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Second wave feminism essay
Comparisons between feminism and marxism
Second wave feminism essay
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At this point, the difference perspective in ideology and political action has divided the women movement into some feminism types; socialist, Marxist, radical, liberal and many others. While liberal feminist focus their struggle for equality on civil, economic, and political rights, and education, the feminist socialist and Marxist believe women 's oppression is “the product of the political, social and economic structure within which individuals live.” (Tong, 1998: pp.94). Although some other people suppose that the feminist Marxist and socialist is quiet different, but both of them believe the source of women oppression are capitalism and patriarchy. The Marxist feminism is rooted in 19th century thinker such as Marx and Engels, whether …show more content…
Nancy Fraser (2013) writes the dilemma in the second wave feminism in the middle of contemporary capitalism. In her book, she mentioned a scenario of second wave feminism in three acts; first, represents the moment when the feminist joined radical movement to transform society through uncovering gender injustice and capitalism 's androcentrism. Second, she outlines with regret, is a change from redistribution to recognition and difference and a shift to political identity that risk to support neoliberalism through effort to build a free market society. Lastly, a recovery of the movement. Fraser contends for a reinvigorated feminism to join other emancipatory forces, so they are ready to address the global monetary crisis and develop democratic control (Fraser, 2013: …show more content…
Human create themselves through deliberate process, and consciousness to transform and to manipulate the nature. Engel (1975) argues the materialistic conception is determined by the production and reproduction of existing life. In which this has two characters; “first is the production of the means of existence, such as food, and clothing. On the other hand, the production of human being themselves, the propagation of species”. The social organization of human life is determined by the two kind of production; “by the stage of development of labor, and of the family on the other” (Engels, 1975: pp.71-72). However, all of the process have not done by men or women separately, but as a collective to create society (Tong, 1998: pp. 95;
Nothing simply begins. Everything needs something else in order to develop and live continuously. Fire needs wood to burn, water needs heat to boil, and the women’s right movement needed abolition to begin the real fight. The women’s rights movement of the nineteenth century emerged out of abolition activism because it was not until after abolitionist groups formed and began fighting slavery that women began to realize they had no rights themselves and began their own fight.
From the 18th century onwards, feminisms were beginning to emerge within society. First wave feminism began in the 18th century, focused on public inequality; political, economic, legal and social inequalities surrounding men and women. Following on from first wave liberal feminists came second and third wave feminists which saw radical, black and postmodern feminist schools emerge, which all had a different set of agendas, for example radical feminists focused on family life, violence and the control of women’s bodies, whereas, black and postmodern feminists focused on the ‘more modern’ differences and diversities between women’s lives such as race, class and sexuality issues. All of these feminist theories have led to dramatic changes in Great Britain such as changes within the law regarding education, employment and domestic life. However, whilst there have been improvements in these areas, there are still issues within the 21st century regarding females in employment and in the domestic sphere. What also needs to be taken into account is the changing face of Britain’s female population with the rise in ethnic minority women and homosexual women, and subsequently other schools of feminism need to be explored and developed in order to explain these differences.
Marxist feminism supports the idea that the biological difference cannot justify any form of oppression and inequality in human societies. Marxist feminists do believe that biological differences are not responsible for oppression and inequality between sexes. Instead, Marxist feminists argue that it is the class structure that is responsible for the oppression and inequality between sexes. Particularly, Marxist feminists state that the capitalism is primarily responsible for the class structure in our society. They further challenge the idea that the equality is possible in the capitalistic system.
Where Marxists are focused on production and the wage gap, Feminists are focused on gender inequality. Marxists see society as operating solely to make a profit for the bourgeoisie, with the proletariat forced to conform to the needs of a ruling class who benefit the most from using a capitalist economic system. On the other hand feminists see society as operating to meet the needs and wishes of men. Patriarchal societies are created in order to meet the desires and needs of men through institutions like the family and the education system. On this basis feminists say women become second-class citizens. According to Gayle Rubin, “there is no theory which accounts for the oppression of women- in its endless variety and monotonous similarity, cross-culturally and throughout history- with anything like the explanatory power of the Marxists theory.”(Rubin
Sex oppression was seen by earlier radical feminists as the first oppression women faced and all other aspects of oppression or repression were derived afterwards. Sex oppression as referred to by radical feminists is based on relations of domination and subordination between both sexes (Mandell, 2010). Radical Feminists identity the state, the family and motherhood as the three main areas where women are most affected. Radical feminists focus on everyday lives of women as opposed to liberal feminists who focus on women rights as a function of individual rights and laws. Patriarchy is believed by radical feminists is constituted on every arm of social institutions and it is also reconstructed on a global scale in daily relations, and in order for women to rid themselves of patriarchy they must resist the system. (Daly, 1978: 28; Donovan, 2000: 156; Mandell, 2010: 22). According to radical feminists the state is built and founded on male interests, and leaving the interest and liberation of women to the state will only result in women being disrespected, violated and raped by the patriarchal order. It is believed by radical feminists that state authority is an extension of male authority over women’s sexuality and even though the state preaches
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, fictional or philosophical dissertation. It helps to explain the main nature of gender inequality. It further explains the social roles of women in the society such as education, communication, philosophy, sociology and so on (Chodrow, Nancy 1991).
