FEMINIST

THEORY
 FEMINIST THEORY

An outgrowth of the general

movement to empower women
worldwide.
It aims to understand the nature of
gender inequality.

Feminists fight for the equality of women and

argue that women should share equally in
society’s opportunities and scarce resources.
 Three waves in describing the
history of Feminism:

Feminism talks about Feminism refers to several

women suffrage or diverse strains of feminist
having the right to vote. activity and study. The exact
Feminism broadened the debate to
a wide range of issues: sexuality, boundaries of its history are a
family, the workplace, reproductive subject of debate.
rights, de facto inequalities, and
official legal inequalities.
 Kinds of Feminist Theory
Feminist Theories
Liberal Feminism
Marxist Feminism
Radical Feminism
Socialist Feminism
Postmodern Feminism
Description
This is the variety of feminism that works
within the structure of mainstream society
to integrate women into that structure.
Inequality on gender is based on division of
labor.
Male power is always based from social
relation and interaction.
Women are inferior because of class based
capitalism.
Women attempt to change and to criticize
the dominant order or the modern thought.
 DISTINCT FEMINIST DISCIPLINES

PHILOSOPHY

The Feminist Philosophy refers to a

philosophy approached from a Feminist philosophy involves attempts to
feminist perspective. use methods of philosophy to further the
cause of feminist movements.

It also tries to criticize and/or reevaluate the

ideas of traditional philosophy from within a
feminist view.
 DISTINCT FEMINIST DISCIPLINES

EPISTEMOLOGY
It talks about how women think. A feminist approach to epistemology
It explains that there is a seeks to establish knowledge
difference in the ways of how production from a women’s
women think compared to men. perspective.

It theorizes that from personal experience comes

knowledge which helps each individual look at
things from a different insight.
 DISTINCT FEMINIST DISCIPLINES

PSYCHOLOGY

Feminist psychology critiques

the fact that historically
psychological research has
been done from a male
perspective with the view
that males are the norm.
 DISTINCT FEMINIST DISCIPLINES

HISTORY
It aims to re-analyze and re-read
all parts of history using a feminist
perspective.
The goal of feminist history is to explore and
illuminate the female viewpoint of history through
rediscovery of female writers, artists, philosophers,
etc. in order to recover and demonstrate the
significance of women’s voices and choices in the
past.
DISTINCT FEMINIST DISCIPLINES

GEOGRAPHY

It critiques existing geographical and social studies, arguing

that academic traditions are delineated by patriarchy, and
contemporary studies which do not confront the nature of
previous work reinforce the male bias of academic study.
 NOTABLE FEMINISTS

SANDRA HARDING

Criticizes all sociological theories

claiming they are all gender-
biased. Social theory must be
created by women and include
issues central to women.
 NOTABLE FEMINISTS

ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON

First Englishwoman to qualify

as a physician and surgeon in
the U.K; co-founder of first
hospital staffed by women.
 NOTABLE FEMINISTS

SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

Partner of Jean Paul Sarte.

Writer of “The Second Sex”
which sets out a feminist
existentialism which
prescribes a moral
revolution.
 NOTABLE FEMINISTS

PATRICIA HILL COLLINS

Believed that individuals have

their own reality construct that
are linked to the groups to which
they belong.
 NOTABLE FEMINISTS

ANNESTINE BEYER

Pioneer of women’s
education.
 STRENGTHS
1. It is believed that Sociology of the past
focused on issues as to how they affect
men thus applying analysis with little or
not consideration of women. 2. Patriarchy, or male control, is present in
all society.

3. Because of routinely different experiences

and differences in power, women’s and men
perceptions for reality differ.
4. Its analysis is from a micro and macro
level.
 WEAKNESSES

1. Feminist has been critical of

traditional roles of women and at times
looking down on the roles that women
play e.g. the family.

2. Feminist of colour have been critical of this

perspective in its lack of analysis of issue on
race and clas as factors in shaping social reality
as it relates to inequality.