The situation of Donna Hylton is as rare as it is tragic. To hear her voice on the podcast Decarcerated, one knows that she refuses the status of the victim role. At the same time, she was a victim in so many ways. On a sociological level, one can only see the star student reduced […]
The feminist theory is not just all about women, but it’s about the quality of life for people and races. The feminist theory also helps men and women understand the roles that they have been given by their social identities and experiences. The four practitioners that have the greatest impact on the feminist theory, all […]
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Get startedLiterary criticism gives readers a chance to dig deeper and find the real meaning behind the authors work. The literary essay A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a writing piece a feminist and psychoanalysis critic could only dream of analysing. The feminist theory is demonstrated by the unfair values and titles women are assigned […]
Feminism is concerned with ‘…the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women’ (“Feminist”). In many stories, women are presented in many different ways. This includes how female characters are created and understood within any given story. These can range from marginalizing women […]
In learning about the feminist movement, we studied the three articles and discussed and reviewed the different authors perspectives on the topic and learned how important the role of woman in Greek Mythology. In presenting the feminist theory to the class we analyzed the three articles, Women in Ancient Greece; Women in Antiquity: New Assessments; […]
According to Lay and Daley (2008), Feminism can be defined as the act of advocating for the rights of women when it comes to political, social and economic equality to men. The feminist theory is one which has developed as a part of a large feminist movement which strives to challenge methodologies, priorities and traditions […]
After learning about all the major theories of philosophy, I think that I like the Feminist theory the best. The only real “working” explanation of the feminist theory I found is the one where Feminist Ethics is said to be an attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink those views of traditional western ethics that have […]
There are a few primary differences between Feminism and PostFeminism. Feminism, is believed to be a response to society’s views of women and their roles. Focusing on the inequality between men and women, Feminist groups try to keep the binary in place to level inequality, specific to white-middle class women. This is different from Post-Feminist […]
How has feminist social theory changed over the last 3 decades? Which currencies do you find most satisfying at an intellectual and political level? In this essay, I want to analyze how feminist theory has changed since the 1970s. However, I want to examine the importance of sex, gender, and social theory vis–vis class and […]
Criticism. The word just looks scary, and it s something most people are a little afraid to receive. However, I am afraid to give criticism. As the only male Women’s Studies major on this campus, and the only male student who wants to learn about Feminist Theory, I’ve learned very quickly to know my role. […]
Feminist approaches to sociological theory have developed out of historical sites of struggle for equality. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of four different feminist theoretical orientations. Sociological theory is broadly concerned with structured forms of social inequality. Therefore, sociologists generally attempt to approach human behavior and relations in terms of the particular social setting of […]
Feminism is a conflict theory that seeks gender equality in society; feminists believe that society is dominated by ideas that are oppressive to women. Feminism first began to influence sociology and society in the 1970’s and formed from there. The feminist theory holds several groups who all share the same view that men dominate society. […]
Emma Watson, actress, and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, once said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly “This isn’t just, ‘girls are better than boys, boys are better than girls.’ This is just, ‘Everyone deserves a fair chance.” Every man, women, son, and daughter deserves the right for equality. The word equality is synonyms with equal […]
Feminism, the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, seeks to rectify past injustices and pave the way for the equal advancement of liberty. Its philosophy touches on such concepts as equality among sexes, justice, affirmative action, equal pay, et cetera. The problem with such actions is that some say that, […]
The feminist movement had taken off to the point where even more women and men were ready to take part and help make every woman’s voice heard. Women and men all over the world have heard the plea of many feminist, to stand up for the rights of every women in the world. The terms […]
