The Contribution Made by Feminist Sociologists to the Study of the Family

The Contribution Made by Feminist Sociologists to the Study of the Family

Feminists' stress that gender is a major feature of family living,

they argue that it should be recognised that families contain both men

and women and that gender often has a profound impact on the ways in

which the individuals actually experience and understand living in

families. They highlighted 'patriarchy' and a need for change and

women's independence. However there are a variety of feminisms such as

liberal, radical, Marxist and difference which have all made their own

contribution.

Liberal feminists' believe that women were once oppressed in the

family and society, but now as law changes and attitudes have changed

things have improved greatly and will continue to do so till equality

is achieved. There is much evidence to prove things have changed to

benefit women, for example Domestic violence is dealt with seriously

by the police, men are increasingly taking on the primary care role,

labour laws make it illegal to gender discriminate, rape within the

marriage is now a crime (1991) and women are also improving in

education as they are doing better than men.

Marxist feminists' believe that women are exploited due to the

economic system of capitalism which breeds inequality no only between

the bourgeoisie and proletariat but also between men and women so that

the bourgeoisie can make profit. Marxist feminist Margaret Benston

believes that domestic labour serves the need of the capitalist

society, she argues that the women's domestic work produced profit due

to women creating more efficient workers (male) as a result of

domestic housework which inc...

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...eholds that are

nuclear families.

It would appear that feminism can be radical at times. Although

feminists views have influenced society to think more equally. The

fact that there have now been laws that have been passed to ensure

women are being treated equally for example the liberals law to make

it illegal to gender discriminate women are no able to achieve good

examination results and are doing sufficiently better than men in

education system. As a result of women receiving equality in some

aspects of society they expect the same degree of equality in the home

by the man. Equality for women have not have completely been achieved

but the feminists approach has encouraged society today to think more

openly so that in the future equality will be reached to its fullest

so that men and women are completely equal.