FEMINIST THEORY

Feminist theory aspires to comprehend the nature of gender inequality; it is identified as the extension of feminism.  Feminist theory is influenced by Post structuralism with the idea of motherless as well as fatherless text.  Feminist theory mainly focuses on exploring the themes of feminism promoting the rights of women and dealing with the issues of gender inequality. Contemporary art, discrimination, stereotyping, objectification, oppression, patriarchy are some of the elements of the themes included in feminism.

Excavating the history of Feminist theory, “The Changing Woman” and “Ain’t I a woman” the important publication in the feminist which has got it roots in 1792 onwards. There are a number of disciplines in the feminist theory which adds up many debates catering to the needs of shaping a feminist theory. Language, psychoanalysis, bodies, epistemologies, Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender, sexology, economics, politics are some important matter in feminist theory.

Usually bodies are associated with women and minds with men in western thought which provoked the feminist to resist. One can notice that women’s bodies have been objectified throughout history. Taking up from fashion, diets, cosmetic surgery, exercise programs where possible women bodies have targeted. This bodies’ debate has led the Second wave feminist activism to argue for reproductive rights and choice, lesbian rights, and women’s health.

Another important factor to look into in feminist theory is the production knowledge which made the feminist make an attempt to replace “the view from nowhere” with the model of knowing that drives out the “view from women’s lives”. This “feminist standpoint knowledge” which is proposed by feminist theorist deals with the question “How does the knowledge women produce about themselves differ from that produced by patriarchy?”

Mary ann Weathers’ publication “An Argument for Black Women’s Liberation as a Revolutionary Force” portrays the black women who have been burning up  all their energies in liberating Black men.  There is question raised in this scenario if you yourself are not free, how can you liberate someone else? Moreover the white women wanted women of color.

Interrogating the sexuality from the point of view of a feminist connection was made between the different aspects of person’s sexual life. Claire Dalton defined the goals of feminist legal theory experimenting and comprehending the female experience.

Masculinized writing has become another issue. Women started resisting the male gendered language that may not serve to accommodate the literary understanding of women’s lives. “God the Father” is looked upon as a way of designating the sacred as solely men. Women started to restructure the language in order to redefine women.

Questions:

• What is the main focus of the feminist theory?
• How does Masculinized writing affect feminist theory?