Feminism – Gender Justice, Patriarchy & Political Power
UPSC PSIR | Political Ideologies | High Scoring Contemporary Theory
1️⃣ INTRODUCTION
Feminism is a political ideology that seeks to eliminate gender-based oppression.
Core Claim: Political theory has historically been male-centric.
Feminism challenges patriarchy as a system of domination.
2️⃣ KEY CONCEPT: PATRIARCHY
Patriarchy = System where men dominate political, economic and social institutions.
It operates in:
- Family
- Workplace
- State
- Culture
3️⃣ CORE PRINCIPLES
- Gender equality
- Critique of public-private divide
- Recognition of unpaid care work
- Reform of political institutions
4️⃣ TYPES OF FEMINISM
🔹 Liberal Feminism
- Equal rights
- Legal reform
- Political representation
🔹 Marxist / Socialist Feminism
- Capitalism + patriarchy interconnected
- Domestic labour as exploitation
🔹 Radical Feminism
- Patriarchy is root oppression
- Family as power structure
🔹 Postmodern Feminism
- Gender as social construct
- Identity politics
🔹 Intersectional Feminism
- Gender + caste + race + class intersect
5️⃣ FEMINISM vs LIBERALISM
- Liberalism claims neutrality.
- Feminism exposes male bias.
6️⃣ FEMINISM vs MARXISM
- Marx focuses on class.
- Feminism adds gender dimension.
7️⃣ FEMINISM & STATE
State must:
- Ensure representation
- Provide maternity benefits
- Address domestic violence
- Recognize care economy
8️⃣ INDIAN CONTEXT
- Reservation for women
- Gender wage gap
- Domestic labour debate
- Triple talaq judgment
- Uniform Civil Code debate
9️⃣ CRITICISMS
- Overemphasis on identity
- Fragmentation of politics
- Western-centric bias
📝 MAINS QUESTIONS
- Discuss major strands of feminism.
- Critically examine feminist critique of liberalism.
- Is patriarchy political?
- Relevance of feminism in India.
QUICK REVISION MAP
- Patriarchy
- Public-private divide
- Care economy
- Intersectionality
- Gender justice
“The personal is political.”
Shaktimatha Learning – PSIR Ideology Series
No comments:
Post a Comment