Introduction
The word feminism is defined as a broad political agenda which implies a commitment to equality between the sexes and a commitment to gender as a focus of concern and to analytic approaches that reflect women’s concrete experiences. Feminists such as Katherine Bartlett define it as ‘a family of different perspectives or frameworks used to analyse the actual, and the desirable relationship between law and gender.’ However, it is not just equality of the sexes being sought by feminists but more specifically, rejection of patriarchy and the liberation of women. Under the concept of patriarchy, feminists refer it to the ‘domination and subordination of females by males.’ The existing cultural, social, economic and legal
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It is said that her critiques of the patriarchal rule of law are quite radical but in reality her actual feminist proposals for constructive engagement with existing law are more reformist rather than revolutionary, thus matching her radical feminist ambitions. This essay will look at primarily MacKinnon’s feminist arguments and her challenges to male domination of law and society. As well as that, a critique of some of MacKinnon’s proposals to changes in law and society will be discussed. Some proposals that MacKinnon suggests may be too radical even for society to potentially make revolutionary reforms to laws which could potentially favour females over males.
The Feminist Challenges of MacKinnon
Throughout history in society, men have been the creator of laws and have decided what does and what does not constitute as law. MacKinnon challenges that notion by offering an account of how the law itself has come to be seen by society as an objective set of rules designed by citizens of that society on how their society should be governed. However, according to MacKinnon, the law is not and should not be considered objective because ‘male dominance is perhaps the most pervasive and tenacious system of power in history.’ In particular, MacKinnon attacks objectivity and exposes how gendered the law is. MacKinnon also argues that although the legal system itself may contain
However, whilst each ‘strand’ of feminism views patriarchy differently, it could be argued that rather than considering patriarchy as three different entities, they are in fact each observing a different angle of the problem. They are all in agreement, nevertheless, that women are indeed subordinate to men within society, and that this needs to be changed. Therefore, in terms of the core theme of patriarchy, feminism can be considered a single doctrine.
Feminism is a theory which begs to understand the nature of gender equality in theoretical or philosophical situations. It would be examined on how the genders work in society, social systems and structures
In this essay I will explore the different schools of feminism such as Marxist, liberal and radical feminism, who share the view that women are oppressed in a patriarchal society but differ in opinion on who benefits from the inequalities. Each school of feminism has their own understanding of family roles and relationships which I will assess through this essay.
When thinking about feminism in today’s society we tend to direct our minds and thoughts to a more radical and powerful train of thought. Feminism has been going on for centuries, with two main ideologies at the forefront; liberal and cultural feminism. Someone who identifies as a liberal feminist is someone who believes that women and men are a like and equal in most respects and deserve equal roles and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). And cultural feminism is someone who identifies as someone who believes that men and women are fundamentally differently; you have different rights, role and opportunities (Wood & Fixmer-Oraiz, 2017, p. 58). The women’s rights movement can be understood and broken down into three “waves”.
Patriarchal domination causes the oppression of women worldwide. As time has gone on, there continuously seems to be arguments as to how men and women are different and therefore unfit to attain the same rights. The differences between the genders can be either biological or socially constructed. However, these views are important to feminists because they make all the difference in the way they articulate their arguments and fight for equality. In bell hook’s essay, “feminism: a transformational politic” she argues “the insistence on difference as the factor which becomes the occasion for separation and domination and suggest the differentiation of status between males and females globally is an indication that patriarchal domination of
Feminism is a very popular and controversial concept in today’s world. Feminism is a range of ideologies as well as social and political movement all aiming for a common goal to define, establish and achieve equal rights and position to women legally as well as socially. The people with these ideologies are commonly known as FEMINIST. Feminism theory is not only about understanding but also to take action. Naturally people expect women to be related to the idea of feminism and be a feminist rather than men. Men have taken part as significant cultural and political responses within each wave of feminism movements.Feminist men have also argued alongside scholars that liberation of men from the socio cultural constraints of gender roles and sexism is a significant part of feminist activism and scholarship.
