Feminism: Core Ideas & Principles (Edexcel A Level Politics): Revision Note

The core ideas of feminism

• Feminism is a political ideology that seeks to achieve equality between men and women by challenging and ending gender-based inequality and oppression in society

Sex and gender

• For feminists, sex and gender are not synonymous terms

• Sex refers to biological differences, whilst gender is socially constructed through norms, roles and expectations

For feminists, 'sex' and 'gender' mean

• Biological vs social

  • Sex is biological

  • Gender is socially constructed

• Gender roles and norms

  • Society assigns expectations to men and women

  • These norms shape behaviour and opportunities

• Fluidity and choice

  • Gender identity is diverse and not fixed at birth

  • Women should have the freedom to define their own identities

• Critique of gender expectations

  • Feminism aims to dismantle rigid gender roles and constraints

Key thinkers

Agreement within feminism

• All strands recognise that gender is socially constructed

• All strands accept that gender roles contribute to the oppression of women

Disagreement within feminism

• Liberal feminism

  • Focuses on achieving equality within existing political and social structures

• Radical feminism

  • Sees gender roles as the root of patriarchy

• Socialist feminism

  • Integrates class and capitalism into explanations of gender roles

• Post-modern feminism

  • Challenges universal definitions of gender

  • Rejects fixed or singular experiences of womanhood

Patriarchy

• Patriarchy refers to a system of male dominance in which social, political and economic structures privilege men over women, resulting in systematic oppression

For feminists, patriarchy means

• Male dominance

  • Society is structured to privilege men over women

• Institutional power

  • Patriarchal norms operate in the family, workplace and politics

• Cultural reinforcement

  • Laws, traditions and social norms maintain male authority

• Systemic oppression

  • Discrimination against women is embedded within societal structures

• Need for dismantling

  • Patriarchal norms must be challenged and removed

Key thinkers

Agreement within feminism

• All strands recognise patriarchy as a core source of women’s oppression

Disagreement within feminism

• Radical feminism

  • Sees patriarchy as universal

  • Argues it can only be removed through revolutionary change

• Socialist feminism

  • Emphasises the intersection between patriarchy and class

• Liberal feminism

  • Focuses on legal equality and reform within existing structures

• Post-modern feminism

  • Critiques the idea of a single, universal patriarchal system

The personal is political

• For feminists, the idea that the personal is political challenges the belief that women’s private lives are apolitical, arguing instead that personal experiences reflect wider systems of oppression

For feminists, the personal is political means

• Private life reflects systemic oppression

  • Domestic experiences mirror wider social inequalities

• Household labour

  • Domestic work is politically and socially structured

  • Women are disproportionately disadvantaged

• Sexual politics

  • Relationships and sexuality are shaped by power dynamics

• Consciousness and empowerment

  • Awareness of oppression leads to political action

  • Recognising the political nature of private life enables change

Key thinkers

Agreement within feminism

• All strands agree that private experiences can reflect and entrench wider social inequalities

Disagreement within feminism

• Radical feminism

  • Prioritises dismantling traditional family structures and gender roles

• Socialist feminism

  • Emphasises class, capitalism and domestic labour as shaping personal experience

• Liberal feminism

  • Focuses more heavily on workplace equality and reform in the public sphere

Equality and difference feminism

• Equality and difference feminism represent two contrasting approaches within feminism to understanding gender equality

  • Whether women should be treated the same as men or

  • Whether gender differences should be recognised and valued

For feminists, equality and difference feminism mean

• Equality feminism

  • Women and men should be treated identically under law and society

  • Gender should not justify different rights or opportunities

• Difference feminism

  • Recognises gender differences as inherent or socially significant

  • Values traits traditionally associated with women

• Influence on policy

  • Both approaches shape views on law, welfare and workplace norms

  • Different understandings of equality lead to different policy priorities

• Dominance of equality feminism

  • The majority of feminists support equality feminism

Key thinkers

Agreement within feminism

• All strands support legal and social equality for women

Disagreement within feminism

• Equality feminists

  • Argue women and men should be treated the same in law and society

• Difference feminists

  • Emphasise distinct gender traits

  • Believe these differences should be recognised and valued

Intersectionality

• For feminists, intersectionality refers to the idea that women experience oppression in different ways depending on how gender intersects with factors such as race, class, sexuality and disability

For feminists, intersectionality means

• Multiple identities

  • Women do not share a single, universal experience of oppression

• Overlapping oppression

  • Individuals may experience multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously

• Complex systems of inequality

  • Gender oppression interacts with race, class, sexuality and other social factors

• Empowerment through recognition

  • Understanding intersectional oppression allows inequality to be challenged more effectively

  • Social change should include all marginalised groups

Agreement within feminism

• All strands recognise the need to address overlapping and intersecting forms of oppression

Disagreement within feminism

• Radical feminism

  • Prioritises patriarchy as the primary source of oppression

• Liberal feminism

  • Emphasises legal equality as the main route to tackling inequality

• Socialist feminism

  • Focuses on class and labour inequality

• Post-modern feminism

  • Rejects the idea of a typical or universal experience of women