Liberal Feminism

Began in the 19th and Early 20th

Popular in 1950s and 1960s when many civil rights movements were taking place.
All people are created equal by God and deserve equals rights (Individualism)-
Focused on elimination of female sub-ordination
View democratic political set up as ideal to address the issue
Liberal feminists do not use the language of ‘revolution’ or ‘liberation’ favored by
radicals and socialists. They believe that democracy itself is naturally adaptable to
equality for both sexes.
Agreed that men and women might be best suited for different roles (households vs.
workplace) but demand for recognition of women role- household wages- 1970s
women should have the right to choose their future and not have it chosen for them.
Notable advocates
Mary Wollstonecraft wrote “A vindication of the rights of women” in 1792
which commented on the society’s views of women and encouraged women to
make separate decisions other than those made for them by society. This was the
first treatise on feminism. She was later credited with being a liberal feminist.
Who made men the exclusive judge, if women partake with him the gift of reason?
(MWS)

John Stuart Mill also believed in equal rights for both sexes. In his book The
Subjection of Women, Mill argues that three major parts of women's lives are
hindering them: society and gender construction, education, and marriage.Book
Subjection of Women.
Betty Frieden authored a book named Feminine Mystique that focused on middle
class white house wives who were restricted to the role of home makers and that
was done by the American political institutions and laws.
Debate on what causes the change?
Acts of legislation against women subjugation.
These acts of legislation demand equal opportunities and rights for women,
including equal access to jobs and equal pay.
Liberal feminists believe that removing these barriers directly challenges the
ideologies of patriarchy, as well as liberates women.
Features
Women need to become like men by aspiring for male values through education etc.
Their Primary focus is on individual autonomy, rights, liberty, and independence.
While not denying that there may be biological-based differences btw men and
women, liberal feminists cannot see these as adequate justification of inequality
such as wage gap.(resultantly Equal Pay Act 1963)
Change can be brought about by making important acts of legislation and raising
consciousness through articles, columns, education etc..
Women entry into male dominated professions.(Critical of the concept of American
dream)
Argue against that women are physically and intelligently less capable.
Criticism
It does not focus on the patriarchal social structure but on individuals. So mere
institutional changes are not enough, the whole system needs to be changed.
It focuses too much on the metamorphosis of women into men and disregards the
traditional role of women and it’s importance.
It is only for women who have a middle class, heterosexual white background

Radical Feminism
Arose during the second wave of feminism in 1960’s
Early radical feminism believed that “men as part of the problem should not be part
of the solution.”
Radical Feminists beliefs are based on the idea that the main cause of women’s
oppression originates from social roles and institutional structure constructed by
male supremacy and patriarchy.
Formed the Women’s Liberation Movement in order to allow a space for the
consideration of women’s oppression outside of the male-oriented knowledge and
politics.
Talks about Revolution
They believed that society must be changed at its core and not mere through acts of
legislation.
Groups and Advocates of Radical Feminism
Newyork radical women, red stockings and women’s international terrorists
conspiracy aimed to eradicate sexism,the 1968 North America pageant contest
protest by NYRW.
Mary Daly was the advocate of this theory. First feminist philosopher who
challenged gender roles. Launched war against patriarchy. ‘Gyn/Ecology’ 1978 sexual
and cultural voilence. Other popular advocates include T Grace Atkinson and Susan
Brown Miller.
Salient Features
Women are being seen as the "other” to the male norm and so they have been
systematically oppressed and marginalized over the course of humanity.
Opposition to Patriarchy (sex is a fundamental cause of oppression).
They try to abolish patriarchy by challenging existing norms.
Believed in expanding reproductive rights such as right to abortion, sterilization,
birth control and the freedom to make these choices without pressure from men or
governmental and religious authorities.
See prostitution through the lens of male dominated society- oppression of women
sexually and economically.
Understanding rape as expression of patriarchy rather than seeking sexual pleasure.
Against patriarchy but not necessarily capitalism
Sex class rather than the economic class was the central concept
Opposed heterosexuality
Women as heads of the states, CEOs etc.
Types of Radical Feminism
In her book , Feminist Thought, Rosemarie Tong has brought two light two main
types of radical feminism: radical liberation feminism and radical cultural feminism.
RLF aims toward androgynus(mixed characteristics of male and female) society,
while RCF rejected the idea of androgynous society .
RLF asked for revolution that would emancipate women from motherhood as
proposed Shulamith Firestone who considers pregnancy barbaric, while the other
side considered motherhood a tool that could help in empowerment of women.
RLF supported prostitution while RCF opposed it.
CRITICISM i. Sex based discrimination ii. Apolitical iii. Focused white and middle class
Difference Between Radical and Liberal Feminism
Differences in Time period

