Difference Feminism
Difference feminism – a broad spectrum of feminist approaches that emphasize differences between men and women. This approach became especially influential in the 1980s as part of attempts to revalue devalued so-called traditional feminine qualities, such as subjectivity, care, sensuality, empathy, and similar traits.
Difference feminism has been criticized for essentialism and for the possible reinforcement of conventional gender stereotypes. It has also been criticized for insufficient attention to differences among women themselves, including class, cultural, religious, racial, ethnic, and other differences.
Conditionally, difference feminism may be divided into two ideological directions:
-
equal but different – the struggle for equal rights of the sexes while recognizing differences between them;
-
different, therefore requiring sex-specific rights or protections – the view that differences between men and women may justify the need for specific rights, protections, or social measures for each sex; see Special-Rights Feminism.
Leave a Reply