This document discusses feminist theory as it relates to the family. It outlines some of the key beliefs of feminist theory, including that society is patriarchal and subordinates women. It also discusses strengths like recognizing flaws in traditional philosophy and offering a new perspective. However, it notes some controversies, such as critics arguing feminist theory neglects men's needs and paints too negative a picture of family life. Overall, feminist theory aims to end gender inequality and views women as not subordinate to men.

1. THEORIES RELATING TO THE FAMILY
FEMINIST THEORY
Nana Akua Vandyck
1055867
1

2. Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Feminism and the family
• Feminist theory
• Strengths of the feminist theory
• Controversies of the feminist theory
• Conclusion
2

3. Introduction
• Feminism, the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the
sexes (Burkett et al., 2017).
• Feminist theory consists of a range of ideas, reflecting the diversity of
women worldwide (Tong, 2001).
3

4. Feminism & the Family
In the 1970s, Feminist argued that research on the family are largely
male dominated and the frameworks used to understand the family are
silent on women’s view or experiences (Allan, 1993)
4

5. 5

6. Feminist Theory
Feminist theory encompasses a range of diverse ideas, all of which
originate with the following beliefs:
1. Society is patriarchal
2. Sub-ordination of women and the neglect or trivialization of issues
3. Commitment to end gender inequality
(Tong, 2001)
6

7. Strengths of the feminist theory
• The theory includes people of ‘different ’economic classes, races,
ethnicities, or nationalities
• Feminist theory recognizes many flaws in traditional (Western,
Judeo–Christian, European) philosophy and offers a new way of
thinking about issues affecting humans and our world.
(Budig, 2004; Tong, 2001)
7

8. Views of Feminist theory
8

9. Controversies of the Feminist theory
Critics of the theory argue that;
• Theory isolates the needs of women at the neglect of that of
men.
• Feminists tend to ignore the diversity of modern family life
assuming that everyone lives in heterosexual nuclear families.
• Feminists paint a very negative picture of family life (possibly
exaggerated).
• Women are portrayed as passive victims of exploitation
(Budig, 2004; Tong, 2001)
9

10. Conclusion
• In essence, feminist theory is a set of ideas originating with the belief
that women are not subordinate to men or only valuable in
relationship to men (servant, caretaker, mother, or prostitute).
• Moreover, the disciplines, systems, and structures in place in our
world today may be changed for the better if infused with a feminist
point of view.
10

11. Bibliography
• Allan, H. (1993). Feminism: a concept analysis. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 18(10), 1547–1553. https://doi.org/10.1046/J.1365-
2648.1993.18101547.X
• Budig, M. (2004). Feminism and the Family (pp. 416–434).
• Brunell, L. and Burkett, . Elinor (2017). Feminism. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism
• Tong, R. (2001). Feminist Theory. International Encyclopedia of the
Social & Behavioral Sciences, 5484–5491.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/03945-0
11

12. 12