Triple Systems Theory & Poststructuralist Feminism (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Triple systems theory

• Triple systems feminism was developed by Sylvia Walby (1992) to combine elements of Marxism, radical and liberal feminism

• She developed triple systems theory to show that women’s oppression is not caused by patriarchy alone

• Instead, it results from the interaction between three key systems:

  • Patriarchy – the system of male dominance in society

  • Capitalism – which exploits women’s labour and reinforces their economic dependence

  • Racism – which adds another layer of oppression for women of colour

• These systems intersect, meaning women's experiences are shaped by multiple forms of oppression at once

Structures through which patriarchy operates

• Family and household

  • Women are often confined to unpaid domestic roles, such as childcare and housework

  • This limits their opportunities and economic independence

• Paid work

  • Women are concentrated in low-paid, part-time jobs

  • Men dominate higher-status, better-paid positions

  • Workplace discrimination continues to disadvantage women

• The state

  • Political and legal systems are male-dominated and often maintain women’s disadvantage

  • Policies may fail to address economic inequality

  • Protections against abuse are inconsistently enforced

• Male violence

  • Violence against women (e.g., domestic abuse, sexual assault) functions as a means of control

  • Such violence is often minimised or ignored by institutions like the police

• Sexuality

  • Cultural norms regulate women’s sexuality, often holding them to double standards

  • Heterosexuality is reinforced as the norm, limiting sexual autonomy

• Cultural institutions (e.g., media and religion)

  • Women are frequently depicted in narrow, stereotypical roles (e.g., mother, wife) or sexualised

  • These representations reinforce gender norms and male dominance

Link to difference feminism

• Triple systems theory builds on the ideas of difference feminism

  • It rejects the view that all women experience patriarchy in the same way

• It recognises that class, race and gender intersect

  • I.e., women face multiple, overlapping forms of oppression, not just from patriarchy, but also from capitalism and racism

• Like difference feminism, it rejects essentialism and insists that there is no single 'woman's experience'

  • E.g., a working-class Black woman may face structural oppression differently from a white middle-class woman

Poststructuralist feminism

• Poststructuralist feminism rejects essentialism – the belief that all women share the same experience of patriarchy

• It argues that some Western feminists can be ethnocentric:

  • Judging women’s experiences in other cultures through their own cultural norms and overlooking the global diversity of women’s oppression

    • E.g., Western feminists often focus on issues like sexuality, but for women in poorer countries, urgent concerns such as access to clean water or basic healthcare take priority

The role of discourse

• Poststructuralists such as Judith Butler (1992) argue that gender is socially constructed through language and discourses

  • Discourses are ways of talking and thinking about the world that shape how we understand gender, power, and identity

    • Certain discourses disempower groups — e.g., ambitious women being labelled “bossy” or “hysterical” to undermine them

  • Cixous (1993) describes language as phallocentric — male-dominated and reflecting a male view of the world

  • Poststructuralists believe that changing language can be a way to create social change.

    • E.g., challenging sexist language in media, schools, and politics can shift attitudes and undermine patriarchal norms

The Enlightenment project

• Poststructuralists challenge the Enlightenment belief that:

  • There is a single, universal truth that can be discovered through science and reason

  • Society will inevitably improve through 'progress'

  • Butler argues that Enlightenment ideas were developed mainly by white, Western men and do not reflect all women’s experiences

  • Similarly, some white, Western, middle-class feminists have wrongly claimed to represent 'universal womanhood', excluding the voices of other women

  Poststructuralist feminism calls for:

  • abandoning universal explanations of women’s oppression

  • focusing on individual experiences and local contexts

  • recognising that there is no fixed 'essence' of womanhood — identities are shaped by many different discourses in different times and cultures

Evaluation of poststructuralist feminism

Strengths

• Helps expose hidden inequalities

  • Butler argues that it reveals how discourses subordinate women

    • E.g., the medicalisation of childbirth frames it through a male-dominated medical lens, sidelining women’s knowledge and choices

    • Feminists promote alternative discourses, such as midwifery-led care, that prioritise women’s autonomy

• Acknowledges diversity

  • Offers a framework for recognising and valuing the varied experiences of women, rather than prioritising one group’s perspective

    • E.g., recognises that the struggles of LGBTQ+ women differ from those of heterosexual women, and both must be considered

Criticisms

• Too abstract

  • Walby argues that post-structuralist perspectives are overly academic and language-focused

  • They offer little practical help for solving women’s real-world problems

• Neglects material reality

  • Critics such as Segal (1999) say it ignores structural inequalities like poverty and gender-based violence

• Undermines feminist unity

  • Walby points out that despite differences, women do share common disadvantages under patriarchy (e.g., greater risk of low pay or sexual assault)

  • Overemphasising diversity may make collective action harder