Feminism and the family

Feminist writers have had a lot more influence on the family than any other perspective. Feminist perspectives tend to be either Marxist feminist or radical feminists. Marxist feminists emphasise how capitalism uses the family oppresses (emasculation) women, and the harmful consequences of the family to women’s lives In contrast, radical feminists emphasise patriarchy as the main barrier to women’s freedom (emancipation)

Oppression via domestic labour Margaret Benston (1972) argued that capitalism benefits from a large army of women Housewives are an unpaid workforce- who are compliant and willing to do as they’re told because women have been socialised to act this way. Socialisation rears future workers to think the same way Delphy & Leonard (1992) argue all the unpaid housework and childcare is done by women. Although women make the largest contribution to family life, men contribute the least but gain the most!

Oppression via emotion Benston also argues that as her role as a housewife the woman attends to her husband’s emotional needs. By meeting his emotional needs it keeps him, the man, in good running order to perform his role in supplying effective waged labour Delphy & Leonard (1992) – the inequalities in domestic labour continue with wives often flattering, understanding and praising their husbands achievements but men rarely reciprocate. They also found women provide trouble free sex which is important as men best unwind post-coitally.

Oppression via cash Married women become economically dependent on their husbands especially as once children arrive Then women give up work in order to look after the children and even when mothers do return to work it’s usually part- time rather than full-time employment due to child-care commitments Wives who do go to work full-time sometimes have the dual- burden of conducting a full-time job and doing the house work (un-paid) The dual-burden can often end up as a triple-shift – looking after paid-work, domestic labour and child-care (un-paid)

Oppression via domination Feminists see the family as male dominated as men are the bread-winners and tend to make all the key financial decisions. These key financial decisions are what type of car or house to buy In contrast some men use physical force to get their way Feminists have stressed the significant amount of domestic violence used by men to their own way in the family