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Feminist Perspectives on the Family

Influence

• Feminism has had considerable influence on the study of the family in recent years - perhaps more than any other approach.

• Feminists have been critical of the effects of family life on women

Patriarchy

• Central to the feminist approach is the idea of patriarchy or male dominance of society.

• It is argued that patriarchy is established and reinforced in family relationships - “the personal is political”

• Feminists argue that men benefit from families at the expense of women - both in their personal experience and broadly because the family sustains patriarchy in society

Market place

Marxist Feminist

• Are they critical of the family?• What does Benston say about the family?• What is the production of labour power?• What does Cooper say about ideological

conditioning?• What do Barrett and McIntosh believe

about the family?• What are the criticisms of this approach?

Radical Feminism

• What distinguishes radical feminism from other feminisms?

• What do Delphy and Leonard believe?

• How do they back up their claims?• How is the family an economic

system?• Who benefits from family life?• How is this approach criticised?

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Marketplace

• Summarize your notes onto A3

• As many pictures as you like• No more than 10 words!!!!!!!!!

Teach each other…….

Criticisms of Marxist Feminism

• Marxist Feminists tend to ignore the diversity of modern family life assuming that everyone lives in heterosexual nuclear families.

• Marxist Feminists paint a very negative picture of family life - possibly exaggerated.

• Women are portrayed as passive victims of exploitation

Evaluation

Strengths and weaknesses???

Difference Feminism

• Post modernists have claimed that both Marxist and Radical feminists fail to understand and appreciate the diversity and difference of women’s experience.

• EG 1.Calhoun studied lesbian and gay families

• 2. Nicholson argues that all types should be accepted as equally valid as they may suit the needs of different women in different circumstances.

Other feminisms….

• Read ‘critical views of the family – feminism’ (p61 AQA Sociology Nelson Thornes)

• Includes: Liberal feminism Radical feminism Marxist feminism Black feminism criticisms• Mindmap/ summarize all the information