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not as sexless ‘persons’. In the form of cultural feminism , this has led to an emphasis on women’s crafts, art and literature, and on experiences that are unique to women and promote a sense of ‘sisterhood’, such as childbirth, motherhood and menstruation. TYPES OF FEMINISM z z traditional feminist theories z z modern approaches to gender and sexuality. Traditional feminist theories Until the early 1990s, feminist discourse still revolved predominantly around first- and second-wave themes and issues, although new approaches to feminism had been emerging for a decade or more. Debate within feminism therefore continued to be conducted largely between three ‘core’ traditions, namely:
z z liberal feminism z z socialist feminism z z radical feminism. Liberal feminism
Early feminism, particularly the ‘first wave’ of the women’s movement, was deeply influenced by the ideas and values of liberalism. The first major feminist text, Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman ([1792] 1967), argued that women should be entitled to the same rights and privileges as men on the grounds that they are ‘human beings’. She claimed that the ‘distinction of sex’ would become unimportant in political and social life if women gained access to education and were regarded as rational creatures in their own right. John Stuart Mill’s On the Subjection of Women ([1869] 1970), written in collaboration with Harriet Taylor, proposed that society should be organized according to the principle of ‘reason’, and that ‘accidents of birth’ such as sex should be irrelevant. Women would therefore be entitled to the rights and liberties enjoyed by men and, in particular, the right to vote. ‘Second-wave’ feminism also has a significant liberal component. For instance, Betty Friedan (see p. 28) advanced a critique of the ‘feminine mystique’, by which she referred to the
cultural myth that women seek security and fulfilment in domestic life and ‘feminine’ behaviour. This myth therefore serves to discourage women from entering employment, politics and public life in general. She highlighted what she called ‘the problem with no name’, the sense of despair and deep unhappiness that many women experienced because they were confined to a domestic existence and are thus unable to gain fulfilment in a career or through political life. In 1966, Friedan helped to found and became the first leader of the National Organization of Women (NOW), which has developed into a powerful pressure group and the largest women’s organization in the world. The philosophical basis of liberal feminism lies in the principle of individualism (see p. 24). This implies that individuals are entitled to
Cultural feminism: A form of feminism that emphasizes an engagement with a woman-centred culture and lifestyle, and is typically repelled by the corrupting and aggressive male world of political activism. Discourse: Human interaction, especially communication: discourse may disclose or illustrate power relations.
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