Marianne Weber
gracecanigbata
FeministPerspectivesPowerpoint.pptxAre you a Feminist?
An Intro to Feminist Theory
Questionnaire: Are you a feminist?
Most people are feminist—not all of course, but many who think they are not actually do believe many of the tenets of feminist theory and simply do not call themselves feminist because of a kind of a kind of ‘reverse’ political correctness that represents a backlash to radical forms of feminist theory.
It is a traditional political response to reject feminism due to its criticisms of patriarchy and heterosexism.
So, let’s get to the bottom of it. Are you or are you not a feminist?
Questionnaire:
1. Do you believe that women should receive equal pay for equal work?
2. Do you believe that women should have the right to own property?
3. Do you believe that women should have the right to attend college, and have equal access to all federal and state funded educational institutions of education?
4. Do you believe that women and men are worth equal consideration under the law?
5. Do you believe that women should have the legal right to divorce?
6. Do you believe that men control the political and economic worlds through systems of overt and covert domination?
7. Do you believe that women are more nurturing and caring than men?
8. Do you believe that women are better communicators than men?
9. Do you believe that women are better suited than men to care for and raise children?
10. Do you believe that a women can be good leader in the political and economic worlds?
If you answered yes to any of these questions you might just be a feminist.
Gender is a central feature of human social life and feminist theory helps us understand the gains women have made, women’s troubles and the points of contradiction, hypocrisy and the debate….
Politically Incorrect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-IyOpESeE&feature=related (UNBELIEVABLE MONTAGE—of male and female cultural feminism—essentialism, radical and otherwise being attacked, tauted, etc. Backlash & discussion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAi1RXN_bfQ Hilary Clinton talking about democrats—see the commercial for Oil of Olay scroll across the bottom (or at least it did on my page) Talking like a liberal feminist interest in equal opportunity—Hilary Clinton is the quintessential liberal feminist.
Types of Feminism & Schools of Thought
Liberal
Cultural
Existential
Radical
Marxist/Socialist
Erotic
Psychoanalytic
Postmodern/Constructionist
Liberal Feminism
Liberal Feminism—In a general sense, Liberal Feminism began in the 18th and 19th centuries arising out of democratizing political and social philosophies—of the sort that fueled the American and French Revolutions. This form of and has continued through to the present day. Throughout its history the liberal feminist movement has been and continues to be focused on political and economic equality and eliminating various forms of female subordination that produce political and economic inequality,
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1799) said in her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman that women’s inequality is "… rooted in a set of customary and legal constraints blocking women's entrance to and success in the so-called public world”…“women need to be educated just as well as men so that they can grow up to be moral and autonomous human beings.”
Examples
Social: Shared decision making in marriage partnerships; Women participating in public spaces and in equal ways in public life (women police officers, teachers, lawyers, etc.)
Political: Equal Opportunity Act (job searches must be done fairly considering all qualified applicants regardless of sex, race, ethnicity…; Rape Shield Laws (providing that rape victims be protected not blamed)
Economic: Child Support Provisions in Divorce, No-Fault Divorce
Cultural Feminism
Cultural Feminism (essentialism some call it) argues that there are fundamental biological/natural (natural) differences between men and women—These differences create the patterns work and life (women are better at some things, men better at other things). A common theme is that women have special skills and women’s ways of understanding (for example, women are naturally nurturing and so they naturally seek out affiliations with others).
This is biological reductionism at its extreme and is wholly rejected by many brands of feminists, but it is a form of feminism as it asserts (re-privileges) women’s ways of knowing and fundamental nature. Many cultural feminists reject radical feminism, rely heavily on liberal feminism in practice (voting, education etc.) but argue that should be valued for their own special abilities in ways that are consistent with the value of men for their own special abilities. It is a kind of back-door feminism and is popular among conservative women.
Examples
Social: Support idea that women should participate in ‘feminine’ ways in public spaces and public life (nurses, teachers, childcare, shopping, domestic and social/event organization etc.)
Political: Custody of children post-divorce—policy that children are better off with mothers post-divorce.
Economic: Alimony payments post-divorce for women who contributed to her marriage as a homemaker; policies. Tax breaks for single earning dual households. Social security policy.
Existentialist Feminism
School of feminist thought that focuses on the nature of human existence — finding a way to counter this nothingness, by embracing existence and creating meaning.
Human meaning is not provided by the natural order, but rather can be created, however provisionally and unstably, by human beings' actions and interpretations. Emphasizing action, freedom, and decision as fundamental, to existence. That is, they argue against definitions of human beings as primarily rational. Rather, existentialists look at where and how people find meaning. Existentialism asserts that people actually make decisions based on what has meaning to them not what is ‘best’ or ‘pragmatic’.
