Feminist Theory

“
GOOD
AFTERNOON ”
FEMINIST
THEORY
FEMINIST THEORY
 Is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower

women worldwide. It is extension of feminism into
theoretical or philosophical discourse. It aims to
understand the nature of gender inequality. Feminists
fight for equality of women and argue that women should
share equally in society’s opportunities and scare
resources.
Three waves in describing the
history of Feminism
 First wave of feminism talks about women suffrage or having the

right to vote.
 Second wave of feminism broadened the debate to wide range of
issues; Sexuality ,family, the workplace, reproductive rights, de facto
inequalities, and official legal inequalities.
 Third wave of feminism refers to several diverse strains of feminist
activity and study, whose exact boundaries in the history of feminism
are a subject of debate. but are generally marked as beginning in the
early 1990s and continuing to the present
KINDS OF FEMINIST THEORY
FEMINIST THEORIES DISCRIPTION
LIBERAL FEMINISM THIS IS THE VARIETY OF FEMINISM THAT WORKS

WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF MAINSTREAM
SOCIETY TO INTEGRATE WOMEN THAT
STRUCTURE
MARXIST FEMINISM INEQUALITY ON GENDER IS BASED ON DIVISION
OF LABOR
RADICAL FEMINISM MALE POWER IS ALWAYS BASED FROM SOCIAL

RELATION AND INTERACTION
SOCIALIST FEMINISM WOMEN ARE INFERIOR BECAUSE OF CLASS

BASED CAPITALISM
POSTMODERN FEMINISM WOMEN ATTEMPT TO CHANGE AND TO CRITICIZE

THE DOMINANT ORDER OF THE MODERN
To explain the feminist theory, certain disciplines are used to explain
feminism. There are a number of distinct feminist disciplines,in which
experts in other areas apply feminist techniques and principles to
their own fields
1. PHILOSOPHY - The Feminist philosophy refers to a philosophy approached from a feminist perspective.
Feminist philosophy involves attempts to use methods of philosophy to further the cause of the feminist
movements, it also tries to criticize and/or reevaluate the ideas of traditional philosophy from within a feminist
view.
2. EPISTEMOLOGY-Its talks about how women think. It explains that there is a difference in the ways of how
women think compared to men. A feminist approach to epistemology seeks to establish knowledge production from
a woman’s perspective. It theorizes that from personal experience comes knowledge which helps each individual
look at things from a different insight.
3. PSYCHOLOGY- Feminist psychology critiques the fact that historically psychology research has been done from
a male perspective with the view that males are the norm.(Crawford & Unger, 2000)
• . HISTORY- It aims to re-analyze and re-read all parts of
history using the feminist persp4ective. The goal of feminist
history is to explore and illuminate the female viewpoint of
history through rediscovery of female writers, artists,
philosophers, etc. in order to recover and demonstrate the
significant of women’s voices and choices in the past (Cain,
1994)
• GEOGRAPHY- Its critiques existing geographical and
social studies, arguing that academic traditions are delineated
by patriarchy, and contemporary studies which do not
confront the nature of previous work reinforce the male bias
of academic study(Rose, 1993)
NOTABLE FEMINISTS
SANDRA HARDING- Criticizes all sociological theories claiming they are all gender –biased. Social
theory must be created by women and include issues central to women.
ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON- First English woman to qualify as a physician and surgeon in
the UK; co-founder of first hospital staffed by woman.
SIMONE DE BEAUVIOR- Partner of Jean Paul Sarte. Writer of “The Second Sex” which sets out a
feminist existentialism which prescribes a moral revolution.
PATRICIA HILL COLLINS- Believed that individuals have their own reality construct that are linked to
the groups to which they belong.
ANNESTINE BEYER- Pioneer of women’s education.
“ HERMENEUTICAL
PHENOMENOLOGY
”
“Historical exegesis is only the preliminary part of
interpretation ; application is its essences. Exegesis without
application should not be called interpretation at all.” J.I.
Packer
 From the interpretive epistemological perspective, knowledge is multifaceted in nature, establishing
research methods that reveal the expressions of the participant’s social reality. Both hermeneutics
and phenomenology are strains of interpretive epistemology, focusing on the examination of one’s
social reality and subjective familiarity and acquaintance with a particular topic. The interpretivist
framework follows the principle of multiple realities that are ultimately constructed and modified by
each individual.
 Hermeneutical Phenomenology came from two philosophical ideas, Hermeneutics and
Phenomenology.
 Hermeneutics is a wider discipline that study written, verbal, and nonverbal communication. In the
earlier days, it was applied to the interpretation, or exegesis, of scripture. It emerged as a theory of
human understanding in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries through the work of
Friedrich Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey.
 In this modern days, hermeneutics cover both verbal and nonverbal communication as well as
semiotics, presuppositions, of interpretation that is geared towards the recapturing of meaning of a
text, or a text analogue that is temporally or culturally distant, or obscured by ideology and false
consciousness.’
According to Demetrio III (2013), Hermeneutics has three
different layers of meanings and concerns:
1. It is theory which is concerned with the epistemological
vadility and possibility of interpretation.
2. it is a methodology which is concerned with the
formulation of reliable system of interpretation.
3. It is praxis which is concerned with the actual process
of interpreting specific test.
Hermeneutics has different ways of recognizing how
interpretations maybe done. The table below summarizes
this hermeneutics system.
Person
The person is Person

