer than 20% of husbands took a major childcare role
Ferri and Smith (1996):
Women still more likely to be responsible for childcare
Man main carer in only 4% of families
Gillian Dunne (1999):
Showed equality in lesbian households
37% couples more likely to share housework and childcare
Both spend equal time with children