Sociological Theory - Feminism (Sociology Theory & Methods)
Summary
TLDRThis sociology video explores feminism as a conflict theory, highlighting its evolution from early focus on women's political rights to contemporary issues like intersectionality. It discusses the four waves of feminism, their key concerns, and branches like liberal, Marxist, and radical feminism. The video also touches on feminism's impact on sociology, including its contributions to methodology and ongoing relevance in addressing global gender inequalities.
Takeaways
- đ Feminism is a conflict theory focusing on gender-based power imbalances and patriarchal oppression across society.
- đ§âđ€âđ§ Feminism criticizes male-stream sociology, which has traditionally centered on male concerns, leading to a more inclusive study of gender issues.
- đ©âđ« The four waves of feminism have addressed political, social, and economic equality, with each wave building on the progress of the previous one.
- đ The first wave of feminism focused on political rights and suffrage, leading to women's right to vote in 1928.
- âïž The second wave highlighted social and economic equality, addressing equal pay, women's roles, and work-family dynamics.
- đ Third wave feminism expanded the scope by focusing on intersectionality, acknowledging the diverse experiences of women based on class, race, and sexuality.
- đ Fourth wave feminism has leveraged digital technology and social media to empower women and tackle global issues like the #MeToo movement.
- âïž Liberal feminism seeks to improve gender equality through legal reforms, influencing laws such as the Equal Pay Act and the Sexual Discrimination Act.
- đ Marxist feminism critiques both capitalist and male oppression, focusing on women's labor, the gender pay gap, and domestic exploitation.
- đš Radical feminism views patriarchy as pervasive across society, advocating for structural changes and challenging superficial gestures towards equality.
Q & A
What is the fundamental premise of feminism as a conflict theory?
-Feminism as a conflict theory suggests that power in society is divided on the basis of gender and that patriarchal oppression of women exists in all sections of society, including employment, home, education, and media.
How has feminism evolved over time to address contemporary issues?
-Feminism has evolved to deal with contemporary issues surrounding gender differences, with a particular focus on intersectionality, examining differences based on social class, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, age, religion, and geographical location.
What were the key concerns of the first wave of feminism?
-The first wave of feminism was concerned with political equality of women and their rights for representation in society, fighting for universal suffrage, the right to vote for women, which was achieved in 1928.
What were the main goals of the second wave of feminism?
-The second wave of feminism, commencing post-World War II, focused on social and economic equality of women, championing equal rights and pay in the workplace, and addressing female emancipation from traditional gender roles.
How does third wave feminism differ from its predecessors?
-Third wave feminism emerged from criticisms of second wave feminism, examining the different experiences that women face globally, with a focus on changing social perceptions in Europe and reproductive rights and tackling issues like female genital mutilation and forced marriage in the developing world.
What is the focus of fourth wave feminism?
-Fourth wave feminism focuses on the empowerment of women using digital technologies and social media to encourage and support female achievements, with the hashtag me too campaign being a notable movement of this era.
What are the key objectives of liberal feminism?
-Liberal feminism aims to address gender inequality by utilizing existing systems and structures, pressing for legal changes to address inequality, such as the Equal Pay Act, the sexual Discrimination Act, and the Equality Act.
How does Marxist feminism view the role of women in society?
-Marxist feminism examines the dual exploitation that women face from males and capitalism, focusing on gender roles at home, the domestic division of labor, and the patriarchal nature of employment, challenging the notion that women should stay at home and look after the family.
What is the stance of radical feminism on patriarchy and societal structure?
-Radical feminism suggests that patriarchy is ingrained in all aspects of society and that the only solution is to restructure society to gain equality, often advocating for more extreme measures such as female supremacy and separatism.
How have feminists contributed to the methodology of social research?
-Feminists have contributed to social research methodology by rejecting the cold and objective nature of mainstream sociology, advocating for interpretivist ideas and unstructured interviews that focus on empathetic understanding and offering practical advice.
What are some criticisms of feminism in terms of its effectiveness and approach?
