Feminist Social and Political Thought

Feminist Social and Political Thought
Why has Feminist Theory Split in the 20 th Century into its own Reformist and Revolutionary Wings?
By: Nabaz Shwany
E-mail: [email_address]

Debates On the Term of Feminism
“ I adopt a general definition of feminism as perspective that seeks to eliminate the subordination, oppression, inequalities and injustice women suffer because of their sex” (E. Porter, 1991, p.27)
“ It’s a doctrine suggesting that women are systematically disadvantaged in modern society and advocating equal opportunities for men and women” (Penguin dictionary of sociology, 1988)
“ Its an advocacy of woman’s rights based on a belief in the equality of the sexes, and in the broadest use the word refers to everyone who is aware of and seeking to end women subordination in any way and for any reason… feminism originated in the perception that there is something wrong with society treatment of women” (Encyclopedia of feminism, 1987)

A Brief History of Feminism
Feminism emerged in 15 th century.
According to Simone Deauvoir, Christina De Pisan was the first woman who “take up her pen in defense of her sex”
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
She is a mother of First wave of Feminism

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), England
She urged her sister to divorce
She attempted to commit suicide (twice)
Criticized social norms
Women are rational creature
Concentrated on the moral demands of equality, particularly in education
Education is a source for woman freedom

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), England
“ If women be really capable of acting like rational creature, let them not be treated like slaves; or like brutes who depended on the reason of man, when they associate with him, give them the salutary and let them attain conscious by feeling themselves only depend on God, teach them in common with man to submit necessity, instead of giving to render them more pleasing a sex to Morales” (Schneir, M. 1992, p.12)

Twentieth century Feminism
Twentieth century feminism ends up the first wave of feminism which concerned on inequalities, collective social and political interests, self determination of woman
In the early years of twentieth century, first wave of feminism achieved suffrage right. In UK (1918), in USA 1920 (Humm, M, 1992, p. 11)
Women gained their basic rights in some countries

Twentieth century Feminism
Second wave of feminism appeared and focused on different issues
They tended to analyse gender differences
Twentieth century feminism split into different wings which are reformist and revolutionaries
Reformist feminists are Liberals
The revolutionary feminists are Radicals and to some extend, socialists & Marxist

Liberal Feminists
It’s a moderate or reformist form of feminist
Women position in society could be explained in terms of unequal right
There are artificial barriers on women participations of public life
They strive to achieve equal social, Political and legal rights
Public institutions must be constructed with the equal right for both genders
Equal access for education, health and welfare, with equal job opportunity.

Liberal Feminists
Male & female are created equal and should not be denied equality of opportunity because of gender
“ emphasize upon society rather than revolutionary change” (Beasley, C. 1999, p.52)
Don’t want to questioning what men got.
Focus on individual freedom and women values

Liberal Feminists
They are not challenging social institutions, but they ask redistributions of benefits and opportunities (Beasley, C. 1999, p.52)
Liberal Feminists make efforts to change social institutions through the construction of legislation and regulation.
Payment for housewives as Zillah Eisentein asked

Zillah Eisentein 1948
“ Capitalism did not supersede patriarchy but extend male power to further option in the family and in employment” (Humm, 1992, p.184).
Legal reform should be the core of feminist agenda
State functions outside, doesn’t regulate private life

Zillah Eisentein 1948
Reform in Capitalist System
Sexual biases of market place
Women take the responsibility of work, house work and children
Equal payment, pregnancy and disability payment, abortion right for women
Equality before the law
Without reform, capitalism can not keep its promises of equal rights and equal opportunities.

