Access the usefulness of the feminist evaluation of society (20/30m):

Firstly, Marxist feminists argue that in society, females are oppressed, and it is capitalism rather than patriarchy that is the principal source of this. They argue that capitalism in society has benefited from industrialisation, which has caused a division of labor between home and work. A man’s instrumental role is to be the main breadwinner and a woman's expressive role is to run the home and take care of the children, whilst absorbing the husbands’ anger that they have towards the system. Simultaneously, women have to work outside the home to maintain the family income. They are seen by the bourgeoisie as a source of cheap labour and a reserve supply, of which could be called upon when male labour was needed elsewhere. Marxist feminist Barrett argues that the dominant ideology enforced in capitalist society presents the nuclear family as the only place where women can attain fulfilment. Marxist feminists note that if we lived in a communist society, gender inequalities would diminish.Secondly, Liberal feminists criticise the Marxist feminist view of society, as they argue that it fails to explain women’s subordination in non capitalist societies, such as those in China, where the women are still forced to be the housewife and obey the dominant husband. They argue that in society it is both men and women who are harmed by gender inequalities. For example, society uses ISAs such as the media to enforce images of how men and women should be, which they argue can effect academia as it reinforces the patriarchal society. They add that gendered language such as ‘he’ ‘him’ and ‘man’ is predominant in literature from a young age, and as Sue Shape’s notes in her ‘just like a girl’ theory, society presents young girls and boys with early gender stereotypes in socialisation, such as assigned toys, including dolls for girls and cars for boys. She adds how girls consequently attach less value to education, and therefore are unable to achieve in academia. Moreover, liberal feminists argue that although our postmodern society has made improvements towards the equality for men and women, such as the introduction of paternity leave, and the 1970 equal pay act, it is still patriarchal due to the way it presents gender specific roles; resulting in the oppression of women.