-Criticisms of feminism include the argument that it has not gone far enough in addressing global gender inequalities, can be fragmented with internal disagreements, and sometimes overlooks the intersectional nature of women's experiences, focusing more on the needs of Western middle-class women.
Outlines
đ Introduction to Feminism in Sociology
This paragraph introduces the topic of feminism within the field of sociology, highlighting its role as a conflict theory that addresses gender-based power divisions and patriarchal oppression. It traces the evolution of feminism, from its early focus on women's issues and societal representation to its contemporary emphasis on intersectionality, considering various aspects such as social class, ethnicity, sexuality, and more. The paragraph outlines the historical waves of feminism, starting with the first wave's fight for political equality and suffrage, through the second wave's advocacy for social and economic equality, to the third wave's global examination of women's experiences, and finally the fourth wave's use of digital platforms for empowerment. The paragraph also touches on different branches of feminism, including liberal, Marxist, and radical feminism, each with its unique approach to gender inequality.
đ Feminist Contributions to Sociological Theory and Methodology
The second paragraph delves into the contributions of feminism to sociological theory and methodology. It discusses how Marxist feminism views women's dual exploitation by both men and capitalism, focusing on domestic labor and its benefits to capitalism. The paragraph also addresses radical feminism's stance on the pervasive patriarchy and its call for societal restructuring for gender equality. It critiques the traditional, detached approach of positivist sociology, advocating instead for a feminist methodology that employs empathetic and interpretivist methods, such as unstructured interviews, to better understand and support the women studied. The paragraph concludes by evaluating feminism's effectiveness in tackling inequality, noting the progress made in Western societies versus the ongoing struggles in the developing world, and acknowledges the internal disagreements within the feminist movement while recognizing its significant impact on sociological understanding and women's lives globally.
đ The Ongoing Relevance of Feminism
The final paragraph emphasizes the ongoing relevance of feminism, acknowledging its continuous evolution to address contemporary challenges such as postmodern and post-structuralist thought, intersectional feminism, and digital empowerment movements. It highlights the legal changes, increased educational and employment opportunities, and reproductive rights advancements that feminism has facilitated, particularly in the UK and globally. While recognizing criticisms that feminism has not achieved complete gender equality, the paragraph asserts that the scale of inequality ensures feminism's continued relevance. The video concludes by summarizing the key points discussed and thanking viewers for their attention.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄFeminism
đĄPatriarchal Oppression
đĄIntersectionality
đĄFirst Wave Feminism
đĄSecond Wave Feminism
đĄThird Wave Feminism
đĄFourth Wave Feminism
đĄLiberal Feminism
đĄMarxist Feminism
đĄRadical Feminism
đĄFeminist Methodology
Highlights
Feminism is a conflict theory that suggests power in society is divided on the basis of gender.
Patriarchal oppression of women exists in all sections of society, including employment, education, and media.
Early feminism focused on studying female issues and the representations of women in society.
Contemporary feminism focuses on the intersectionality of women's experiences, examining differences based on social class, ethnicity, sexuality, and more.
The first wave of feminism was concerned with political equality and women's rights for representation.
The second wave of feminism focused on social and economic equality, championing equal rights and pay for women.
Third wave feminism examines different experiences that women face globally, including reproductive rights and issues like female genital mutilation.
Fourth wave feminism uses digital technologies and social media to empower women and support achievements.
Liberal feminism seeks to address gender inequality by utilizing existing systems and pressing for legal changes.
Marxist feminism examines the dual exploitation of women by both males and capitalism, focusing on gender roles at home.
Radical feminism suggests that patriarchy is ingrained in society and the only solution is to restructure for equality.
Feminist methodology has been developed to create a more empathetic and engaged approach to social research.
Feminism has made significant contributions to sociology by illuminating gender differences and challenging traditional perspectives.
Feminism has influenced legal changes, access to education, employment opportunities, and control over reproductive rights for women.
Critics argue that feminism can be fragmented and does not always address the intersectional nature of women's experiences.
Feminism continues to evolve, meeting contemporary challenges and remaining relevant for addressing gender equality.