Radical Feminism
Radical feminism are revolutionary feminism
Reject liberal approaches toward men
It gives a positive insight on womanhood, and reject any association with men.
Against all social structures because they are created by men
Focuses on woman suppression as woman and its because of their sexes
Any woman… has more in common with any other woman, regardless of class, race, age…than any woman has with man (Johnson cited in Beasley, 1999, p.54)
Sexual oppression is a most significant form of women suppression
Differences between men and women are inevitable

Radical Feminism
Men are the main enemy
“ Men collectively victimized women” (Mary Daly Cited in Humm, M. 1992, p.168)
Capitalist system is derived from patriarchy
Capitalist system impose men supremacy over women.
Require to overthrow the system
Require revolutionary medal of social change
State itself is patriarchal, so they refuse its intervention

Radical Feminism
Encourage women to stay far away from men
Reject heterosexual marriage
Lesbianism is main challenge to men superiority
Lesbianism is “mutual recognition between women”
To eliminate men dominance on social orders, women must focuses on women
Radical Protests against Miss America pageants in 1968-1969
the way women look is more important than what they think or do.
Throw bras, girdles, false eyelashes, high heels, and makeup, into a trash in public
Carried different slogans about patriarchal oppression of women by men through using women beauty.

Adrian Rich 1929
She was an American lesbian radical feminist
Developed De Beauvoir Idea on “women are originally homosexual”
Lesbianism define the historical presence of woman
“ Lesbian continuum” is the exploration of lesbian history and culture, which every feminist should engage” (Humm, M. 1992, p.175)
Women desired genital sexual experience with a fellow women
Lesbianism is a tool to reject compulsory way of life
Sought heterosexuality as betrayal
Lesbianism liberating all women

Adrian Rich 1929
Women fragmented, that’s why the resistance history of women is fully understood
Lesbianism is attack on male dominance
Its an act of resistance against patriarchy
“ Heterosexuality is a compulsory institution designed to perpetuate the social power of men across class and race”(Rich cited in Krolokke, 2005, P. 10)

Marxist & Socialist feminism
Developed I 1970
Marxist Feminism “advocates revolutionary approach in which the overthrow of capitalism is viewed as the necessary precondition to dismantling male privilege” (Beasley, 1999, p.61)
Hierarchal class relation is the source of oppression.
“ sexual oppression is seen as a dimension of class power” (Beasley, 1999, p.60)
Social and economic class rise male dominance
Capitalism treat women as prosperity
Organization of labor and technology forms the economic structures of society
Inequality is the result of this economic structure not the attitudes or ideas
Marxist claims power have nothing with sex, but class, wages and property, however socialist feminists combine both

Marxist & Socialist feminism
Socialist and Marxist feminists believe that family maintain patriarchal and class inequality.
It serves capitalist agenda and is obstacle on women struggling for equality
Marxist sought capitalism and modernity as the main enemy
Women are Like men oppressed by capitalism, and hence the “interests” of men and women are not crucially different” (Beasley, 1999, p.61).

Sheilla Rowbotham Women Consciousness and Man’s World (1973)
She was an American socialist feminist
Self-consciousness is a pre-condition for women survival
The first step of women struggling for equal life is to connect trust each other
Women should break the sound of silence
“ the revolution must carefully listen to the language of silence, it has particular importance for women because we come from such a long silence”
Language is a source for male dominance
Male impose its domination over women during the weakness of women like pregnancy and disability

Conclusion
In twentieth century feminism expanded
The feminists split to reformist and revolutionary wings
The feminists have different approaches on women issue, each of them advocated their own analytical viewpoint to solve those issue
Liberal feminists required reform in the social institutions and providing equal right and opportunities with men as a way to eliminate inequalities.
The revolutionary feminists that includes radicals/lesbians and Marxist/socialists advocated different approaches
Radicals requires women liberation and reject any relation with men. They recognized lesbianism as a way to fight men dominance. Finally, they demand to overthrow all social and hierarchal institutions.
Marxist and socialists explained women condition within the framework of social class and private properity. Marxist advocates a revolutionary struggle to overthrow capitalist institution. Besides, socialists blame private institutions like nuclear family for maintaining class and inequalities.

Nabaz Shwany
[email_address]

Feminist Social and Political Thought

by Nabaz Nawzad

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