MOVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE The Second Wave of Feminism: Part 2 HI021: AOS 2 MOVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE The Second Wave of Feminism: Part 2
Historical perspectives Liberalism Existentialism Marxism
Historical perspectives The second wave of feminism can be seen in a number of variations, each using different ideologies to support their arguments Among these are: Radical feminism Essentialist feminism Post Modern Feminism Socialist feminism Psychoanalytic feminism Evolutionary feminism Afro-American feminism Our focus will be on: Existential feminism Liberal Feminism Marxist feminism
EXISTENTIALISM The social world and the construction of the women
Existentialist feminism Derives from the work of Simone de Beauvoir One is not born a women but becomes one through social experience Women do not need to be powerless or dependent on male/female relationships A person’s identity is made up of their emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts: Not their sex
John Stuart Mill on liberty
Liberal feminism Mid 19th century: John Stuart Mill argued government should stay out of the private affairs of its citizens Personal “rights” should predominate over concerns for the social good: ‘An individual is allowed to do what they wish, provided it does not harm others’ Therefore, the social roles of women (eg: ‘house wife’) should not be influenced by what a government or an ideology requires of them
Marxism: A conservative view
Marxist feminists Marxism focuses on how the material and economic aspects of life influence the social world: Criticises capitalism for its construction of social class Traditionally this applies to rich (bourgeois) and poor (proletariat) Marxist feminists argue that in capitalist system domestic work is trivialised and not seen as ‘real’ work Women were oppressed while men were free to negotiate the world of ‘real’ work Marxist feminists view the capitalist drive for profits as responsible for women's second-class status Engels argued that monogamous marriage has nothing to do with love and everything to do with private property He wrote that if women are to be truly free from men, they must be economically independent.
Accomplished feminist perspectives: 1974
Activity… Categorise the quotes from Friedan, Greer and de Beauviour as either liberalist, Marxist or eistentialist