Feminist Thought
Beyond the "F" Word: Defining Feminism and Feminist Theory

Based on Readings: Treichler, Paula and Cherie Kramare.  “Feminism.”  Feminist Theory, pp. 7-11. Flax, Janet. “Women Do Theory.” Feminist Frameworks, pp. 80-85.

What is Theory?

The Dead White Guy Curse

Theory: “A system of generalizable statements that are logically linked together to understand or predict human phenomena." Kim (1995)

Political Theory (aka Political Philosophy)

Flax’s definition of theory: a systematic, analytic approach to everyday experience (80).

It allows to make our choices (about what we think, what we do, what we wear, what we say) consciously, more efficiently.

What is Feminism?

Some of my favorites are:

Feminism is:
a many headed monster
a mode of analysis, a method of approaching life and politics
an entire world view or gestalt not just a laundry list of women’s issues 
revolutionary (because it means men have to give up their power over women)
a desire for a truly general conception of humanity

Feminism’s goals:
to create the best opportunity for the development of women’s natural faculties;   
to create a world where women can live a full, self-determined life;
to work for GENDER JUSTICE 

Are you a feminist?  By what definition?

What can (has) feminism done for you?

Why does feminism have a bad connotation?

Summary of points made in Treichler/Kramere and Flax:

1) Feminists begin from the premise that the world is gendered
i.e., the assumption (or conclusion) that women and men have different experiences;
that the world is not the same for men and womenFT describes the nature of these differences and wants to discover why they are different

2) Feminist analysis exposes and analyzes gender oppression
i.e. that GENDER INJUSTICE  is real

as unique if not “primary” form of oppression

Gender oppression as part of how the world is structured; not just a matter of “attitude change”

Women are oppressed and they are oppressed BECAUSE OF their gender

In what ways? evidence of their oppression?

Therefore, FT is a critique of power - that power is unequally divided - institutions of power are controlled by men

3) Feminists call the way that power has been meted out “patriarchy”

    **According to Flax, patriarchy is:

    a force that has a material and historical base;
    a system in which men have power over women and have more access to whatever society esteems

    patriarchy is also psychological – deeply internalized;

    Most of us can’t imagine a world without gender

***Gender as hierarchical system
    this is why feminism is threatening to so many – must mean women will dominate, right?
    the dualism trap
    a phallocratic fallacy

3) Feminists focus on lived experience not abstractions
    Doesn't believe it is possible to have neutral, value-free, objective theory, philosophy, social science 


    Belief in objectivity is what wrote women out of social and political theory to begin with

    Yet #1 here implies it is possible to know women’s reailty and that there are at least SOME aspects of women’s experience that are consistent, knowable

    note tensions here; problems with post-structuralism

4) Feminism is a method, a mode of analysis a world view
    - a gestalt - not just a laundry list of women's issues (Bunch)

    because all insts (family, schools, the state, the economy, science, media, etc. are gendered;

    i.e., all reflect/institutionalize/normalize existing power inequalities, esp. those based on gender    

    a merger of theory AND practice

    a set of propositions about reality AND a program for changing that reality

    differs from much of philosophy/political theory on this count

5) Feminism is a politics

Doesn’t mean all feminists seek the same thing, but that they seek to better women’s lot in life.

Aim for great gender justice.

6) Feminism’s emphasis on sexuality, sexual politics
    why?

    the source of gender oppression?

    heterosexuality – sleeping with the enemy?

    Does one have to be lesbian to be a “real feminist”?

    Fully woman identified?

    Most agree homophobia is related to women's oppression; construction of women's sexuality - but how     to make room for the experiences of both hetero and homosexual women 


    Lesbian as a political identification

Differences/on-going debates among feminisms on:

1) Role of men in creating and maintaining gender hierarchy; place for men in the movement?
Jill Johnston says "we don't have to take of men; they've always done a great job of that themselves."

Can men be feminists?

Irving Weinman says that men identifying as feminists is ridiculous - like a white liberal claiming to be a black radical;

He says men should say, instead, that they are "pro-feminist" 

What do you think?

    2) Relation of sexism to other “isms”
    gender oppression vs. other forms of oppression
    class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.
    are any of these prior to the others?
    Are they manifestations of the same thing?
    Interlocking? Overlapping?

    3) Source of women's oppression? 
capitalism, liberalism, racism, human nature, biology, etc. 


    4) Goals
    Becoming part of the power structure?

    Living radically equal lives by dismantling all forms of inequality, privilege, etc.?

    Separatism?

    Becoming “equal”?

    *a primary goal and promise of a Liberal political system

What do you think?

Is gender equality desirable? 

Possible? 

Are there any possible negatives of creating ‘equality’ for women or all social groups for that matter?

If we had equality would social groups even exist?

Who would clean the toilets in an equal world?

What other questions/thoughts/ideas emerged for you in the reading?