Feminist versions of existentialism can be found in Simon de Beauvoir's The Second Sex and her notion of women as "Other." She says that men have created social meanings through external modes of domination (might makes right) and as a result women are dominated by men. De Beauvoir believes that men benefit from myths about reality that are integrated into tradition and culture. Thus, even though it is against her own will and well-being a woman will sacrifice herself for her man. Beauvoir is critical of marriage as an institution saying that it creates a sense of "otherness" for women and makes marriage and motherhood an oppressive relation. She believes marriage transforms freely given feelings into mandatory duties.
Examples
Social: Support the idea that women need a place and space of their own, education, time, pleasure, reflection. Reject idea that women must marry and have children for happiness—happiness can be found in other pursuits—career, service, music or art. Women as participants in intellectual and creative worlds.
Political: Women’s health initiatives, support groups and shelters—to help women rebuild meaningful lives outside of marriage, domestic abuse arrest laws to help women achieve peaceful and intimidation free lives.
Economic: Women need to be financially independent to be empowered. Equal work/equal pay policies are consistent with this thinking. Women work involve themselves in productive labor. Women’s scholarships, endowments.
Radical Feminism
Radical feminist is one who "insist(s) the sex/gender system is the fundamental cause of women's oppression." (p. 46) Unlike the liberal feminists who work within the system for change, the radical feminists prefer a break with old ways and want a new system altogether. Radicals "argue that it is the patriarchial system that oppresses women, a system characterized by power, dominance, hierarchy, and competition...It is not just patriarchy's legal and political structures that must be overturned; its social and cultural institutions (especially the family, the church, and the academy) must also go." (Tong,, p. 3) Distinctive concerns are (a) the social control and definition of reproduction and mothering; and (b) the biased constructions of gender.
Many Camps of Radical Feminist Thought (we can look at two):
Radical Cultural Feminists: Elevate women and reject masculinity as a desirable quality. Idea is that women should embrace femaleness and create social and cultural arrangements that emphasize women’s traits. De-center patriarchy and maleness –de-emphasize maleness in all social life. Recreate society in general to value these traits and reward women. What these traits are?
Well, that is the stuff of some serious infighting.
Radical-cultural feminists see reproduction as a woman's main source of power (this is why men are always trying to control it). Women need to take back definitions of their own bodies, reproduction etc.
Examples
Social—women’s groups and organizations for enhancing women’s lives and social arrangements that amplify women. National Organization of Women; Not taking on husband’s last name or not marrying at all; having child on one’s own or hyphenating family name and giving child equal identity from mom and dad; rejecting traditional male versions of women’s beauty.
Political—pro-choice (for choice reasons); Demedicalizing women’s health midwife movement;
Economic—women investment groups; women run organizations; by women for women.
The Radical-Libertarian They actually critique the concept of femininity and its accompanying reproductive, mothering and sexual roles. They sometimes aim for an somewhat androgenous or de-traditionalized society which allows for multiple combinations of masculine and feminine characteristics for the individual as well as for society.
They see no biological imperative for reproduction and propose the possibility that motherhood is a misplaced attempt to fulfill ego needs in a society that only rewards women for sex and reproduction and punishes women who don’t participate in these activities.
When it comes to reproduction and mothering, radical-libertarian feminists see reproduction as women's main vulnerability for women and something to be avoided unless on one’s own terms.
It is the institution of motherhood as controlled by men in the framework of heteronormativity that is bad, not motherhood itself. If mothers create their own terms, subvert or replace traditional arrangements for one’s that empowered for women. See traditional heterosexual sex and relationships as necessarily oppressive. Can’t be heterosexual and not be oppressed if you are a woman.
Social agendas that are anti-patriarchy, anti-establishment; women, relationships that come out of primarily the arena of desire and rejection of heteronormative as the only standard; stay at home dad/working mom families or two mommies or two daddies;
Political and Economic—live in opposition to the gender order; open reproductive rights for all people/parenting; legal prostitution; equal marriage rights, equality for all people.
Examples
Marxist/Socialist Feminism
Marxist and Socialist Feminism—Marxist Feminists rooted in Engels' claim that the oppression of women began with the introduction of private property. A distinct economic focus. Of course, the focus is on labor and class relations.
Marxist feminists are primarily concerned with the alienating division of labor that keeps women in the domestic sphere and men in the workplace (Tong, 110).
In addition to this, when women do enter the workforce, they are delegated to jobs or tasks that are deemed appropriate for their gender and are usually underpaid or unpaid for their work. M/S Feminists seek to end this type of oppression and inequality.
Women do the majority of everyday life tasks, cooking, cleaning, childrearing and historically most women have worked (believe it or not). So, the Marxist feminist or the socialist feminist would advocate making domestic labor more public and taken care of by the collective—for the collective good.
Socialist feminism arouse out of a dissatisfaction of the gender-blind Marxist thought, which included the thought that women’s oppression was far less important than worker’s oppression
Examples
Social: new forms of social organization--farms and collectives—drop out of capitalist activities and settings—create egalitarian based social groups and organizations—de-stratify power.
Political and Economic: state subsidized child-care; state subsidized healthcare; fair wages-for-housework. This idea suggests that women receive wages for domestic labor either from a husband’s income or from a tax intended to support women’s work.
