DISS 12 Name___________________________________ Score ____________ Midterm

MODULE
Dominant Approaches and Ideas in the Social Science:
4
Critical Social Science

This picture is a 1943 poster by J. Howard Miller which served as an American wartime
propaganda to boost worker morale in Westinghouse Electric. It was only rediscovered in the 1980s
and since then it has been used to promote feminism, or the belief in the quality between men and
women.

Critical social science is an analytical method of investigation that attempts to expose surface
illusions to uncover the real structures in the material world in order to help people understand their
situation and then transform the world for the better. In other words, it aims to uncover surface reality
in order to expose underlying structures so that people may improve the society to which they belong.
Therefore, the goal of critical science is not only to discover laws that explain human behavior and
social phenomena but to help people understand why social inequalities exist so that they can do
something to address these inequalities.
Theoretical Approaches of Social Science
A. Feminist Theory
According to popular saying, feminism is the radical notion that women are people. Just what exactly does it mean? It
means that in society, women have traditionally been treated as subordinate to men, and that feminism can help in granting women
their rightful status in society.
Almost all feminist research is undertaken by women who espouse a feminist perspective and use of feminist methodology
by letting woman be heard and rectify male-oriented view that has dominated social science research for the longest time. It stems
from the claim that most feminist research is sexist, favoring men over women, because of cultural beliefs and the prevalence of
male researchers.
Historical Context
Women have been fighting for their rights to achieve equal status with men as early as the 19 th century. The so-called first
wave feminism was characterized by initiatives taken by women to fight for women suffrage or the right to vote and be educated, as
well as labor rights and other privileges.
 The 1960s saw the emergence of second wave feminism which was characterized by the so-called women’s liberation. In
this period, feminists which was characterized by the so-called women’s liberation. In this period, feminists realized that the
gains of first wave feminism were not. Second wave feminists realized that giving women the right to vote was not enough
to solve the problem of women’s oppression. Therefore, the goal of second wave feminists was women’s liberation and not
merely political anticipation.
 Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique was considered an important work for this period because it tackled the issue of
what Friedan called “the problem with no name”. -no self-fulfillment
 Liberal feminism is the oldest of all feminist theories, dating back 19th century and advocated for political and social rights
for women.
 Socialist feminism was born in 20th century, which served as critique of Marxist feminism’s gender-blind approach to
women’s subordination by emphasizing that other factors such as race, age, religion, ethnicity, and disability need to be
considered in analyzing women’s oppression.
 Radical feminists believe that women’s oppression is only secondary, and that biology is destiny: women, by virtue of their
physical make-up, are meant to be oppressed that is why patriarchy must be abolished by liberating women for male
domination.
Key Concepts
 Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females while, gender, on the other hand, refers to the
sociocultural attributes associated with being a man and a woman and the different roles that society assigns to men and
women.
 Gender ideology refers to attitudes regarding the suitable roles, rights, and responsibilities of men and women society.
 Gender ideology legitimizes gender inequality, or the unequal treatment leads to gender oppression, or the manner in which
certain groups are privileged or disadvantaged because of gender.
Strengths and Criticism of Feminism Theory
 One of the strengths of feminist theory is its recognition that social science research in the past was predominantly
conducted by men and focused on men.
 Another strength would be the realization that both the public (production) and private (reproduction) spheres of life are
socially constructed, hence a thorough re-examination of these spheres is expected to bring about better opportunities for
women to have equal status with men in society.
 Lastly, feminist theory can be utilized using both macro and micro analysis of society.
 As for the criticism on feminist theory, critics claim that feminists tend to be too disapproving of the gender roles women
play in society, to the point that they already look down on these roles.
  Another criticism would be the view that certain strands of feminism cater only to the middle-class women, for its seeming
lack of analysis of issues on race and class as factors in shaping gender inequality.

DISS Page 2 Midterm

 Lastly, it is seen by some critics as being too focused on women, ignoring the fact that men can also experience
discrimination and oppression in their daily lives.
B. Marxism
Marxism is one of the theoretical approaches in social science that is associated with conflict theory, or the view that
society is divided into social classes which are always in conflict with another. It analyzes how society functions to serve the
powerful class and disadvantage the others, thereby causing conflict. Hence, it views social order as being a product of coercion and
power being exercised by the more powerful group to the disadvantage group.
Historical Context
 Marxism as a political ideology only came into existence after Marx’s death in 1883 and was primarily the product of the
attempt by Engels and other followers of Marx to condense Marx’s ideas into a comprehensive worldview.
 Types of Marxism: Classical Marxism, orthodox communism, and neo- Marxism or modern Marxism
Key Concepts in Marxism
 Marx discussed the four stages of society:
1. Primitive communism or hunting and gathering society where there was no concept of ownership and everything was
communal but conflict was determined by material scarcity;
2. Slavery, which characterized ancient societies where the sources of conflict were between master and slave;
3. Feudalism, where the source of conflict was between landowners and serfs; and
4. Capitalism where the source of conflict was between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
Strengths and Criticisms of Marxism
 One of the strengths of Marxism as a social science theoretical approach us the view that conflicts in society are caused by
the battle over power to control not only the resources but also the norms and values of society.
 Another strength would be its claim that as long as there are classes in society, there will always be conflict and oppression
group, hence it is able to explain the cause and dynamics of social inequality well.
 Lastly, it advocates a macro-level analysis of society by emphasizing that social structures such as social classes affect
human behavior and the material conditions created by the said structures influence how people think, behave, and act.
 As for the criticisms on Marxism, it is sometimes seen as focusing on the negative, always-changing, and clashing nature of
society.
 It is also criticized for losing scientific objectivity for it encourages researchers to be activists of social change instead of
just merely analyzing the social issues they are dealing with.

FT1. Answer thoroughly.

1. When can you say that social inequality exists?

2. What made you choose the particular social inequality that you cited and analyzed?

3. What makes critical social science different from positivist and interpretative social science?

4. Why do most societies treat women as subordinate to men?

5. How does gender ideology affect gender equality?

6. Why is it important to consider race and class as factors in analyzing gender inequality?

7. What is the ultimate goal of feminism?

8. Why is it important to include women in social science research?

9. According to Marxism, how is social order maintained?

10. Why is Marxism criticized for focusing on the negative aspects of society?
FT2. Complete the table on feminist theory.
Liberalism Feminism Socialist Feminism Radical Feminism

Cause of women’s
oppression
Solution to women’s
oppression

FT3. Listen to the song “Tatsulok” by Bamboo (original version by Buklod). Analyze the lyrics and see if you can apply
Marxism to the symbolisms and meanings found in the song. Report your output in the class.
END