HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT 2: FILIPINO PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL WORK

MODULE 7: FEMINIST THEORIES

MODULE/TOPIC

Feminist theory
Feminist theory in social work focuses on understanding and addressing the ways in which gender, power, and social
structures impact individuals and groups, particularly women. It emphasizes the empowerment of clients and encourages
challenging systemic and institutionalized gender biases and discrimination. In this scenario, applying feminist theory would involve
supporting the client in recognizing and confronting the gender discrimination in her workplace, rather than just adapting to it or
focusing solely on individual-level interventions.
Among the major feminist theories are liberal feminism, radical feminism, Marxist/socialist feminism,
postmodern/poststructuralist feminism, and multiracial feminism.

Liberalism
It refers to a political philosophy that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries alongside modernity and capitalism,
advocating for individual freedom, democracy, equal opportunities, and equal rights, particularly in the political and economic
spheres.

Liberal Feminism
Refers to feminism of equal rights; it demands political equality - women's right to vote and stand for election, and access to
the labor market - but also equal rights when it comes to marriage, education, or work (equal pay). In short, liberal feminists
revendicate their right to play an active role in society and to be treated in the same way as their male counterparts. In contrast to
pro-sex feminism, but similar to radical feminism, liberal feminism is traditionally opposed to prostitution.

Radical Feminism
It is a philosophy emphasizing the patriarchal roots of inequality between men and women or, more specifically, the social
domination of women by men. Radical feminism views patriarchy as dividing societal rights, privileges, and power primarily along
the lines of sex, and as a result, oppressing women and privileging men.

Radical feminism opposes existing political and social organizations in general because it is inherently tied to patriarchy.
Thus, radical feminists tend to be skeptical of political action within the current system and instead tend to focus on culture change
that undermines patriarchy and associated hierarchical structures. In other words, radical feminists seek to abolish the patriarchy in
a struggle to liberate women and girls from a perceived unjust society by challenging existing social norms and institutions.

Marxist/Socialist Feminism
Marxist and socialist feminisms were inspired by Marxism and arose in reaction to liberal feminism, whose fight failed to go
beyond equal rights. Legal emancipation is not enough to “liberate” women, as it does not lead to the abolition of patriarchy in
social relations.

Marxist feminism examines women's exploitation and oppression within capitalism by linking reproduction to production and
theorizing revolutionary possibilities for an anti-capitalist future. It emphasizes theories of imperialism, primitive accumulation, and
the exploitation of unpaid labor. From the 1930s, Marxist feminism in the US highlighted the intersection of systemic racism,
sexism, and class exploitation, while in anticolonial movements, it focused on imperialism's role in perpetuating gender oppression.
This strand of feminist theory grounds its perspective in Karl Marx’s work on capitalism. It argues that women’s oppression is linked
to the gendered structures of capitalism and the system of private property.
Socialist feminism, emerging from these ideas, sought to expand state support for women's rights and resources, challenging
both capitalism and patriarchy by synthesizing feminist analyses of gender and economic inequality. Socialist feminists wanted to
work with men to correct the inequities between men and women, it sought to avoid separating feminism from the rest of society.

Postmodern/Poststructuralist feminism
Postmodern feminism is a branch of third-wave feminism that incorporates the philosophies of postmodernism,
post-structuralism, and French feminism. It sees gender stereotypes as culturally constructed through language and aims to
de-throne the prevalent patriarchal binary norms, in favor of embracing differences and individual experiences.

Structuralism is a movement that understands culture to be made up of complementary structures defined in opposition to
each other and often arranged in a hierarchy. Examples are man-woman; and rational-emotional. Post-structuralism rejects the
binary view of the world and suggests that history and culture have a big impact in defining each subject.

Waves of Feminism
First and second-wave feminism were the prevailing schools of thought between the late 18th century and the 1980s. They
both emerged in what today we define as the Global North.

- First-wave feminism presents women as equal to men on the grounds of their equal ability for rational thought and
achieved women's suffrage.
- Second-wave feminism celebrates femininity and the sisterhood of women as defined by (white) women, and as if they
were concepts that were universally recognized. Second-wave feminism centered on fighting for reproductive rights.
While riding on the successes of the previous two waves of feminism,
- Third-wave feminism rejects some of the assumptions of first-wave and second-wave feminist movements, due to the
incorporation of the idea of intersectionality.

Multiracial feminism
It refers most often to the feminisms of Black/African American, Latina/ Chicana, Native American, and Asian American
women; however, it includes the voices of anti-racist white women and all women of color including East Indian women, Arab
women, mixed race women, and women of color not from the United States. Multiracial feminists have often identified themselves
under the rubric of ”women of color.” The identification of women of color as a political, strategic, and subjective identity category is
a relatively recent phenomenon. The term ”women of color” connotes both affinity and similarity of experience.

