Feminist theory is one of the major contemporary sociological theories, which analyzes the status of women and men in society with the purpose of using that knowledge to better women's lives. Feminist theorists have also started to question the differences between women, including how race, class, ethnicity, and age intersect with gender. Feminist theory is most concerned with giving a voice to women and highlighting the various ways women have contributed to society. There are four main types of feminist theory that attempt to explain the societal differences between men and women: Gender Differences: The gender difference perspective examines how women's location in, and experience of, social situations differ from men's. For example, cultural feminists look to the different values associated with womanhood and femininity as a reason why men and women experience the social world differently.
However, they do hold that the dominance of the father within the family is symbolic of the supremacy in all other institution. Many would argue the patriarchal family is crucial because it lies at the heart of a systematic process of male domination. Thus, it is used in the broader sense to mean ‘rule by men’ within the family and not. Millet talked of ‘patriarchal government’ and institution whereby ‘the half of the populace which if female is controlled by that half which is female’. It is thus crucial because it means ‘males shall dominate female, and elder male shall dominate younger’ It is thus a hierarchic society, characterised by both sexual and generational oppression.
Nevertheless, it seems that he could not escape the dominant philosophy of his own society that women were the weaker sex. The question is why? Why did More believe that giving more rights and power to women would contribute to the creation of a perfect society? Also, why, yet giving women more rights and power than they usually would be given, he still maintained the patriarchal values of the sixteenth century? Even in the perfect Utopian world of Thomas More, the social status of women, the role they played in society and the general way they were treated, were influenced by the dominant view of the society at that time and by his own personal values.
She points out that women depend on men for survival and that is only seen in the human species. Her whole argument is based on the female economic dependence on the male. Gilman notes that males direct the activities associated with the female role. The author explains that by a woman having a man economically involved she is then forced to pay back the debt to the man with domestic service. According to Gilman, the result is the traditional role of mother, which then is passed on to her children.
Such myths, Beauvoir explains, are derived trough literature and Social beliefs. The construct of the “essence of women” have been grossly misconstrued by a male dominated world. In her essay, she strongly argues about the two-sided opposition of the “self” and “other” through an existentialist perspective, which is through the experience of the human condition. She boldly announces that the male has appointed himself as “self” and the female as “other” in order to gain dominion and authority to call the female inferior, passive, or weak. I will take an in depth look at the contradictions and myths that men have created of women as outlined by Beauvoir.
They do not believe that women should go out and have a professional job in the work force. Now, in the modern society there have been changes and men should cope and adapt to the changes of today’s society. Sexism is expressed as a separation of gender roles and differential access to privileges and opportunities. Traditional gender role stereotypes describe women as nurturers who are emotional, sensitive, and warm. They also describe women as unambitious, incompetent, weak, and conniving in their relational power (Adams, 2009; Williams & Best, 1990).
Feminists critisise mainstream society as being ‘malestream’ - seeing society only from the male perspective. In contrast, feminists examine society from a woman's point of view. Some feminists see their work as part of the struggle against women’s subordination. However although all feminists oppose womens subordination there are arguments among feminits about its causes and how to overcome it. In my essay I will concentrate on the following feminist theories which have had a big impact on sociology; Liberal feminism, Radical Feminism, Marxist Feminism and difference feminism.
(2013) Feminism Feministic views of the family are split into 3 groups, similar to that of the key perspectives. Liberal feminists believe that both the male and the females have equal roles within the family when it comes to the household chores and childcare. Marxist feminists view the women as the producer of future workers and women’s oppression stems from capitalism and not the family. Radical feminist’s view of the family structure is one of patriarchal and that men are seen as the enemy. This type of family within society is also seen by feminists as the key institution in its contribution to maintaining social control.
Parsons (1955) maintains that the family still has a vital role in preparing its members to meet the requirements of the social system. Thus, the family is arguably not patriarchal but just well adjusted to the needs of society. The Marxist feminist perspective view on the family is that it’s still is patriarchal and that this is not helped by the capitalist system. The man is oppressed by his job as his bargaining power is weakened by his obligation to his family, thus
Nevertheless, gender-class membership is profoundly consequential in social life. (THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF TOKENISM) ‘’ This statement is relevant to our topic in hand, where it is constantly stated that there is no inequality of gender in the entertainment industry, that it is one of the more gender-equal organizations but this is not true. By denying the relevance of gender to opportunity, assuming that women have an equal opportunity at all times prevents women’s promotion because; stating this indicates that if women are not in the higher statuses it is because they were not able