The traditions of Feminism
Each tradition answers the same spec questions differently. Learn the split and you can compare them in an essay.
Liberal Feminism
Wollstonecraft, Friedan, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Equality feminism, androgynous, rational, equally capable
Radical Feminism
Kate Millett, Simone de Beauvoir
- Equality feminist (mainly); androgynous; patriarchy distorts; difference / cultural sub-strand exists
Socialist Feminism
Sheila Rowbotham
- Equality feminist, androgynous; capitalism distorts both human nature in general and women's role specifically
Postmodern Feminism
bell hooks
- No single 'female nature'; intersectionality; race, class, gender, sexuality interact
Equality Feminism
Most feminists across the four strands - Wollstonecraft, de Beauvoir, Friedan, Millett, Rowbotham
- Androgynous; gender is socially constructed; biology not destiny; men and women have equal rational capacity
Difference Feminism
Cultural feminism (sub-strand of radical feminism); no named 9PL0 spec thinker
- Essential differences exist; women have positive feminine traits devalued by patriarchy; reject androgyny; cultural feminism
Side by side
The four core spec areas across every tradition.
| Theme | Liberal | Radical | Socialist | Postmodern | Equality | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Nature | Equality feminism, androgynous, rational, equally capable | Equality feminist (mainly); androgynous; patriarchy distorts; difference / cultural sub-strand exists | Equality feminist, androgynous; capitalism distorts both human nature in general and women's role specifically | No single 'female nature'; intersectionality; race, class, gender, sexuality interact | Androgynous; gender is socially constructed; biology not destiny; men and women have equal rational capacity | Essential differences exist; women have positive feminine traits devalued by patriarchy; reject androgyny; cultural feminism |
| The State | State is a useful tool; reform-based; legal and political equality through legislation | State is patriarchal at its heart; reform alone is insufficient; private sphere also targeted | State serves capitalism first, patriarchy second (Rowbotham); reform is insufficient | State ignores women of colour (bell hooks); intersectional analysis; imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy | State must remove barriers; outlaw discrimination; deliver formal and substantive equality across both spheres | State built on masculine values; sceptical of state-led liberation; argue for separate spaces or transformed state with feminine values |
| The Economy | Equal access through legal reform; public sphere focus; outlaw discrimination | Patriarchy is the root of women's economic oppression, not capitalism per se | Capitalism is the root of patriarchy; family in capitalism confines women to unpaid reproductive labour | Race and class shape women's economic position alongside gender; intersectional | Equal access; equal pay; remove discrimination; the economy itself need not be reorganised around feminine values | Reorganise the economy to value feminine qualities; equal access alone is insufficient |
| Society | Public sphere reform; gradual change; legal and political equality; private sphere largely off-limits | Patriarchy is the oldest and most pervasive oppression; revolution; the personal is political; family is the primary site | Society shaped by class and patriarchy together; capitalism the primary engine; family as a unit of unpaid labour | Interlocking systems: imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy; intersectional | Dismantle constructed gender roles; reject the gender binary as oppressive; women flourish on equal terms with men | Build a woman-centred culture; embrace feminine traits patriarchy has devalued; recognise real differences |