Feminist perspectives on equality and power in the family
Feminism is not one view. Learn the three strands β liberal, Marxist and radical β and what each says about who holds power in the family.
All feminists agree the family is a site of gender inequality, but they disagree about the cause and the cure. Learn the three strands as a set you can compare:
Liberal feminism β the 'march of progress'. Liberal feminists are the most optimistic. They argue inequality in the family is gradually declining through changing attitudes, law reform and women's growing role in paid work. Sue Sharpe's research on girls' aspirations is often used here: in the 1970s girls prioritised 'love, marriage and children', but by the 1990s they prioritised 'careers and independence'. For liberal feminists, the family is slowly becoming more equal β a 'march of progress'.
Marxist feminism β women's role serves capitalism. Marxist feminists link gender inequality to capitalism. Women's unpaid domestic labour benefits the capitalist system, not just men:
- Benston β women reproduce and service the labour force (and current workers) for free.
- Ansley β women absorb men's frustration with alienating work ('takers of shit'), acting as a safety valve that prevents workers rebelling.
- Women also form a reserve army of labour β drawn into paid work when needed and sent back to the home when not.
Radical feminism β the family is patriarchal. Radical feminists see the family as the key site of patriarchy: men dominate and directly benefit from women's unpaid domestic, childcare and emotional labour. Delphy and Leonard argue the family is an economic system in which women work for men and men get most of the rewards. Some radical feminists call for women to live independently of men.
Difference feminism reminds us that women's experiences are not all the same β class, ethnicity and sexuality shape family life differently, so we should not generalise about 'the family' or 'women' as if they were one group.
- Liberal feminism: gradual 'march of progress' towards equality (Sharpe β girls' changing aspirations).
- Marxist feminism: women's domestic role serves CAPITALISM (Benston; Ansley 'takers of shit'; reserve army of labour).
- Radical feminism: the family is PATRIARCHAL β men exploit women's labour (Delphy and Leonard).
- Difference feminism: women's experiences vary by class, ethnicity and sexuality.
See the full worked example for gender equality and experiences of family life β