Liberal Feminism

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Liberal Feminism

• Rooted in classical liberalism (a political
  philosophy with origins in the 16th century).
• Liberalism is the underpinning of Enlightenment
  Thought (the Age of Reason).
• Age of Reason emerged in the 17th 18th century
  in Western Europe.

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Basic Tenets of Liberal Philosophy

• Individual Rights (including property)
• Freedom of choice freedom from confining
  embraces of other persons or institutions.
• Critique of religion
• Values science/reason over religion
• Commitment to social progress/change
• Science/reason as a basis for social change
• Embraces achievement over ascription
• Social position should be based on merit not
  birth (critiques idea of biological superiority)

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• Basic tenets cover three key forms of freedom
• Economic freedom
• Political freedom
• Religious freedom

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Liberal Approach to Equality

• Equality of Opportunity Model
• Freedom to chose education and career.
• Need a level playing fieldeveryone should have
  equal access to opportunities.
• No legal or social barriers to economic
  opportunities.
• Education, hiring, promotions based on
  achievement.

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• Three Stages of Liberalism
• 1. Classical Liberalism
• Roots in revolt of growing middle classes against
  mercantilism (government control of commerce
  industry).
• Adam Smith Free market ideology (no government
  interference)
• Revolt against rule by monarchy (French and
  American Revolutions)

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• 2. Modern Liberalism (20th century)
• A response to the problems of classical
  liberalism.
• Under classical liberalism
• Economic power concentrated in the hands of a
  few.
• Economic elite exercised control over
  governments.
• Large populations of poor urban crowding
• Modern liberalism allowed limited government
  interference (regulations, social security) in
  order to protect the liberty of individuals.
• Government programs to equalize opportunity
  (civil rights)

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Examples

• Can you name an example of a law or policy that
  allows/ed limited government interference in
  order to ensure the liberty of individuals?

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Examples Continued

• Affirmative Action
• VAWA
• Protective legislation (laws that prohibit women
  from working in dangerous jobs)
• Labor regulations (wage, hour and safety laws)

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• 3. Neo-liberalism (1990s)
• A shift back to classical liberalismhands off.
• Limited government regulation
• Cuts to social safety net
• Arguments against governments hand in equalizing
  playing field.

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• Enlightenment thought was rooted in thinking of
  white propertied men (a reaction of growing
  merchant class/middle class to nobility)
• Not extended to women or racial minorities.

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Liberal Feminism A Rights Based Movement

• Focus on equality of opportunity
• First Wave (1800s) Suffrage movement
• Extend rights (voting, property) to women
• Nineteenth Amendment passed in 1920
• Focus also on social reform
• Second Wave (1960s)
• Focus on discrimination in education and
  employment (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
  Affirmative Action)
• Focus on reproductive rights

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• Liberal Feminism
• In line with classical liberalism, liberal
  feminism sees social positions (gender, class,
  status) not as biologically determined but as
  originating through social learning/custom.

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• In sum, a two pronged approach
• Revise social learning (raise consciousness,
  encourage women to resist the internalization of
  social roles, teach girls to take on
  non-traditional roles)
• Legal reform
• Remove barriers to opportunity
• Extend rights to women

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Critique of Liberal Feminism

• Overlooks race and class inequities.
• Emphasizes change within existing system
• No critique/analysis of systemic forms of
  oppression (oppression is institutionalized and
  necessary to the functioning of capitalist
  patriarchy)
• Focus on individual rights overlooks connections
  between people (collectivist focus)

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Class Discussion

• Scenario 1
• You are a liberal feminist and have been asked to
  serve on a committee that is addressing the
  problem of sex selection. Sex selection is a
  practice where a woman/couple abort a fetus
  because the fetus is not the sex that they
  desire. Because females are often less valued
  than males, this practice often results in the
  abortion of female fetuses.
• Question What is your position on this practice.

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• Scenario 2
• You are a liberal feminist and you have been
  asked to serve on a committee that is addressing
  the problem of toxic workplaces. The committee
  must decide if they should bar women from working
  in a battery factory that emits toxins. These
  toxins can cause fetal defects in both pregnant
  women and women who might become pregnant
  sometime in the future. These toxins also cause
  sterility in both men and women.
• What is your decision?