CRITICAL SOCIAL SCIENCE PART 1:

Marxism and Feminist Theory

DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

MODULE 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
Analyze the social inequalities in terms of class
conflict
Apply the different concepts of Marxism with regards to
present day problems of social inequality
determine the relationship between gender ideology and
gender inequality
Analyze the basic concepts and principles of the
Feminist Theory

Social Science / Education

MARXISM
A sociological, political and economic
philosophy developed by Karl Marx.
cycle of production and
consumption created an economy
(industrial capitalism)
Marx saw every society to be
socially stratified based on
classes, where the presence or
absence of means of production
serves as the basis of
separation in the groups.
 2 Classes in Society:

1. Bourgeoisie – factory 2. Proletariat – industrial

owners or capitalist workers or laborers

Exploitation – relationship between bourgeoisie and proletariat where

the former gains profit from the labor and services of the latter
 Social Inequality
·oppression and exploitation between
bourgeoisie and proletariat
 Social Inequality
·profit from goods should be divided
equally among the laborers but they
are given low wages and work in
terrible working conditions
(social injustice)
 Ideological control
ideas of ruling class are instilled
in society through the institutions
it dominates
False class consciousness
laborers, in turn, would buy these
goods using the wages they received
from their employers and the cycle
continuous and allows the rich to
further exploit the masses
Class Conflict/Class Struggle
·arises from the oppression of the
proletariat by the bourgeoisie

·laborers would soon realize such

oppression and ultimately break free
from the imposed false consciousness
 Communist society
- classless society having ownership of
property and resources (means of production)
- private property and profit based economy
are replaced by public ownership and control
of at least the means of production by the
community
Important Theorists
Marx and Engels
regarded as Fathers of Marxist
Theory
Communist Manifesto (1848)
- aim: to unite to overthrow the
bourgeoisie supremacy and
ultimately allow the proletariat
freedom form subjugation
 V. Gordon Childe
Australian archaeologist and philologist
Used Marxist economics as a
tool in distinguishing periods
of pre-history and in tracing
the evolution of Western
civilization
Emergence of social classes
was caused by the surplus in
food production
Surplus allowed other classes
in society to expend efforts
in metallurgy
 Theodor Adorno
·German philosopher and sociologist
Dialectics of Enlightenment –
most notable work
Fetishism of commodities –
place value on consumerist
goods by by making the masses
want and desire to consume
them
subjection of human beings to
capitalist ideology
 Slavoj Zizek
Reality is constructed by
ideology
consumers do not mind buying
expensive products if part of
the profit will be donated to
noble cause

Slovenian philosopher and sociologist

FEMINISM
A way of looking at the world which women
occupy from the perspective of women
- critique of patriarchy

Patriarchy - system of society

or government in which men hold
the power and women are largely
excluded from it

- ideology committed to women’s

emancipations
Feminism ideology can take many
different forms:

·1970 – Women started developing a

theory which helped explain their
oppression
·1980 – Feminists started disagreeing
on particular issues linked to
feminism
·Today – there are as many
definitions of feminism as there are
feminists
Different Types of
Feminist Theories
 Radical Feminism
- domination of men is the oldest and
worst kind of oppression in the world
- sex-gender system that has created
oppression
- mission: to overthrow the system by any
possible means
- women must rage a war against men,
patriarchy, and the gender system
-
 Liberal Feminism
- all people are created equal by God and
deserve equal rights
- women have the same mental capacity as
their male counterparts and should be given
the same opportunities
- concentrate on the legislation aspect
in the fight against patriarchy

-
 Socialist Feminism
- Although women are divided by class,
race, ethnicity and religion, they all
experience the same oppression for simply
being a WOMAN
- women must work with men
- there must be a coalition between the two
and they must see each other as EQUALS

-
 Ecofemism Feminism
- patriarchy and male domination is harmful
to women, as well as the environment
- women have a central role in preserving
nature because women understand and are one
with NATURE
- there is a deep connection that men cannot
understand between the earth and women
- Mother Nature or Mother Earth?

-
 Cultural Feminism
- women are inherently more kind and gentle
- if women ruled the world, there would be
no more war and it would be a better place
- females values the ideas such as
interdependence, cooperation, relationships,
community, sharing, joy, trust, and peace
- women’s way is the right and better way
for everyone

-
 FEMALES

BEFORE NOW

History has portrayed women as inferior to men. • women’s identities evolved and
The typical lifestyle among families was for women attained a newer role in the society
to stay at home while men worked, and this way • women these days are more
acknowledged as a WAY OF LIFE for both parties
independent than they were in the past
Main Issue: Gender Inequality
- Each society establishes a structure
that, on the basis of sex and gender,
permits or limits access to power, property,
and prestige; this structure is referred to
as gender stratification.

-
 WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Sex Gender

·the biological characteristics that a social characteristic that varies

distinguish males and females—primary from one society to another and refers
sex organs and secondary sex organs. to what the group considers proper for
its males and females.
 How did females become a
Minority Group?

·A result of pregnancy and breast-feeding

·Men took over tasks requiring greater speed
and longer absences, such as hunting
animals.
·Eventually, men took over society, using
their weapons, their possessions, and their
knowledge to guarantee that they held more
social power than women.

-
Gender Movements
GENDER MOVEMENTS

Gender Equality
·Different behavior, aspirations and
needs of men and women are considered,
valued, and favored equally

Gender Equity
· fairness and justice in the
distribution of benefits and
responsibilities of men and women
GENDER MOVEMENTS

Gender Empowerment
Freedom of women's own decisions and
strategic choices over their lives
which involves awareness raising,
building self-confidence, expansion of
choices and access to and control over
resources and opportunities