Examine the contribution of feminists Essay

Submitted By Julia-Toms
Words: 1152
Pages: 5
Open Document
Examine the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family life.

The first wave of feminism began in the 1890s, when women began to fight for the right to vote. Feminists then were women who desired sexual justice and were concerned about women’s’ welfare, in a patriarchal society which oppressed them. In the 1960s there was a second wave of feminism. This wave had far more impact on the way we live and the way we perceive feminists today. Feminists today are classified as ‘anyone who seeks equality between men and women. In this wave, women demanded more sexual freedom, and as contraception was becoming more available and popular, they were gaining that. Women were also being torn between work and the home, as many woman wanted to attend higher education and have a career, however were oppressed by their expected role as a full time wife and mother. These desires challenged the traditional roles of women. There are three different types of feminism, Radical feminism, Marxist feminism, and Liberal feminism, all under the same branching title of ‘feminists’ however all believing slightly different things. Whether a feminist or a woman or not, the influence that this pressure group has had on society is huge.

Radical feminists believe that family life is affected by patriarchy alone. A patriarchal society is defined as a society in which males hold power over women in all aspects of life, for example, family, work, and government. Radical feminism is the most extreme form of feminism, their prime belief is that women do not need men to function in society, and that eradicating men would not be an extreme disadvantage to society. Kate Millet is a radical feminist and has some very strong beliefs. She believes that men will use any means available to control and oppress women- even violence, and that the family is not a positive institution for women. She was also very critical of the functionalist views of the family, and is very opposed to the traditional expressive and instrumental roles that Parsons suggested. Purdy was also opposed to functionalist views, as she disagrees with Murdock’s functionalist views of the functions of the family, such as reproduction. She believes women should go on a ‘baby strike’ as men only consider them as ‘baby making machines’. These views are relatively useful, as they are more relevant to the modern day family structures; because many families are lone parent, or same sex couples, and the functionalist roles of the family only apply to a nuclear family.

Marxist feminists believe that family life is affected by both capitalism, and patriarchy. Marxist feminism was developed as a response to classical Marxist views. Marxist feminists such as Benston state that, by looking after their husband will make him a more productive worker and that the main role of women is to product the future work force, both feeding capitalism. Functionalist such as Parsons are opposed to this view as they believe that women must carry out the expressive role in the family, involving cooking and cleaning, and looking after the children. Feeley, another Marxist feminist, stated that the family is a patriarchal unit that teaches passivity, not rebellion. This means that women are taught to be passive and accept their roles in the family and not to defy their husbands- subscribing to Ansley’s statement ‘women are the takers of shit’. This view is more useful than the radical views as it takes into account the political climate we live in, as it is a capitalist society, however it also does not take into account modern family structure, such as lone parents or same sex couples, and mainly refers to nuclear families- so it is outdated.

Liberal feminists believe solely in equality between men and women, and believe that both genders should have equal opportunities, equal pay, roles, and household chores. They believe that these changes should be made through changes in law and social policy and
Show More

Related Documents: Examine the contribution of feminists Essay

Harriet Tubman Analysis

In today’s reading the topic mostly talked about black/multicultural feminism. It was interesting to read about someone I already knew, Harriet Tubman. Finding out that she was an influence that led to the Combahee River Collective, a black feminist group located in Boston amazed me. Which stood for anti-racist activism and a blueprint for Black feminism.Also with Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth shared awareness of how their sexual identity combined with their racial identity to make their whole…

Words 516 - Pages 3

Importance Of Women's Studies

ubiquitous as well. This course provides an opportunity for me to examine women’s roles, contributions, and status in social and cultural context and to investigate a variety of disciplines from feminist perspectives. This course teaches me to improve critical thinking and to provide us with the intellectual means to question prevailing assumptions. It encourages me to explore the contexts and ideological origins of knowledge and to examine the relationship between knowledge and power in society. It promotes…

Words 659 - Pages 3

Intro Quest Ch1 Essay

SYG 2000 – Study Questions Chapter 1: Sociology & the Real World 1. What is the difference between practical and scientific knowledge? 2. Define sociology -is one of the social sciences— disciplines that examine the human or social world. The systematic study of human and society and social interaction 3. What is the importance of Howard Becker’s definition of sociology? sociology is the study of people doing things together because neither the individual nor society exist independently of one…

Words 644 - Pages 3

Pat Carlen: A Feminist Criminological Analysis

Jackie Tombs introduced Carlen in his book by stating: Pat Carlen, one of Britain’s most imaginative and innovative sociologist,has often been called a ‘feminist criminologist’ though maybe that is something of a misnomer since she always insists that she never has employed any body of feminist when doing sociological analysis. This statement managed to clarify misunderstanding of Carlen’s studies.Carlen also deny herself as a criminologist yet rather as someone who get involved in sociological work…

Words 910 - Pages 4

Study Guide Essay

equally and unequals unequally according to relevant differences.” (Aristotle) Distributive Justice How a gov. distributes resources to its members. Rightful/merited/deserved distribution; not need. Just distribution depends on person’s contributions and value to the community. Retributive Justice Retributive justice is concerned with how a society determines guilt/innocence (procedural retributive justice) and how it determines the proper punishment (substantive procedural justice). People…

Words 1043 - Pages 5

Essay on Feminist Criminology

Feminist Criminology: How useful is it in its analysis of female crime? MSc Criminology and Forensic Psychology Feminist criminology emerged out of the realisation that criminology has from its inception centred on men and the crimes they commit. Although it can be argued female criminality was researched by Lombroso, as far back as 1800’s, female crime, it’s causes and the impact in which it had on society was largely ignored by the criminological futurity. Those Criminologist who did…

Words 3502 - Pages 15

Charles Horton Cooley Social Interaction Theory

1994)," he is coincidentally looking at him the mirror. This line indicates the looking glass self-theory as Vincent is reflecting on himself whether or not he is capable of being loyal to his boss, Marcellus Wallace. The looking glass theory indeed examines the most covert ways of what one's perceptions are, which lead to the introduction of…

Words 1555 - Pages 7

Women in Ww1 Essay

She can be best described as a women’s rights activist particularly criticizing all laws, systems and business world describing them as only designed o benefit men. During the tumultuous times of the World War I she was among the few women whose contribution at the Hague International Congress of Women for Peace in 1915. She also engineered the formation of Women’s International League in Great Britain aimed at promoting peace between 1926 and 1935. As far as World War I is concerned she served in…

Words 1730 - Pages 7

Margaret Eleanor Atwood: The Long Pen And Surfacing

several times, acceptable twice. In 2001 she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. She is as well an architect of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-profit arcane alignment that seeks to animate Canada's autograph community. Among innumerable contributions to Canadian literature, she was a founding trustee of the Griffin Balladry Prize. Atwood is as well the inventor, and developer, of the Long Pen and…

Words 1071 - Pages 5

Annotated Bibliography

the correctional system handles lesbian, bisexual, and questioning (LBQ) youth. It also discusses how management techniques dealing with these topics affect girl offenders’, relationships and identities. The author, Lisa Pasko, uses feminist critical criminology to examine the views and opinions regarding LBQ issues brought up and discussed by juvenile corrections professionals. The likely audience for this article is the general public. The article’s purpose is to expose and clarify the ways in which…

Words 2452 - Pages 10