Achieving roles for women that are as equal as men, before and during the twentieth century, appeared to be inevitable in the United States. Women were limited to domesticity, performing duties that only serve their families as wives, mothers, and diligent daughters. Women were absorbed and accustomed to these standards, oblivious to their worth and capabilities that are above and beyond their set domestic duties. “Groups of women challenged this norm of the twentieth century and exceeded their limited roles as domestic servants by organizing movements whose sole purpose is to achieve equality within a male-dominated society” (Norton
Feminism is the movement towards women’s equality. It fights for equal rights in the social, political, cultural and economical aspects for women. Feminism also fights for equal opportunity for women in employment and education. A feminist is someone who advocates their support for women’s rights but is not restricted to only women; anyone who supports women’s rights and equality are feminists, including men. Feminism is not only about the females, it fights for gender equality for all. Feminist movements, or Women’s movements, campaign for reforms in household issues with domestic violence, political issues with equal pay, employment and maternity leave, and reproduction rights. All feminism movements fight for equal rights, but it cannot be conquered or be made known all at once. First wave feminism was mostly about women’s suffrage and political equality in general. Second wave feminism went more in depth about the social and cultural inequalities.
Throughout history, women have remained subordinate to men. Subjected to the patriarchal system that favored male perspectives, women struggled against having considerably less freedom, rights, and having the burdens society placed on them that had so ingrained the culture. This is the standpoint the feminists took, and for almost 160 years they have been challenging the “unjust distribution of power in all human relations” starting with the struggle for equality between men and women, and linking that to “struggles for social, racial, political, environmental, and economic justice”(Besel 530 and 531). Feminism, as a complex movement with many different branches, has and will continue to be incredibly influential in changing lives. Feminist political ideology focuses on understanding and changing political philosophies for the betterment of women.
are discussed with Marxist feminism method. Marxist Feminism explains the ways in which women are oppressed through society.
Marxist feminism suggests that the oppression of women is a special case of capitalist and class oppression. In other words, in the economy, there is exploitation of hired workers, and women are one of the types of people who are exploited. Just as in the XIX century and later exploited workers, and women are forced to work for men. Marxist feminism is interesting in that as its central theme introduces the problem of unpaid, free domestic work. There are Marxist scholars who argue that the basis of the world economy is the work of housewives, who are not evaluated at all, but at the same time makes a key contribution to our
Throughout history literary works have forced political ideologies to evolve and expand, sometimes even breaking boundaries that would not have been broken otherwise. The works of women in literature have produced new ways of thought and introspective outlooks on life that have introduced many people in the world to the ideas of feminism. The writings of Gilman and Woolf allow readers to take a look into the lives of hard working women who have to deal with the everyday oppression of being a woman in times of inequality and political injustice.
“A feminist is one who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes” (Adichie, 2013). Feminism is not the belief that one’s sexual orientation or one’s power is superior over another. The very meaning of feminism demonstrates a complete resistance to this belief. Throughout the years, a range of categories of feminism philosophy have developed. They consist of goals in objectives, methodologies, and affiliations. Many feminists distinguish themselves with many branches of women 's activist thought. The three forms of feminism that this essay will consider are liberal feminism, socialist feminism, and radical feminism. This essay will argue that liberal feminism is the most valid theory of feminism as liberal feminist’s
Feminism first started in the 1830’s as a basic sociological theory, saying that sociology did not acknowledge the experiences of women. In 1848, Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott spread the first Women’s Rights Convention in the birthplace of feminism, Seneca Falls, NY, that convention brought around 300 people. It was focused on the social, civil, and religious condition of women at that time. Feminism was developed in three main waves. The first wave took place between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. It was mainly focused on the women’s voting rights. In 1920, and after a long, tough, and severe struggle, women earned their right to vote. The second wave started in the 1960s and is still present to our day. This wave was concerned with different types of inequalities and oppressions carried by men against women including sexuality, violence, and abortion. It carried the slogan “The Personal is Political”. After that, post-feminism emerged from the 1980’s till present. It acknowledges that feminism has achieved its goals and that women have earned their rights. The third wave was developed in the early 1990’s. It gave a voice to feminists who were unrepresented by being seen as middle-class leaders of feminism.
Throughout the 19th century, feminism played a huge role in society and women’s everyday lifestyle. Women had been living in a very restrictive society, and soon became tired of being told how they could and couldn’t live their lives. Soon, they all realized that they didn’t have to take it anymore, and as a whole they had enough power to make a change. That is when feminism started to change women’s roles in society. Before, women had little to no rights, while men, on the other hand, had all the rights. The feminist movement helped earn women the right to vote, but even then it wasn’t enough to get accepted into the workforce. They were given the strength to fight by the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be