Feminism
Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 1.2.4
Feminism
Feminism examines society from the point of view of and interests of women. They argue that mainstream sociology has been focussed on the consensus of men and has failed to deal with the concerns and interests of women.
Key ideas
- Feminist sociologists explore gender inequality, sexism and discrimination in society.
- They see sex and gender as different categories.
Sex and gender
- Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females.
- Gender is seen as different cultural expectations, ideas and practices linked to masculinity and femininity.
Patriarchy
- Some feminist approaches see society as patriarchal, where men have power over women and dominate them.
- There are three main feminist approaches: Marxist, Radical and Liberal feminism.
Marxist feminism
- Marxist feminism takes a Marxist approach to the study of women, seeing them as doubly exploited in term of both workers and women.
Radical feminism
- Radical feminism focuses on the problem of men and male domination under patriarchy, where males dominate in every area of society.
Liberal feminism
- Liberal feminism focuses on measures to ensure that women have equal opportunities with men within the current legal system.