There are certainly varying degrees of feminist culture, and this obviously renders varying notions of love from the feminist point of view in general. It is true that in most cases love and the ideologies surrounding it are in support of the main arguments in any feminist theory. When we think of love we don’t […]
The 1960s can be defined as a variety of things, but most importantly it is one of the most progressive eras this nation has ever come to know. The Feminist Movement has essentially played a role in the opportunities and rights we have as women today. Prior to this movement, inequality among the sexes could […]
Whose finished version was written and produced in 1920s New York City. They play is one of many of those by Rachel Crothers, who’s heroine is typically “young, sensible” and “equates financial independence with self-respect”. He and She captures the drama of married life in which gender roles are questioned when wealth and success are […]
Feminism is an umbrella term for many theories, but the central idea is that feminist theory emphasizes equality between the gender binary, and how the experiences of women are reflected in society. In the early days, feminism focused on defining sex and gender, and the differences between them. Many conventional ideas regarding societal gender norms […]
This article, Sexism And Psychiatry by Joan Busfield, is fundamentally related to the relationship between sexism and psychiatry, and how this matter has been impacted in the feminist literature. Accordingly, Busfield commenced with several concerns about this paper which primarily focuses on the dichotomy between psychiatry and sexism. Busfield presented Allen, who wrote the Psychiatry […]
Oppression, by definition, refers to an authoritarian system that controls its citizens by denying certain individuals purposeful human rights. It’s a type of injustice that prevents people from being equal. Sexual oppression of women has continuously been one of the most crippling forms of oppression seen throughout humanity. In many societies around the world, women […]
Another media platform that relentlessly manifests and perpetuates the sexual objectification of women is music. In today’s society, music, especially the hip-hop and rap genre, often have misogynistic and explicit lyrics which presents women in an exploitative manner. According to Adams and Fuller, women in this music genre are often portrayed as “mere objects that […]
The world today has changed in many aspects of gender related life style. Yet there is an area of improvement in the focus of gender: based on labour and the patriarchial working woman. The class society have a great impact on the behaviour women carry out. The different theories and definitions help to explain the relationship of the construction of the gender. Feminism has a great impact on the gender role in our society. Feminists have been fighting for a long time for power and control in this man’s world. Our family structure creates a great impact on women’s behaviour in society, family life and the labour force. All these titles focus on the relatonship of gender.
Gender is best described the construction of what is culturally assumed as [femininity as well as Imasculinity). Lesbian and gay male theory of a feminist is beyond the logic of masculine/femine. It is also referred to the social and cultural categories of the biological fact of human sex differentiation.
Teresa de Lauretis uses this table:
The Aristotelian view of the natural role of civilized woman as a wife and mother. A rational manis view for a woman is the daily chores and responsibilities of nurturing children and running a houshold; leisure time is not necessary for a wife and mother. The luncivilized woman is a slave or a serf or a labourer, or from a savage race, is even more handicapped by her social role and her natural abilities. On the same note, a laboured woman of these groups would completely shoutout the life of leisure.
The Descartes method can be acquired knowledge by breaking down complex beliefs and experiences. The simple natures are uncovered and examined closely to understand how they combine and to build up other objects. According to Princess Elizabeth of Behemia who corresponds to the method does not lead her enough time for her to acquire a habit of meditation or other inerests in her household. On the other hand, a poor woman would find it impossible. In class and race it becomes clear that Descartesis rational man is not only male but an upper-class, European male. A woman who wishes to follow Descartesis method must ignore her cultural roles and see the skills and thought that are combined and free from reason.
In a family setting equality is not practised for women. Rational and formal equality is taken for granted in a domestic admisphere based on tradition and natural inequalities.
Joan Ackerils of gender: the abstract worker is actually a man, and it is the man’s body, its sexuality, minimal responsibility in procreation, and conventional control of emotions that pervades work and organizational processes. Women’s bodies-female sexuality, their ability to procreate and their pregnancy, breast-feeding, and child care, menstruation, and mythic emotionality-are suspect, stigmatized, and used as grounds for control and exclusion (Williams 228).
