Identities: applying feminism

Identities: applying feminism

1) What are the five types of feminism outlined on the first page of the Factsheet?

Radical Feminism

 This type of feminism sees the cause of women’s oppression as men. It assumes that men deliberately exploit women as

this benefits them. One of the main aims of this theory is to address concerns over violence against women, especially in

sexual relationships.

Liberal Feminism

 This type of feminism is mainly concerned with gender socialisation in order to show that gender roles are not biologically

determined. The main aim of this type of feminism is to change the ways children are socialised into stereotypical gender

roles and to attempt to change social policy to improve the position of women within the family.

Marxist-Feminism

 This feminist approach looks at women’s oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system. One of the aims of

this type of feminism is to look at the role of domestic labour within capitalism, namely that women work in the home for

‘free’, and the role women play in producing the next generation of the labour force.

Black Feminism

 This approach is primarily concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation. It

combines ideas about capitalism, patriarchy and anti-racism.

Postmodern Feminism

 This type of feminism is associated with third wave feminists. It acknowledges the diversity amongst women and

encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences of life to create a brand of

feminism suitable for them

2) Which category would Judith Butler fit into? What about Angela McRobbie? Laura Bates and Everyday Sexism? Explain your answers.

Judith Butler- This person would most likely fit into the idea of liberal feminism as this suggests that gender roles are not biologically fixed.

Laura Bates and everday sexism- This fits postmodernism feminism as it involves feminist to discuss their own experiences 

3) What was the difference between suffragists and suffragettes? Which approach do you agree with?

Suffragists were the non-violent strand of feminism that peacefully and legally protested to get women the vote and more equal rights, whereas suffragettes were the more radical form of this often using illegal means and chaining themselves to Parliaments fence for womens rights.

4) What was Laura Mulvey's argument regarding Hollywood film? Do you agree with it? Why?

Mulvey suggested that the cinematography of classic Hollywood films

objectifies women; the camera ‘looks’ at women as if were a male

and the woman is a desirable sexual object. 

5) Watch this YouTube video extract on Jean Kilbourne's Killing Us Softly series and list five examples she gives of the media objectifying women:

-1989 - Oprah Winfreys head put on Anne Margarets body for a TV guide cover
-Beyonce's L'oreal advert
-Womens bodies being dismembered in ads - Eva Herzigova ad 1990's
-Glamour magazine

-Beauty knows no pain advert

6) What is Killbourne's argument regarding the representation of women in advertising?

Killbourne is suggesting that as we (USA) are exposed to 3000 ads everyday, and the companies that run them earn $250bn a year. She says that women are affected by advertising as it produces the 'ideal' body image for a woman and can often make women feel ashamed and want to change their body image but this is done subconsciously.

7) What is Naomi Wolf's argument in The Beauty Myth?

Wolf's argument suggests that the influence that the advertisers are having on women is driving unhealthy habits by making them spend money and time on appearance. This also changes mens' opinions of women and what they should look like.

8) Why is the representation of women in music videos a controversial topic for feminists?

Some women would argue that women are more empowered from being in music videos whilst others would argue that women are objectified in the videos and only viewed as sexual objects.

9) What is your view of female artists such as Nicki Minaj or Beyonce - do they empower women or reinforce sexist, patriarchal views?

I believe the videos they produce are just feeding the fire as this further produces another body image that young girls have to keep up with and despite women having more influence in the music industry it is sending the wrong message.


10) Has new and digital media given women an opportunity to challenge sexist views or is it simply another media platform for women to be oppressed? Explain your view.

Yes i believe it has given women the opportunity to challenge sexist views but at the same time is allows for more sexist views to be shared. I would say there is less oppression as people are free to do as they please online but the same 'ideal' body images are circulated even more on the internet than in real life.