Feminist Theory

- in the 1960s to 1970s

- power- distribution of economic and social resources - differential position of selected groups which has consequences for being labelled as victim or perpetrator

- that existing sociological theories are deficient- theories are more centred around the males - therefore it doesn't fit properly

- equal pay- equal education and job opportunities- contraception and abortion- national day care- end to discrimination against lesbians- freedom from intimidation of violence and sexual coercion- an end to patriarchy - it affects males AND females

- Sex refers to biological differences (primarily genital)- Gender is the corresponding SOCIAL construct- We have created a sexual division in society and attach a certain prestige towards each gender

1. Gender is not a natural fact - gender and sex are different (where gender is subject to change)2. gender orders much of social life3. gender constructs are not symmetrical (where males/females are not constructed equally. Males have more advantages, etc)4. System sof knowledge reflect men's views of the natural/social world5. feminism should place women at the centre of intellectual inquiry

1. Liberal Feminism2. Marxist Feminism3. Radical Feminism4. Social Feminism5. Cultural Feminism6. Standpoint Feminism

- Individualistic, concern for equal rights - if we want to ensure quality, we look at individual rights- de-gender language and equality will follow

- examines the structural position of women - focuses on women's domestic labour- rich vs. poor: women are more considered proletariat, but some are very well off in society

- suggests that all women are oppressed - men/women have different "essences" (ex. females act a certain way because they're females)- we all have similar experiences with oppression- gender can be changed somewhat in society (equally), but females will have to make changes to alter women as a whole in society

- views the exploitation and oppression of women from within the framework of capitalism- similar to Marxist (where men are bourgeoise, and women are proletariats)- SOCIALISTS: believe in a "dual system"

- Women have generated a unique culture- Essentialism: men have an essence to themselves- if women want to be free, they need to remove themselves from society

- Anti-racist feminism- Acknowledges the diversity of women -> that people are disempowered in a variety of different ways (race/ethnicity)- all the other "isms" compound to what is known as the intersectionalist approach

- female criminality is largely neglected, because crime is largely a male project- feminists concentrate on reactions to female perpetrators - double standards: males and females get locked up differently depending on what they're arrested for. - females are more for sexual mortality - there is a focus on power: being able to control people
- many feminist theorists reject biological/psychological positivism- they also criticize theories of socialization

- A survey that simply tallied up violence between males and females- it DOES NOT acknowledge qualitative differences- Ex. slapping is the same as pushing someone down the stairs- male advocacy groups scale it in a way that doesn't take into consideration that men and women fight differently