Unit 1
Introduction to Feminist Discourse

Overview

Feminist writing and philosophy have a long and varied lineage. For example, the philosopher John Stuart Mill, one of the “fathers” of liberal political theory, developed a clear analysis of the social implications of women’s unequal status. Some modern feminists have rejected these early analyses of women’s treatment because they focus too much on women’s “similarity” with men. For these feminists, the greatest barriers to sex equality are not a lack of equal opportunity, but the legal, political and social structures that keep women subordinate to men. Other feminists argue that women really are different from men, and that this difference is a cause not for denigration, but celebration. This unit introduces students to some of the most basic elements of feminist thought and illuminates the divisions within feminism.

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, students should be able to

1. identify the basic elements of feminist thought.
2. discuss how modern feminist theory has built on, and moved beyond, its proponents.
3. distinguish between political, social and gender-based analyses of women’s equality issues.