Transcripts
welcome to this cheater tu sociology
topic video on theory and methods
focused on feminism we've looked at
feminism throughout the specification
where it's been applied to certain areas
of study such as crime education family
and beliefs among dollars but it's worth
reminding ourselves of some of the key
ideas behind feminism before looking at
the approach in more depth
feminism is a conflict theory that
suggests that power in society is
divided on the basis of gender they
suggest that patriarchal oppression of
women exists in all sections of society
in employment at home education and
media they also suggest that the study
of sociology has enlarged being male
stream in other words male theorists
focusing on the issues that are of
concern to males and certainly early
feminism focused on the study of female
issues and the representations of women
in society
however feminism has evolved over time
to deal with contemporary issues
surrounding gender differences and has a
particular focus in contemporary society
on the intersectionality of women's
experiences examining differences based
upon social class ethnicity sexuality
disability age religion and geographical
location which gives feminism a broad
appeal into looking it are gender
differences in the 21st century feminism
as an approach has consistently evolved
to tackle the issues that women face in
contemporary society the first wave of
feminism was concerned with the
political equality of women and their
rights for representation in society
from writers such as Mary Wollstonecraft
and Harriet Martineau through to the
suffragettes and suffragists the first
wave of feminism consistently fought
over a period exceed in a hundred years
to gain universal suffrage the right to
vote for women which came about in 1928
the second wave of feminism commenced in
the post-world War two period and was
focused upon the social and economic
equality of women in society it
championed equal rights and equal pay
for women in the workplace and addressed
issues of female emancipation from
social norms of what of women being the
housewife or mother
leading figures in the second wave
feminism what Ann Oakley who examined
gender differences at home and the
philosopher Simone
to move wire this is also the period
associated with women's liberation
movement in the late 1950s and early
1960s which typifies the attitude of
social change in post-war USA in Europe
however critics of second wave feminism
stated it did not do enough to address
the differences of all women often
ignoring those of lower social classes
minority ethnic backgrounds or LGBTQ
women from the criticisms rose third
wave feminism examining the different
experiences that women face globally
whilst in Europe this was focused on
changing social perceptions of women in
areas of the developing world this was
focused on giving women reproductive
rights and tackling issues such as
female genital mutilation and forced
marriage more recently fourth wave
feminism has emerged focusing on the
empowerment of women using digital
technologies and social media to
encourage and support female
achievements perhaps the most notable
movement of this era has been the
hashtag me to campaign tackling
historical sexual abuse of women there
are different branches of feminism and
each takes a different approach to the
issues that women face in society
liberal feminism looks to address gender
inequality by utilizing the existing
systems and structures in place and
pressing for legal changes to address
inequality in society this approach has
been successful in introducing
legislation such as the Equal Pay Act
the sexual Discrimination Act the
legalization of abortion availability of
contraception on prescription the
removal of the marital rape exclusion
clause and the Equality Act to name but
a few
it is also addressed issues such as
educational underachievement breaking
down barriers to education for girls
particularly in male-dominated domains
and influenced girls to aim higher and
pursue careers that were once seen as
reserved for males this has had numerous
impacts on gender equality in society
addressing education family life work
and social stratification whilst liberal
feminism has had notable success critics
would suggest that inequality remains
but for liberal feminists there is a
march of progress towards equality and
this continues with liberal feminists
tackling newer forms of exploitation
such as media representations of women
being challenged
Marxist feminism examines the dual
exploitation that women face in society
both from males and from capitalism much
of our understanding of Marxist feminism
has come from examining gender roles at
home particularly when discussing the
domestic division of labor and that is
one of Marxist feminist lasting
contributions Benson's description of
women being kept out of the job market
so they may be used to the reserve army
of labour taking on in times of economic
growth and let go in times of recession
highlights difficulties that women face
in employment finances colorful
descriptions of the way that women
absorb the frustrations of workers
highlights the dual exploitation of
women by men and capitalism
a further contribution comes from
Delphian Lanyrd who suggested the unpaid
labor women to at home greatly benefits
capitalism and their husbands Marxist
feminism also looks at the patriarchal
nature of employment and the assumptions
made about women's ability and
commitment to their careers Marxist
feminism as a challenge the notion that