Feminist Social Work

Key Aspects of feminist theories in social work
● Empowerment: Feminist social work is rooted in the empowerment of individuals and communities. It aims to help clients
gain a sense of agency and control over their lives, recognizing that many women and marginalized groups have
historically been disempowered.
● Voice and Participation: It emphasizes the importance of giving clients a voice in decision-making processes, respecting
their autonomy, and involving them in designing interventions that meet their specific needs and goals.
● Social Justice: Feminist social work is deeply committed to social justice. It seeks to address not only individual cases
but also systemic issues that contribute to gender-based discrimination and inequality. Advocacy for policy changes and
social reform is a key component.
● Ethical Considerations: Feminist social work challenges traditional ethical standards and encourages social workers to
critically examine their own biases and values. It promotes ethical practices that prioritize the well-being and rights of
clients.
 ● Trauma-Informed Care: Recognizing the prevalence of gender-based violence and trauma, feminist social work often
incorporates trauma-informed care approaches to provide support and healing for survivors.
● Research and Education: Feminist social work theory also informs research in the field, guiding the exploration of
gender-related issues and the evaluation of social work practices. It is also taught in social work education to prepare
future practitioners to address gender-based disparities effectively.

References:

Armstrong, E. (2020), Marxist and Social Feminisms, Wiley Online Library

Change, A. of. (2023, December 1). Feminist theory and the ASWB exam. Agents of Change Social Work Test Prep.

Cottais, C. (2020), Liberal Feminism, Geo Org

Griffin, G. (2017), Marxist Feminism, Oxford University Press

Lewis, J. J. (2024), Radical Feminism, ThoughtCo

Napikoski, L. (2018), Socialist Feminism vs. Other Types of Feminism, ThoughtCo

Renzetti, C. (2009), Feminist Theories, Oxford Bibliographies

Team Politics Teacher (2024), Postmodern Feminism, StudySmarter

 HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT 2: FILIPINO PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL WORK

MODULE 7: FEMINIST THEORIES

DICTIONARY

1 EMPOWERMENT One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that aims to help clients gain a sense
of agency and control over their lives, recognizing that many women and marginalized groups
have historically been disempowered.

2 ETHICAL One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that challenges traditional ethical
CONSIDERATIONS
standards and encourages social workers to critically examine their own biases and values. It
promotes ethical practices that prioritize the well-being and rights of clients.

3 FEMINIST THEORY In social work, it focuses on understanding and addressing the ways in which gender, power,
and social structures impact individuals and groups, particularly women. It emphasizes the
empowerment of clients and encourages challenging systemic and institutionalized gender
biases and discrimination.

4 LIBERALISM It refers to a political philosophy that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries alongside
modernity and capitalism, advocating for individual freedom, democracy, equal opportunities,
and equal rights, particularly in the political and economic spheres.

5 LIBERAL FEMINISM It refers to feminism of equal rights; it demands political equality - women's right to vote and
stand for election, and access to the labor market - but also equal rights when it comes to
marriage, education, or work (equal pay).

6 MARXISM It refers to a theory advocating for a classless society where the means of production are
communally owned, criticizing capitalism for creating class struggle between the wealthy and
the working class.

7 MARXIST FEMINISM It examines women's exploitation and oppression within capitalism by linking reproduction to
production and theorizing revolutionary possibilities for an anti-capitalist future.

8 MULTIRACIAL It refers most often to the feminisms of Black/African American, Latina/ Chicana, Native
FEMINISM American, and Asian American women; however, it includes the voices of anti-racist white
women and all women of color including East Indian women, Arab women, mixed race women,
and women of color not from the United States.

9 POSTMODERN/POST It is a branch of third-wave feminism that incorporates the philosophies of postmodernism,

STRUCTURALIST post-structuralism, and French feminism.
FEMINISM

10 RADICAL FEMINISM It is a philosophy emphasizing the patriarchal roots of inequality between men and women or,
more specifically, the social domination of women by men.
11 RESEARCH AND One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that informs research in the field,
EDUCATION
guiding the exploration of gender-related issues and the evaluation of social work practices. It
is also taught in social work education to prepare future practitioners to address gender-based
disparities effectively.

12 SOCIALIST FEMINISM It sought to expand state support for women's rights and resources, challenging both
capitalism and patriarchy by synthesizing feminist analyses of gender and economic inequality.

13 SOCIAL JUSTICE One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that seeks to address not only
individual cases but also systemic issues that contribute to gender-based discrimination and
inequality. Advocacy for policy changes and social reform is a key component.

