How do the key ideas of socialist feminism challenge the main themes of liberal and radical feminism?
How do the key ideas of socialist feminism challenge the main themes of liberal and radical feminism?
Cultural beliefs and values, norms dominate traditional societies. Most of the traditional cultures legitimized the domination of men over women. These societies are majorly patriarchal, where there is masculinity. The women are subjugated in all spheres throughout their life process. This lead to the emergence of feminism which the intellectual community facilitated.
Feminism is a thought where it is emerged to establish social, political, and economic equality between the sexes, particularly concerning women in society. It has also transformed into a social movement. Different feminist thoughts have their unique principles.
- Liberal feminism: it has majorly emerged upon the two interrelated elements. The primary is the women are the rational individuals who are the ones entitled to inalienable and universal human rights. the second one is its aim to facilitate women with the diversity of lifestyles.
- Radical feminism: this perspective is majorly outside of mainstream feminist thought. This believes that society has to be transformed from the base to towards the celebration of feminine values and virtues. This thought projects to make the society progress towards the reordering of the society to a matriarchal basis. This theory does not give space for men in the implementation of feminist values. It is also defined as the redundant male theory.
Socialist feminism, on the other hand, challenges the ideas of both radical and liberal feminism. This perspective is completely left in the political spectrum, and it became a major approach with the emergence of the second wave of the women's movement. the capitalism theory inspires by Karl Marx. This tells that the root cause of the oppression of women in the economic system. Capitalism is designed for fulfilling the interests of men. Capitalism and patriarchy are both interlinked. It says that the women are treated as the reserve army labor, with women majorly occupying the housewife position. The mothers in the family system are expected to take care of the male workers and nurture them. Socialist feminism has the role for the male proletariats in society, which is pre-defined.
The socialist feminist is thought it is rooted in collectivism, unlike the other two. It claims that this movement can proceed further only with the development of solidarity among the women. This will make the women bound together. Liberal feminism is focused on personal choices, whereas socialist feminism is on women's collective choice in society.
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