Gender and Feminist Theory PDF

Gender and Feminist Theory WEEK 4 What is Feminism?  The advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.  Started based on equality focused strictly on men and women.  Expanded to include several considerations.  Western focus. First-Wave Feminism ...

Gender and Feminist Theory WEEK 4 What is Feminism?  The advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.  Started based on equality focused strictly on men and women.  Expanded to include several considerations.  Western focus. First-Wave Feminism  Occurred between the 19th and early 20th Century.  Focused on legal inequalities such as the right to vote.  Largely criticized for lack of intersectionality and not challenging sexist assumptions of each gender’s societal role. Second-Wave Feminism  Between the 1960’s and 1980’s.  Increased focus on social inequalities and broadened consideration such as reproduction rights.  Challenging the perceived role of women in society, especially the workplace.  Also criticized for lack of intersectional and class considerations. Third-Wave Feminism  Between the 1990’s and 2000s.  Seen as a continuation of Second-Wave feminism and response to its criticisms.  Preliminary considerations of intersectionality and layers of oppression.  Violence against women and sexual liberation.  Criticized for lack of central goal and sidelining of Black feminism. Fourth-Wave Feminism  Between early 2010s to present.  Expanded emphasis on intersectionality.  Inclusion of body positivity and trans-rights.  Highlighting sexual harassment and rape culture. Four Main Types of Feminism  Liberal Feminism  Radical Feminism  Marxist Feminism  Cultural Feminism Liberal Feminism  Women can achieve what men can given the opportunity.  No radical change is necessary, only systemic opportunities.  Focus on how gender socialization harms men and women.  Change can come through shifting policies in the current system. Main Criticisms of Liberal Feminism  Does not go far enough in addressing systemic issues.  Solutions deal with White Feminist considerations. Radical Feminism  No equality can be achieved without toppling the current patriarchal system.  All current structures are inherently negative because they are skewed towards men.  Change will only happen when patriarchal structures are torn down and remade. Main Criticisms of Radical Feminism  Radical to the point of reproducing the same gender imbalance it claims to want to correct.  Neglects the possibility that men can be allies as well as the impact the current structure has on all genders.  Does not give women enough credit for having their own autonomy in the current system (tension with liberal feminism). Marxist Feminism  Equality can only be achieved with changes to the current economic system.  Focus is on capitalism as opposed to the patriarchy. Main Criticisms of Marxist Feminism  Other systems such as communism are still patriarchal.  Economic equality may not fix substantive issues. Cultural Feminism  Differences in culture, race, ethnicity etc. need to be at the forefront of any feminist equality discussions.  Focus is on discourse surrounding equality.  Accounts for the fact that there are layers to privilege which go beyond gender.  More likely to include men in inequality analysis. Main Criticisms of Cultural Feminism  Divides the movement into factions.  Cultural Feminists maintain that there cannot be equality without cultural considerations since there are layers to privilege. What is Gender Theory  An interdisciplinary study of which analyzes gender identity and gendered representation.  Originated in the field of women’s studies and feminism  Now has an expanded lens although it has been criticized for a lack of depth. Sex and Gender  Sex: Biological and defined at birth.  Gender: Sociological and defined by societal norms and expectations for behaviour.  Example: “Act like a man”, “She’s a tomboy” or “He throws like a girl” are gendered terms. Gender Roles  The behaviours, attitudes and actions society has deemed as acceptable based on someone’s gender.  Varies based on cultural norms.  Example: Women should stay at home with the kids while men should go out and work. The Double Shift  The workload of having to work a paid day job while also having to do unpaid domestic work.  Typically associated with women in the labour forece.  Related to the fact that there are still societal expectations that women should be homemakers.  Example: A woman works a 9-5 job and is still expected to come home and cook dinner for the family.  Would apply to men in the same situation. The Glass Ceiling  The idea that there is a systemic barrier limiting women’s progression in the work force (typically management positions).  Expanded to include all demographics who face systemic barriers. Gender Pay Gap  The phenomenon of women being paid less than men for doing the same job.  Related to employer’s reluctance to hire women due to pregnancy. Emotional Labour  Managing of emotions to fit the description of a job while still maintain the behaviour expected of women.  Women may be expected to moderate their feelings due to the stereotype of being “too emotional” while still fulfilling traditional women’s stereotypes.  Can be a double-edged sword.  Example: If a woman is too emotional, she is not tough enough for the job but if she is too tough, she is not “lady-like”. Gender Studies Criticisms  Gender studies have become code for women’s studies.  Both men and women should be focused on to critically analyze advantages if gender studies are to be comprehensive.  By focusing mostly on women’s studies, gender studies neglect inequalities and issues among men (cultural feminism).  Example: Men as part of the #MeToo movement.  Genders beyond men and women increasingly being considered.