14 STRUCTURALISM It is a movement that understands culture to be made up of complementary structures defined

in opposition to each other and often arranged in a hierarchy.

15 TRAUMA-INFORMED One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work recognizing the prevalence of
CARE
gender-based violence and trauma, feminist social work often incorporates trauma-informed
care approaches to provide support and healing for survivors.

16 VOICE AND One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that emphasizes the importance of
PARTICIPATION
giving clients a voice in decision-making processes, respecting their autonomy, and involving
them in designing interventions that meet their specific needs and goals.
 HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT 2: FILIPINO PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL WORK

MODULE 7: FEMINIST THEORIES

QUIZ/TEST

Name: Score:

Course/Year/Section: Date:

1. It is a movement that understands culture to be made up of complementary structures defined in opposition to each other
and often arranged in a hierarchy.
a. Radical feminism
b. Socialist feminism
c. Structuralism
d Ethical Considerations

2. It refers to a political philosophy that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries alongside modernity and capitalism,
advocating for individual freedom, democracy, equal opportunities, and equal rights, particularly in the political and
economic spheres
a. Liberalism
b. Marxism
c. Structuralism
d. Socialist Feminism

3. It sought to expand state support for women's rights and resources, challenging both capitalism and patriarchy by
synthesizing feminist analyses of gender and economic inequality.
a. Liberalism
b. Marxism
c. Structuralism
d. Socialist Feminism

4. One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work that seeks to address not only individual cases but also systemic
issues that contribute to gender-based discrimination and inequality. Advocacy for policy changes and social reform is a
key component.
a. Social Justice
b. Voice and Participation
c. Structuralism
d. Empowerment

5. It examines women's exploitation and oppression within capitalism by linking reproduction to production and theorizing
revolutionary possibilities for an anti-capitalist future.
a. Multiracial Feminism
b. Marxist Feminism
c. Radical Feminism
d. Socialist Feminism

6. It refers to feminism of equal rights; it demands political equality - women's right to vote and stand for election, and access
to the labor market - but also equal rights when it comes to marriage, education, or work (equal pay).
a. Liberalism
 b. Marxism
c. Radical Feminism
d. Liberal Feminism

7. It is a branch of third-wave feminism that incorporates the philosophies of postmodernism, post-structuralism, and French
feminism.
a. Liberal Feminism
b. Socialist Feminism
c. Postmodern/Poststructuralist Feminism
d. Radical Feminism

8. It emphasizes the importance of giving clients a voice in decision-making processes, respecting their autonomy, and
involving them in designing interventions that meet their specific needs and goals.
a. Empowerment
b. Voice and Participation
c. Ethical Considerations
d. Reseach and Education

9. It refers to a political theory that developed in the 17th and 18th centuries with capitalism and modernity. It promoted
equality of rights, especially in the political and economic domains, as well as individual freedom, democracy, and equal
opportunity.
a. Liberalism
b. Radical Feminism
c. Liberal Feminism
d. Feminist Theory

10. In social work, it focuses on understanding and addressing the ways in which gender, power, and social structures impact
individuals and groups, particularly women. It emphasizes the empowerment of clients and encourages challenging
systemic and institutionalized gender biases and discrimination.
a. Liberalism
b. Radical Feminism
c. Liberal Feminism
d. Feminist Theory

11. One of the key aspects of feminist theories in social work recognizing the prevalence of gender-based violence and
trauma, feminist social work often incorporates this approaches to provide support and healing for survivors.
a. Trauma-informed care
b. Research and Education
c. Ethical Considerations
d. Voice and Participation

12. Social workers are encouraged to critically analyse their own prejudices and ideals by feminist social work, which
questions established ethical norms. It encourages moral behaviour that puts the rights and welfare of clients first.
a. Trauma-informed care
b. Empowerment
c. Ethical Considerations
d. Voice and Participation

13. Recognising that many women and marginalised groups have traditionally been disempowered, it seeks to assist clients in
regaining a sense of agency and control over their life.
 a. Trauma-informed care
b. Empowerment
c. Ethical Considerations
d. Voice and Participation

14. It includes the voices of anti-racist white women and all women of color including East Indian women, Arab women,
mixed race women, and women of color not from the United States.
a. Multiracial Feminism
b. Marxist Feminism
c. Radical Feminism
d. Socialist Feminism

15. It is a philosophy emphasizing the patriarchal roots of inequality between men and women or, more specifically, the social
domination of women by men.
a. Multiracial Feminism
b. Marxist Feminism
c. Radical Feminism
d. Socialist Feminism