The structural deflection is changing formal equality for a true equality or changing the goal of the organization or both. In the adoption of the fifty-fifty rule privileges males: first, to separate public and private life as a male model (the leader) which means to prove themselves as men in a male-defined space. To succeed the new leadership role is to adopt the same ability as men. Second, sex-paired leadership structure of the same sex is direct competition with an inferior group or sex.
Simone de Beauvoir argues the self-development as women are to relate to the subject and they should join the battle. Women should defind themselves as subjects against an object or other. Jessica Benjamin argues opposite a traditional feminist theory that must relate to the subject and needs to understand not only the self that relates to the object, but the relationship to the subject. Benjamin describes the normal development of the male subject as repression, domination, and denial of others.
Benjamin explains the repudiation of the mother which underlies male domination is adequately accounted for by the fact that boys must separate or disidentify from their mothers. This resolves to failure because of the separation from the mother is a replacement of mutual recognition with a subject-object relation (Weir 77).
The method of feminism concerning both objectivity and subjectivity are to have been objectified as sexual beings while characterizing a subjective desire. Women reject the distinction beween subjective and objective postures – as the means to comprehend social life. Not acting upon the objectivity towards the victim is excluded from its world through the desire to subjective being within. Women’s interest lies in overthrowing the distinction itself.
Beauvoir accepts subjectivity and objectivity categories but only otinclude women as subjects. This anticipates the argument of liberal feminism: women should be included in all aspects of public life, regardless of the injustices, inequalities, and economic and racial hierarchies upon which liberal capitalism rests. The superwoman syndome is the privileged class of women expecting to do everything. They are to succeed at a professional career, marriage, childbearing and child rearing, on a model of a male life pattern without public support in the form of federal of provincial maternity leaves, childcare, etc. The liberal feminist stands for equality. The difference between a radical and conservative spokeswomen is often not clear or probably to the amount of anger displayed in writing.
Carol Gilligan specifically uses the vocabulary subjectivity and objectivity as the difference between men and women to the effect of self or othr and inside or outside. She suggest women perceive the world closer to themselves then men. This has to do with two modes of describing the relationship between other and self. Women are more reluctant to make decisions based upon abstract moral standards. Gilligan argues the concept of adulthood is based on gender and mainly male.
The number of mothers entering the labour force is increasing every year and much more mothers with preschool children. This is effecting the maternal employment of which parents can make responsible and informed decisions about the timing and nature of their employment. In this research on chidren’s responses to maternal employment it includes: general mental health, social adjustment, cognitive ability, and achievement motivaton.
Lois Hoffman summarizes the research on school-age children using five hypotheses:
Self-perception and self-esteem among women who work has been a focus of research. The high rate of depression among full-time homemakers perceive themselves powerless and isolated (OllBarr 27).
Heidi Hartmann refers to patriarchy and class society, this theory is called the dual systems. They two are relatively independent power systems that are integrated and mutually influence each other. Hartman summarizes her definition of patriarchy as: a set of social relations between men, which have a material base, and which, though hierarchical, establish or create interdependence and solidarity among men that enable them to dominate women. The material base upon which patriarchy rests lies most fundamentally in men’s control over women’s labour power (Jonasdottir 48).
Marxism’s identifies Dempty places to the feminist theory. Marxist theoretical concepts are and can only be sexblind-class, the reserve army of labour, and wage labourers. Capitalism is a necessity of capital structure to increase profits and the necessity of wage labour to earn its living: for instance sex, age, or ethicity. Also difference of capitalist societies and between periods of time and even within different regions in one country. The labour force refers only to value/cost and productivity.
Many women and children were mine workers in England in thenineteenth century. Today nearly all miners are men. The leaders of Swedish, industry recruited Swedish housewives and not immigrants in the 60s. Today women all over the world systematically occupy the worst paid, subordinate work positions, and have inconvenient working hours, more so then men.
