Conservatism/Non-Feminism
Conservatives (or Non-Feminists) are generally supportive of traditional gender roles, seeing men as naturally dominant and fit for public roles while women should complement and support their men in private. They often justify these beliefs by reference to biological or religious arguments, arguing either that traditional gender roles evolved in nature or were ordained by a Supreme Being. Some may also argue that feminism is unfair to women since it encourages them to go against their nature.
Liberal Feminism
Liberal Feminists believe that women and men have equal capacities and that they should have the same civil rights and opportunities. They advocate that equal treatment must be enshrined in the law and that politics should be restricted to the public sphere; reserving the rights of the individual to a private life not touched by government or politics.
Radical Feminism
Radical Feminists see the oppression of women as the oldest and most widespread type of domination, and therefore as the model for all subsequent modes of oppression (such as racism, class oppression, bigotry, and so on). Radical Feminists see men as the fundamental factor in the oppression of women (as opposed to capitalism, custom, or biology).
Socialist Feminism
Socialist Feminists hold that gender inequality cannot be separated from the inequalities caused by class oppression and capitalism. These inequalities are inseparable from each other and thus reinforce and feed on each other, creating in turn new modes of oppression such as racism and bigotry. A socialist restructuring of society is thus necessary for true equality to be achieved.
Cultural Feminism
Cultural Feminists believe that there is a "female essence" centered around values such as peace, nurture, and caring. They contrast this with a male essence centered around aggressiveness and competition, which they believe is destructive to both men and women. Consequently, both men and women would stand to gain from reorganizing society among more feminine, caring lines, allowing the nature and values of women to come to the fore.
Women of Color Feminism
Women of Color Feminists hold that racism and sexism combine to form a mode of double oppression for women of color that white feminists could never understand. Women of Color Feminists are often critical of white feminists, which they see as too focused on their own problems, while ignoring the issues of poverty, racism, and ethnocentrism that women of color face.
Lesbian Feminism
Lesbian Feminism sees heterosexuality as intertwined with male domination and challenges the perception of heterosexual love as normal. They see lesbian relationships as a way to free themselves from male oppression and sometimes advocate the segregation of women into all-female communes where they can rid themselves of patriarchal norms and values.
Ecofeminism
Ecofeminism sees humanity’s exploitation of the natural environment as a patriarchal, male mode of consciousness. Ecofeminists thus see a connection between the degradation of the natural environment and the subordination of women by men. They place an emphasis on the identity of the woman linked to Mother Earth with many believing that only women (or feminine values) can show us a geunine alternative to the ecologically and socially destructive system we are living in.
Intersectional Feminism
Intersectional Feminists believe that each person is characterized by their unique placement in an overlapping system of social identities that renders them prone to oppression or privilege. Not just male privilege, but privilege based on age, race, wealth, beauty, and health are thus legitimate points of concern for Intersectional Feminists. Anytime someone is rendered invisible or powerless due to their social identities, they should be listened to and understood with the aim of ending their oppression.
Postmodern Feminism
Postmodern Feminism challenges the legitimacy of supposedly objective knowledge (such as biology, brain science, and personality differences). They believe that such so-called “universal truths” are not value-free, but in fact manufactured to justify patriarchal norms in society. Postmodern Feminism thus contests classical thinking by highlighting that there are many domains of experience that are not captured by the prevailing, “scientific” mode of thought.
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