.
Erotic /Psychoanalytic Feminism—Essentialist
Emphasizes the erotic side of humans---equal access to sex and thrill is a must, overturn the double standard of sexuality, human culture produces sado-masochists of women and sadists of men. As a school of thought suggests that hyper patriarchy produces weird and alienated sexual relations between people.
Social, Political and Economic Example --Dismantle monogamy and objectification of sexual beings. Psychoanalytic Feminism. Also stresses sexuality *(like some radicals) but roots in Freudian theory (e.g. Nancy Chodorow, The Reproduction of Mothering).
Postmodern/Poststructural
These theories are historically current and reflect the cumulative impact of all versions of feminism on cultures (mostly regarding post-industrialized nations)—decentering meanings—no ‘one’ meaning.
These traditions see ‘woman’ as socially and culturally embedded construct. Many constructions are possible. What woman or man is, not so important as understanding that it isn’t a ‘reality’ so much as it is a set of realities and social performances. Life is performative and in this sense the performance / image becomes the meaning.
In this way of looking at women and gender and sexuality—the culture and its products are deconstructed (seeing the meaning beneath the surface) and this cultural criticism allows for an ‘understanding’ of the socially constructed nature of gender as a political and technological circus of cultural life.
Recombinations/Remix and Technologies are integrated into human constructions of gender and sexuality– The results of this realization is a society with groups who construct their own sexuality and gender constellation. The selection of meanings emerge from the cultural moment in response to social and structural conditions. anything you want it to be mentality prevails—a buffet of behaviors and beliefs about gender—and unlikely people claim feminist positions of meaning to subvert feminist positions of meaning—conservative feminists for example participating equally in the political process to create inequality for women. WOW
Using the critical orientation to show the contradictions of culture. A kind of house of mirrors version of sexuality—it all depends and is all good and bad and whatever—re-envisioning.
Examples: Social bi-sexuality or post-sexuality in dating relationships;radical feminist marries republican antifeminist and they make a movie and sell a million copies and become rich and powerful, but divorce because they are both gay. Lesbian financial advisors who argue for conservative political positions of financial life and social positioning.
ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS DIANE KEATON, 62, PICKED UP SON DUKE, 7, FROM SCHOOL ON TUESDAY, MARCH 18TH IN BEL AIR, CA . AFTERWARD, THE PAIR STOPPED AT A LOCAL GAS STATION.
Mary Cheney Pregnant
This is what a feminist looks like
EXAMPLES OF TYPES
See if you can guess or understand the examples that are coming up….from the various perspectives of feminism.
The main thing is you learn how to see the various kinds of feminist ideas in the world we live in—See for yourself.
Women’s ways of being—The Hughleys—emotional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UllSKkhuEd4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAi1RXN_bfQ Hilary Clinton talking about democrats—see the commercial for Oil of Olay scroll across the bottom (or at least it did on my page) Talking like a liberal feminist interesting in equal opportunity—she is the quintiessential liberal feminist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOdXwq0Q2OQ
Cher interveiwed by Ellen about her romantic relationship with Sonny Bono – he was 28 and I was 16…WOW—no big deal to her it seems. The relationship empowered her?
Politically Incorrect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-IyOpESeE&feature=related (UNBELIEVABLE MONTAGE—of male and female cultural feminism—essentialism, radical and otherwise being attacked, tauted, etc. Backlash discussion)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ope-1Zb5t-k
Izzie Izard—On history of church in drag--Just a few seconds watch – see man in drag performing historic based comedy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-wXnPtj6Y
Madonna Vogue--See the blurring and mixing of sexual definitions and this translates into new forms of gender & gender based power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRmqRS3I2-w Crucify is the song--
Tori Amos—musician song writer—feminine beauty on the outside—sings peircingly deep and disturbing radical feminist lyrics while looking like a perfect modern beauty.
“Looking for a savior in these dirty sheets, Ive been raising up my hand drive another nail in where are those angels when you need them”…..”nothing I do is good enough for you, everyday I crucify myself, chaaiiinnnnss, why do we crucify ourselves everyday…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfteAvSqqBc
“What if I am A Black Woman” ‘a man is not a chain’
This is a challenge example—what is it?
Liberal/Cultural? Both?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17x235VynTY
Motherhood Manifesto—we have to take care of our families our children—call is to value women’s as a universal issue—family is central.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URIypadX3n0&feature=related Spoof on Hockey Mom rep—funny, why? Because of the constructed nature of the label—and the humor deconstructs what it means to be a hockey mom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FYI0dUbc9g&feature=related
Man hating on women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAFiU6bZ678
Women’s way of communicating-the sigh on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Debra using her sex appeal to deal with Ray—he fights back—using sex as a form of power and control—they both play it—revealing the oppression of marriage??: Shows how sex gender is performed and used moreso than something natural about men and women—or does it? Haha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOwmNmO3SPc&feature=related
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