Hartmann stresses labour unions are critical social institutions because men control the labour market and women’s work. Both historically and at present there is no doubt that one of the most central arenas of gender struggles outside the home. Women’s repeat failures and inferior position within unions must finally be seen as a consequence rather than a high rank positon to society.
Backlash is primarily a reactive position which means to have been lost, or to be under threat. The old fashioned thinking feel threatened with change of sex roles especially in power reations. Some backlash is regressive. It returns to golden age of traditional sex roles and sexual values. It is said that feminists are the blame to life getting worse. Another kind of backlash is reactive. It is agreed that there was a problem before women’s movement for women but their policies have made things worse.
As Kenneth Minogue said:
The first wave of feminism was rightly about equal opportunity. Women rightly demands to be admitted on their individual merits of the activities men had previously monopolised – politics, higher education, the professions and so on. There’s no doubt this created considerable problems about how to combine female aspirations, conventions, even dress, with what was necessary to be one of the boys. One unfortunate result of this development, however, was that it slanted aspirations away from those areas where women had previously excelled – style, grace, domesticity, the cultivation of intimacey – towards activities where male strength and competitiveness gave men an advantage (Haste 268). Unfortunately such reactive critics failed to ppreciate the difficulties of fighting those very past battles.
The Book of Eve of Constance Beresford-Howe was very descriptive. It was basted on women in the past-approximately the 1950s. Eva played the role of a slave,a care giver and a robot that just kept going in an monotonous way of life. She lived the life of what others expected of her. Like many other women, Eva was raised to come second to men. This lifestyle was normal to her and to her family. She finally came to realization; so she decided to put a stop to the kind of life that made her unhappy. She decide to leave this life behind; without knowing where she was going. She wanted to begin a new life of her own but didn’t know how.
Slowly, it all came together for her. She began to realized she was her own person and she could think and do what she pleases. This was a shock for her son and husband because they could no longer control or manipulate her and her thoughts. The symbol of the clock through out the house proved everything was timed and controlled. Evals life with her family was always perdictable. After she was on her own, she finally came to terms with herself and decided not to go back. Although life was difficult financially without the lean of her husband, she still felt her sanity and her life was much more important then the stability of her husband had to offer. Eva felt the price was to high to pay.
In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton was also a very moving and well described novel of how difficult it is to be a native woman in today’s society. The stereotype of the cultural back ground of an Indian family lifestyle is almost impossible to make progress. April paid a heavy price to be like one of the white girls as a young girl herself. She was put in different foster homes without her younger sister Cheryl. They were taken from their alcoholic parents at a young age. April’s first experience as a controlled slave was in a particular foster home that scared her for life. She would not be permitted to have any say when living in the foster homes.
As a young woman she had finally a chance at the brass ring. She earned to live on her own and then with time her sister Cheryl came to live with her. April felt it wasn’t enough for her to make it in a white man’s world. She then married a wealth white young man The cycle unfortunately did not break, she then become a slave to her husband’s world. April had to live to her husband and her mother-in-law’s expectations and lifestyles: she still was not free. She finally had proof of her insticts that her husband did not marry her for love. Instead he was unfaithful with April; she then divorced the family. Although she was financially set, she learned that her freedom was much more precious.
Fortunately, April didit have the same Metis problem as her sister; which was alcoholism. Her sister seaked for comfort through the bottle just like her parents. She wasn’t as strong as April and couldn’t over come the negativity of the world. The constant rejection and abuse of the whiteman’s world was forcing them to slip into the pattern life of what is expected of them. Some cycles are very difficult to break because they tend to always follow you.
The novels relate to the information of the aspects of gender and how it relates to a women world. It doesn’t matter the class of the woman, the employment strategies, or the home caring strategies: it still a very male domineering world. The theories focused on many different informative definitions of the different ways of thinking as women or man. It is still not considered a tangiable solution to the feminists because of the strong power and control men have in our society. For many decades feminists have made a difference. But yet, like April and Eva women are still haven’t grabbed the brass ring.
