Feminism 女性主义.docVIP

Feminism The roots of feminism: calls for the dignity, intelligence and basic human potential of the female sex. Feminist movement: 19th century Feminist criticism: As a distinctive and concerted approach to literature, feminist criticism was not inaugurated until late in the 1960s. Examines ways in which literature reinforces or undermines the oppression of women, economically, socially, politically, psychologically. However, behind it lie two centuries of struggle for the recognition of women’s cultural roles and achievements, and for women’s social and political rights. Much of feminist literary criticism is correlated with the movement by political feminists for social, legal, and cultural freedom and equality. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). Follow up her earlier book, A Vindication of the Rights of Man. Focus on the moral demand of equality, especially in education. First attribution of gender differences to socialization John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)The Subjection of Women (1869) Focused on establishing a right to vote and to hold political office. Much of the book was dedicated to undermining popular stereotypes of women that were used to justify political exclusion. John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor (1807-1858)The Enfranchisement of Women (1851). Originally written by Taylor, later republished with essays written by her and Mill. Also focus on arguing for political enfranchisement for women. Added essays in later additions argued for women’s right to sue for divorce Feminism: it can be defined as a recognition and critique of male supremacy combined with efforts to change it. The goals of feminism are to demonstrate the importance of women, to reveal that historically women have been subordinate to men, to bring about gender equity. Traditional Gender Roles Patriarchy: Any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles. Men: Rational/Strong/Protective/Decisive Women: Emotional (irrational)/