Feminist Theories

By: Alysha Kurz, Tracy Ochs, Becky Kuhlow, and Jeremiah Tetzlaff

Tuesday 5:3010/28/08

Feminist Theory

Attempt to revise/reformulate/rethink aspects of traditional western ethics that devalue women’s moral experience

History of Feminism in USA• Women’s Suffrage– First action to increase women’s power– Major leader was Susan B Anthony– Fought and got women’s ability to vote

• Government’s Empowerment 1941-1945– Pushed for more women working– National Icon “Rosie the Riveter”

• Feminist movement during 1960-1980– Fought inequalities in law and culture – Viewed as a failure

• Feminist movement during 1990-Present– Caused by failure of first movement– Fights against same inequalities

A Leader of Theory

Alison Jaggar

Alison Jaggar

Found 5 ways traditional western ethics don’t help women– 1) Little concern for women’s interest and rights– 2) Dismiss the private world or home life– 3) Women aren’t developed morally as men– 4) Overvalues men’s cultural traits– 5) Favors masculine ways of reasoning

A Leader of Theory

Carol Gilligan

Carol Gilligan

• Stresses that traditional western moral theories

• Response to Freudian notion• Women’s moral difference from men

Founder of “Difference Feminism”

Believe men and women think/act differently

Gilligan’s StagesStage Goal

Pre-conventional Goal is individual survival

Conventional Self sacrifice is goodness

Post-Conventional Principle of nonviolence: do not hurt others or self

Criticisms of Carol Gilligan

• Christian Hoff Sommers– Failed to produce data– Gilligan used anecdotal evidence– Unable to duplicate work– Sample was too small– Tests on Gender Studies by other

fields

Ethical Dilemmas of Today

AbortionSexual Harassment in the Workplace

Abortion

Does the woman have ethical obligations to the fetus?

Is it ethical to force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term?

Does the woman have ethical obligations to the father?

Is it ethical to give birth to an unwanted child?

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

• Definition• Sexualized environments• Evolution of treatment of women in the

workplace• Examples of sexual harassment situations– Women in the military– Anita Hill Vs. Clarence Thomas

Criticism of Feminism

Theory of Caring• Caring is case by case– Destroys Ethical system

• Based on women’s experiences and tendencies– Feminist criticize other theories are male based

Review

Name the leaders.What are Gilligan’s three stages of moral

development?How many faults did Jaggar find in western

ethics?

Thank You For Your TimeFeminist Theory