What are the distinctive characteristics of feminist social science? This essay will explore whether there are distinctive characteristics in feminist social science and will begin by defining what we mean by feminist social theory. The challenge of different feminist theorists to the validity of scientific methods will be examined, in particular their search for ‘objectivity’. Differing approaches adopted within each wave of the feminist social movement will be explored and different feminist standpoints, their criticisms and their methods will be considered. Each approach derives from the fact that feminist social theorists were considered to be mainly concerned with gender equality and preoccupied with ensuring that women’s interests were not marginalised .Feminist theorists have continued to concentrate on the position of women in society and their research is generally based on the notion that women are regarded as under the control and authority of men.
It is certain that feminism is a cross-cutting ideology, encompassing the three broad traditions of liberal traditions, socialist feminism and radical feminism, but whether it is today a single doctrine or still simply a sub-set of others can be greatly debated. Feminism can be seen as a single doctrine in that all feminists are concerned to advance the social role of women. Feminists all agree that the advancement of women in society is their main priority, believing that society is characterised by unequal gender power and status, and that gender inequality can be altered or reversed. All feminists believe that in order to advance a woman’s social status, liberation is necessary. Liberation is seen to be achieved through raising women’s consciousness of subjugation.
I chose the quote above because it showed that women should not use their stereotypical strengths as an argument for equality. It would be like saying those sigma's put on women by non-feminist are all right. Katha Pollitt states that everyone is responsible for " the environment, a more humane workplace, economic justice, social support for children to make the world a better place regardless of who you are. I believe that her beliefs about "difference feminism and women's superiority to men would be a part of making the world a better place, in her eyes. I believe that
The core traditions of feminism each contain rival tendencies and have spawned ‘dual-system’ feminism and new feminist traditions have emerged, particularly since the 1980s such as Black feminism, cultural feminism and psychoanalytical feminism. It is easy, therefore, to dismiss feminism as too fragmented to form a single doctrine. Also the fact that these traditions are characterised more by disagreement than agreement suggests that they cannot form a unified ideology and are sub-sections of opposing ideologies that are likely to disagree. Nevertheless a range of common ground themes can be identified such as patriarchy, the public/private divide, equality and difference and sex and gender, so feminism is unified to a certain extent. It can also be argued that there are rival traditions within all conventional ideologues.
Due to the limited amount of resources and the restrictions laid upon women for practicing rhetoric, it is astonishing how many women were still able to make a significant impact on the field of rhetoric which I feel has paved the way for women’s liberations rights today. Christine de Pizan portrayed the art of rhetoric through language and letter writing as she challenged the boundaries of women’s input at the time. She sought to save the reputation of women, who at the time were being slandered and shine a new spotlight for women’s advancement. It is imperative that more time and space be dedicated to Christine De Pizan in Herricks textbook of rhetoric and many more to follow. Christine De Pizan is a brave woman who stood up to the verbal assaults on women in the 14th century.
Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” (Lopez A5) It is evident that over the course of history, the plight of women has caused women of different circumstances and problems to be empowered and exert their full efforts to bring about necessary reforms and many times have they succeeded. With that said, women empowerment should be about more than just breaking the bounds of repression, but more than that, being truly free to be women who remain true to the authentic set of morals and standards they have set for themselves. It is important that women develop a sense of purpose within them and make use of their personal potential, not only for the benefit of themselves, but more importantly, for the betterment of society. That spark of purpose has to emerge and start with the self until it burns brighter to enlighten those around them; the potential of a woman has the power to be truly
In her publication titled “Gender Trouble”, Judith Butler presents her view that gender is a performative role in society, meaning that in order for gender identity to be genuinely expressed and understood, it must be conveyed openly in social spaces. Throughout her book she provides numerous examples of these “social spaces” that would be a necessary ground for women in order to better establish an identity in society. These include political representation, cultural movements, and the economic climate. These social spaces are presented in great depth and explain how they limit a person by identifying with a specific gender. In this paper, I will argue for Butler’s view on how certain gender performance is restricted in these numerous fields, and how Ms. Butler would object to these various situations.
Since its conception, geography has been involved in the development of races and genders, mapping the boundaries that separate and exclude the world of privilege from the other. The imperial eyes that facilitated this domination have recently been challenged to nullify their perpetuation of racial difference, and although existing more obscurely, to challenge the sexist legacy remaining in geography. “As part of geography, feminist approaches within our discipline take the same set of central concepts as their focus as other sub-areas of geography. Thus over the decade feminist geographers have addressed three of the central concepts of the discipline – space, place and nature – and the ways in which these are implicated in the structure of gender divisions in different societies” (McDowell, 1993). The above quotation illustrates the fundamental point of feminist geography; it is no different from geography as a whole in terms of concepts, only in perspective.
324-25). Resistance to dominant Discourses:-One change feminist theories should bring about: Women must assume the power to name their own experiences in ways that reflect their meanings (p. 325). Julia Penelope (1990) insists that language is a dynamic, changing system of words and meanings and that the dominant discourse is decidedly masculine. Penelope thinks that this situation can change; she argues that creating a more equitable society requires revising the universe of discourse (see below). B.
Therefore, as a contemporary issue in international relations, women’s rights in MENA can effectively be addressed from a liberal perspective. Liberals focus on women empowerment and their ability to illustrate their equality through their choices and actions. The liberal perspective is based on the belief of liberty, equality, individualism, and justice. Women’s rights have increasingly been a challenge in MENA. Through a liberal point of view,