women should stay at home and look after
the family and examine concepts in
employment such as a glass ceiling in
the gender pay gap however critics would
suggest that there have been changes in
women's employment with a decline of
traditional manufacturing growth
industry such as a service sector have
become feminized as as the workplace
however Marxist feminist would suggest
that the existing wage gap and the
under-representation of females and
positions of power would suggest there
is still some way to go a third branch
of feminism to consider is radical
feminism and this is perhaps the most
maligned in society often parodied and
linked to negative stereotypes of
feminism radical feminists suggest that
the patriarchy is present in all aspects
of society and is so ingrained into the
consciousness of society that the only
solution is to restructure in a bid to
gain equality they protest that many of
the recent developments in employment
education and home life are merely token
gestures and superficial in comparison
to the oppression of women that is still
carried out there are more extreme
branches of radical feminism such as
female supremacy and female separatism
that advocate lack of contact with males
and political lesbianism in order to
create a society that puts women's needs
at the forefront
radical feminism had a huge influence on
our understanding of society with
theorists such as Millett suggesting
that males will use physical
psychological and ideological force to
keep women in a position of subservience
and with the emergence of alt-right of
men's rights groups it can be suggested
that Millett is correct so too with the
negative stereotyping of feminism in the
media the little in an ideology that
promotes equality as radical and
dangerous critics of radical feminism
would suggest that they often neglect
the progress that has been made and they
have been criticized for ignoring the
intersectional nature of women's
experiences one of the contributions of
families and that often goes unnoticed
is their contribution towards the
methodology that is used in social
research feminists have often rejected
the cold and objective nature of
Maelstrom sociology suggested that it
shows a lack of empathy for those that
it studies treating them little better
than Lab Rats Oakleigh in her research
suggested adaptation of interpretivist
ideas to create feminist methodology
using unstructured interviews that
focused on empathetic understanding of
the lives of the women they studied as
well as offering practical advice in
dealing with their issues locally
contended that the role of a sociologist
is to offer help when needed rather than
the detached role of positivist methods
tended to convey furthermore feminist
interviewing encourages those who were
interviewed to move the conversation
forward and to engage in the issues
present this form of interview then
becomes a call to action which some
sociologists will criticize for its
objective nature and potential for
interviewer bias when evaluating the
impacts of feminism a simple evaluation
is the extent to which feminism has been
effective the primary aim of feminism
has been to tackle inequality but
inequalities between women's experiences
on a global scale remain whilst progress
has been made in the West the position
of women in the developing world remains
precarious with patriarchal oppression
lack of control over reproductive rights
inability to choose a partner or display
sexual preferences come in place the
intersectional nature of women's
experiences are not always address
with critics stating that the needs of
Western middle-class women are given
precedence in the media over those in
the developing world while women in the
West are fighting for a seat in the
boardroom women in the developing world
are fighting for their lives
a further criticism is that feminism can
be seen as quite fragmented approach
there are many examples of disagreements
within the feminist movement that
detract from the progress that has been
made recent examples of disagreements
over the position of trans women have
highlighted some of these ideological
differences and led to different
branches of farrell ism being in
conflict with one another however there
is much evidence to suggest that
feminism has made a huge contribution to
the field of sociology it's introduced a
greater understanding of the gender
differences that exist in society and
introduce new perspectives that have
challenged the boys club of mail stream
sociology home and family life women's
experiences of crime religion education
and poverty have all been illuminated by
feminist thought whilst closer analysis
of media stereotyping of women has been
advanced by the feminist movement unlike
some other theories feminism has and
continues to evolve to meet the
contemporary challenges including
postmodern and post-structuralism
intersectional feminism and female
empowerment movements such as digital
feminism of all evolved with society and
feminism has changed the lives of many
women both in the UK and globally
through legal changes access to
education greater employment
opportunities and allowing women to have
control over their reproductive rights
while some may criticize feminism for
not going far enough the scale of gender
equality means that feminism will remain
relevant for many years to come
that concludes his 230 u sociology topic
video on theory methods focused on
feminism thanks for watching
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)