As defined by Dictionary.com, patriarchy is, “a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women.” This has been the foundation of many feminist jurisprudence theories as they attempt to rectify the ramifications of the patriarchy. Issues that have been often cited by feminist jurisprudence theorists range from the gender wage gap, lack of educational and employment opportunities for women, and the need to protect women from rape and domestic
In the story “A War on Women” Katie Atkinson uses an alternative reality in which laws are passed in Britain that take away the human rights of women. This story shows what happens when laws are passed that give men complete control over education, business, government, marriage, and all of day-to-day life in a society already dominated by misogynist views. The society quickly becomes accustomed to viewing women as having less value than men, and as a result it is increasingly acceptable for women to be victimized by horrific forms of violence and dehumanizing treatment.
Before the rise of the feminist movement in the late 19th century, women were denied social power and the ability to self-express which led women to desire a voice of their own. Since then, feminism has been widely perceived and controversial which provoked feminists to emphasize women’s needs by confronting the social oppression of women and analyze how their feeling of self-doubt results in response to the constant power struggle between the two sexes. Not only did women protest for more rights, but men also sought equal rights, thereby strengthening the feminist movement further. In Donald Hall’s book Literary and Cultural Theory, he explores the various lenses of feminism by discussing how patriarchy affects the social, economic, and psychological
Feminism is a critique of patriarchy, on the one hand, and an ideology committed to women’s emancipation on the other. The feminist movement can be see mainly in 3 stages in the UK. It can be argued that feminism had its day due to lack of momentum behind a third and fourth stage of its movement resulting in a decline of feminism in this generation. In this essay, I will be focusing more attention on the first and second waves of feminism compared to third stage of feminism.
Inequality has been an issue throughout history and has affected minorities; as a consequence, there are multiple ideologies and groups that pursue equality. Feminism is a movement that seeks equality between the sexes in all areas (Issit & Flynn). Women have come together to fight for their rights and obtain privileges that were granted only to men. Feminism, according to Quidlen, has worked as a vehicle for change to improve women`s lives. Moreover, it has raised awareness of the issues women face and offered solutions. In spite of all of these improvements and its long history since its inception, feminism still exists and has the same relevance as in the past. However, as with any ideology, people have different perspectives about feminism; just as there are supporters, there are also opponents. Interestingly, while both sides have different perspectives of what equality means, there are ideas and values upon which both groups unintentionally agree. This common ground creates a third perspective; presenting feminism as a more inclusive movement by changing certain aspects of it such as the label “feminism”, in order to show the evolution of this movement. As discussed in the following paragraphs, both pro and anti feminism perspectives have valid arguments that must be explored to reach a solution that satisfies both sides.
Montagu speaks out about how laws are gendered in ways that privilege men and oppress the “weak”
The feminist movement refers to a chain of crusades for economic, political, social and cultural fairness for women. Feminist scholars have segregated the history of feminism into three waves; first, second and third. The first wave concentrated on women’s suffrage, the second wave focused on political and cultural disparities and the third wave analysed the definitions of femininity which takes a broad view of white upper class women. This essay will compare and contrast these waves examining the social, political and cultural challenges that feminists have contested over time. It will also discuss whether or not a fourth wave exists and seeks to describe what this looks like.
It is difficult to imagine living in a world without the patriarchal roles that are present in society and have been throughout history. In the article “Feminist Criticism,” by Lois Tyson, the idea of feminism and how society has affected feminism is the focus. These ideas are seen because men have more of a voice in nearly everything and the oppression of women is very common; a society set up like this can be described with the term patriarchy which is “any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles,” where men are cast as “rational, strong, protective, and decisive,” and women are cast “as emotional, weak, nurturing, and submissive” (Tyson, 1). This thought that men are strong and women weak is not uncommon in
The feminist theory began out of a general movement to empower all women. In 1960, the modern contemporary feminist movement began. According to Steven Vago and Addie Nelson in their book Law and Society” they considered the three “themes” although not “mutually exclusive” this themes may be reflected in