part of the creates a
world and so
the theory is an theory about
interpretation of the world.
the person.
Theory
Hermeneutics Phenomenology’s themes are about interpretation,
textual meaning and dialogue. Hans Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur
are the first people who studied Hermeneutic Phenomology.
ForGadamer, he gave emphasis on the meaning and role of
language in the process of giving meaning into an idea. His focus
is more on te phenomenology of human consersation. Ricoeur’s
hermeneutic phenomenology examines how human meanings are
deposited and mediated through myth, religion, art, and
language. He elaborates especially on the narrative function of
language, on the various uses of language such as storytelling,
and how narratives and temporalityt interact and ultimately
return to the question of the meaning of being, the self and self-
identity.
“ HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
SYSTEM
”
Since humans can be found in most areas in the world, it is essential that with everything that is around us. Humans have the
capacity to interact with its environment. Humans and the environment has that “mutual” interaction with each other. Humans
have the capacity to changes or influence the balance of the ecosystem while the environment can also have the capacity to
influence the behavior of society. For example, humans can either destroy or recreate the ecosystem by means of tampering its
natural landscape on the other hand, the environment can Influence the culture of the society by means of creating norms or beliefs
Environmental Issues (Environmetal
Action and Effects)
HUMANS ACTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES/EFFECTS
HUMANS OVERPOPULATION • WATER SCARCITY
• LAND RECLAMATION
• LAND DEGRADATION
• WASTE DISPOSAL MANAGEMENT
• URBANIZATION
• INDUSTRIALIZATION
INTENSIVE FARMING • INTENSIVE ANIMAL FARMING

• INTENSIVE CROP FARMING
• PESTICIDE DRIFFT
• PLASTICULTURE
• SLASH AND BURN
• DEFORESTATION
• ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MEAT PRODUCTION
EXHAUSTIVE LAND USE • HABITAT FRAGMENTATION

• HABITAT DESTRUCTION
• LAND POLLUTION
• BUILT ENVIRONMENT
• DESERTIFICATION
HYDROLOGY • TILE DRAINAGE

• FLOODING
• LANDSLIDE

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“

 Is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower

 First wave of feminism talks about women suffrage or having the

LIBERAL FEMINISM THIS IS THE VARIETY OF FEMINISM THAT WORKS

RADICAL FEMINISM MALE POWER IS ALWAYS BASED FROM SOCIAL

SOCIALIST FEMINISM WOMEN ARE INFERIOR BECAUSE OF CLASS

POSTMODERN FEMINISM WOMEN ATTEMPT TO CHANGE AND TO CRITICIZE

The person is Person

INTENSIVE FARMING • INTENSIVE ANIMAL FARMING

EXHAUSTIVE LAND USE • HABITAT FRAGMENTATION

HYDROLOGY • TILE DRAINAGE

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