feminist theories goldner, v. (1993). feminist theories. in p.g. boss, w. j. doherty, r. larossa, w....

Feminist Theories

Goldner, V. (1993). Feminist theories. In P.G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R., Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.). Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 623-626). New York: Plenum Press.

Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

Introduction

Provide an overview of the range of feminist perspectives and of recurring themes.

Review the historical origins of feminism and review feminist critiques of other family theories.

Discuss feminist frameworks for thinking about the family.

Working Definition of Feminism: Emphasize the experience of women. Recognize that women, under current conditions,

are subordinated or oppressed. Work toward ending the subordination of women. Gender and gender relations are fundamental to all

social life, including the lives of men and women.


Themes in Feminist Scholarship

Assume the centrality, normality, and value of women’s (and girls’) experiences.

Gender is a basic organizing concept. Gender relations are best understood in

sociocultural and historical context. Emphasize family diversity and challenge any

unitary notion of “the family.” Emphasize social change and utilize

methodologies that are value-committed.


Feminist Schools

Liberal Feminism Historically emphasized that women and men are

equal so gender should not be used as a barrier to rights and opportunities.

Commitment to social and legal reforms which will create equal opportunities for women.

Radical feminism (two major branches): Sexual and reproductive oppression: demonstrate

and change men’s control of women’s sexuality. Cultural feminism:

Celebrates women’s cultural, spiritual, and sexual experiences.

Goal: fundamentally reorganize society around values of community and nurturance, sometimes called “womanculture,” rather than encourage women to achieve at the same level as men.


Feminist Schools(cont.)

Socialist feminism Suggest that oppression of women is due to both

patriarchy and capitalism (e.g., social class is a fundamental source of oppression).

Women’s work is often ignored or undervalued. Equal opportunity is impossible in a class-based

society.

Interpretative approaches Focus: nature of personal experience, patterns of

consciousness, and everyday life. Modified conceptual frameworks in order to

examine the social construction of gender in everyday life.


Feminist Schools(cont.)

Feminist psychoanalytic theories: Criticisms of Freud:

sexist concepts (e.g., penis envy) belief that biology is destiny views of sexual abuse.

Useful tools: emphasized gender as a central category

of analysis examined conflict and power promoted areas of experience often

associated with women. recognized the value of personal

experience as a valid way of knowing.

Feminism and postmodernism: criticize theories which claim universality by examining their assumptions.


Origins and Initial Sociocultural Milieu

Pioneer feminist theorists in the late 1800s and early 1900s

The reemergence of feminism in the 1960s Family sociology in the 1960s and 1970s


Feminist Critiques of Other Theoretical Perspectives on Families Role theory

There is an overemphasis on social determinism (individuals are shaped by their roles) which often blames the victim rather than social structures. Thus, it does a poor job of explaining or predicting social change.

Fundamental weakness: does not examine power, inequality, and conflict in gender relations.

The theory is flawed because of internal contradictions: it tries to combine a biological term with a social one which implies that society is pursuing natural tendencies.


Feminist Critiques of Other Theoretical Perspectives (cont.)

Exchange theory Focuses exclusively on the interpersonal and

ignores larger social forces (e.g., religious structures that legitimate male power within families).

Inappropriate assumption: people enter all relationships voluntarily. People in dominant positions may see the relationship as voluntary but subordinates may feel coerced.

Benign view of power and resource obscures the impact of social resources on access to them.

Criticisms of “family power” studies: emphasize complementarity and a top down approach (e.g., suggesting that access to resources exclusively affects access to power) instead of a bottom up approach (e.g., why don’t women have access to resources?).


Feminist Critiques of Other Theoretical Perspectives (cont.)

General systems theory Ignores sociocultural and historical contexts. Ignores it’s own basic premise: limited attention to

the power of larger systems. The suggestion that all members of the system are

responsible for dysfunction is a form of victim blaming.

Suggests that women and men have equal access to power.


Conceptualizing Gender

Biological sex and cultural gender Distinction between terms “sex” and “gender”

Biological sex: refers to biological fact of being male or female.

Cultural gender: learned and cultural phenomenon associated with sex. Gender is socially constructed.

Criticism of sex versus gender dualism: biology and culture are interactive influences.

Different dimensions of gender Individual or personal gender

Individual gender identity is socialized from birth; it shapes individual notions about acceptable behavior.

Personal gender identity influences interpersonal dynamics (e.g. expectations about child-rearing).

Structural gender: gender divisions of labor influence personal and professional settings.

Symbolic or cultural gender: specific sociocultural prescriptions about gender.


Conceptualizing Gender(cont.)

Summary of African-American feminist thought: Promote the validity of their experience (e.g., Bell

Hooks’ book From Margin to Center). Emphasize the interlocking influence of gender,

race, and class on oppression. Emphasize connections between African-American

women and men because they both experience race and class discrimination.

Promote African-American family strengths.


The Debate Over Difference Versus Equality

Dilemma of dualistic thinking: “Do women want equality with men or do they want their differences recognized and more highly esteemed?” (p. 608).

Non-binary response: “‘equality that rests on differences . . . differences that confound, disrupt, and render ambiguous the meaning of any fixed binary opposition’ between women and men” (p. 608).


Demystifying the Dichotomy Between “Public” and “Private”

Preindustrial societies and the division of labor: prior to the industrialization revolution, an economic division of labor valued the work of both women and men.

Early industrialization and separate spheres: industrialization produced different experiences for women from different classes. Working-class experiences Varied responses to the ideology public -- private

spheres

Beyond the public -- private dualism Work within and outside families are shaped both

by patriarchal gender system and a capitalist economic system.

Reject family-linked stereotypes (e.g., men are breadwinners, women are economically nonproductive and dependent).

Women and men are influenced by both their professional and personal experiences; these forces are not separate.

Gender is distinct from any single system; it links, however, all major institutions.


Substantive Applications: Motherhood and Sexuality

Motherhood Motherhood as institution versus experience:

Motherhood is a social institutions; personal experience is influenced by cultural ideology. It is founded on the subordination of women.

Experience: the ways women are affected by patriarchal institutions.

Motherhood and the engendering of personality: men should be as fully involved in child care as women; this would be a crucial first step for the emancipation of women and healthier identities for both women and men.

Sexuality: heterosexuality has been assumed to be natural.

The tension between pleasure and danger in women’s experiences of sexuality: sexual violence (e.g., rape, domestic violence) against women is ignored


Feminist Theorizing: Limitations and Challenges

Important paradox: families are both a site of conflict and oppression and a source of strength and solidarity.

Feminist theory is often ignored or ridiculed. More work is needed on the interaction of

gender and generation on women’s experience.

feminist theories goldner, v. (1993). feminist theories. in p.g. boss, w. j. doherty, r. larossa, w....

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