Reasons of women oppression:

false belief of society vs patriarchy

Conception of Transformation:
Transform the existing policies vs transformation of whole system

Marxist/Socialist Feminism
Rose in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Marxists Feminism examined the ways in which women are oppressed by the system
of capitalism and private property.
Need to restructure the capitalists economy through revolution.
Relationship between men and women is similar to the relationship between
proletariat and bourgeoisie.
NOTABLE FEMINISTS:
ALISON JAGGER
CLARA FRASER
Salient Features
Women’s oppression is through the family as her reproductive labor is not
recognized.
argues that capitalism leads to the oppression of women and reinforces radical
feminism's theory of the role of gender and the patriarchy.
Focused on liberating by improving their material condition as women are oppressed
due to financial dependence on men.
Subordination is not result of biological factors but social positions—relationship b/w
men and women & relationship b/w proletariat and bourgeoisie.
Criticism
It focuses only on economic reasons and focuses on solving those issues
Changing the economic structure cannot change the mindset.

Socialist Feminism
Confluence of Marxist and radical feminist ideas.
Considers both patriarchy and capital as the cause of oprpession of women
According to socialist feminists Marxist feminism fails to address oppression of
women in cases like domestic violence, rape, sexual-harassment,etc..
 Psychoanalytical Feminism
Freud is the founder of the Psychoanalytic school.

Psychoanalytical feminists believe that “women way of behaving is rooted in her

psyche”

The ideal human person is a blend of positive feminine and positive masculine traits.
Focus on altering the childhood experiences
According to Freud, children go through distinct psycho sexual developmental
stages, and their gender identity as adults is the result of how well or badly they
have weathered this process. Masculinity and femininity are, in other words, the
product of sexual maturation. If boys develop “normally” (i.e., typically), they will
end up as men who display expected masculine traits; if women develop “normally,”
they will end up as women who display expected feminine traits.
In her book psychoanalysis and feminism, Juliet Mitchell has termed rejection of
psychoanalysis and Freud’s work a fatal mistake
Freud argues that phallic stage begins at three years of age boys and girls try to
become like the parent of their sex out of envy.
Freud’s idea has been rejected by the likes of Simone de Beauvoire (oedipus and
Electra complex) and Betty Frieden.
difference and women’s otherness in relation to men. ii. The two major schools of
psychoanalytic feminism are Freudian and Lacanian. Freudian feminists, mostly
Anglo-American, are more concerned with the production of male dominance and
the development of gendered subjects in societies where women are responsible for
mothering, whereas Lacanian feminists, mostly French, analyze links between
gendered identity and language. Psychoanalytic feminists in the Lacanian mode
privileged the analysis of selfconstruction through discourse over the biological and
psychosocial implications of parenting, arguing that, in order to alter gender
relations, we need to change language. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, the phallus is
symbolic of the child’s entry into language and culture under The Law of the Father
and Lacanian feminists wanted to interrogate and resist oppressive constructions of
gender and sexuality encoded in language.
NOTABLE ADVOCATE
Nancy Chodorow
FEATURES/ FOCUS AREAS
Psychoanalytic feminists see women’s oppression rooted within psychic structures
and reinforced by the continual repetition the dynamics formed in infancy and
childhood.

Because of these deeply ingrained patterns, psychoanalytic feminists wanted to alter

the experiences of early childhood and family relations, as well as linguistic patterns,
that produce and reinforce masculinity and femininity