300459151-Feminist Theory
From PsychWiki - A Collaborative Psychology Wiki
Section 1
Feminist theory is a theory that states that society is dominated by males who have more “social, economic, and political power and status than women” (Hines & Malley-Morrison, 2005, p. 27) It focuses on the inequality that women experience as a result of living in a patriarchal society. Society’s expectations of gender roles for both men and women play a part in interactions between males and females (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Steil, 2001). Many people still believe in traditional gender roles, where men work and pay the bills and women stay home and take care of the children. Males dominate over women leaving them to feel inferior. According to Ali (2007), men hold the power in heterosexual relationships, leaving women to feel that they are not equal to their partner. Feminists throughout history have fought for equal rights and treatment of women. Although there are different roles women adhere to among different cultures, there are obvious gender messages relayed by society that girls and women feel the need to fulfill (Worrell & Remer, 2003).
According to studies about violent victimization of women, there are four strains of feminist theory (Vieraitis et al, 2008). The first is Marxist feminism, which hypothesizes that “women in the lower class often are situated among men who are frustrated by their own economic conditions and this frustration leads to violence against women” (Vieraitis et al, 2008). According to this theory, women then become targets of violence because men find the need to take out their aggression on them. The second strain is liberal feminism, which states that women are oppressed by men and taught to serve the needs of men in a patriarchal society, where men feel the need to maintain power and control (Davis, 1975). Under this theory, female homicide rates should decline once women are given the same rights and power as men (Vieraitis et al, 2008). The third strain is radical feminists who agree with liberal feminists, but argue that gender equality could lead to increased violence as men try to regain their control and power through the use of violence (Brownmiller, 1975). And finally, socialist feminists combine Marxist and liberal feminism viewpoints, and maintain that “both absolute and relative measures of deprivation will be important predictors of violence against women” (Eisenstein, 1979). Under this theory, once women establish equal status to men, female homicide victimization should decrease since men with more resources should be able to appropriately handle their frustration and women will have the power and resources to leave a violent situation (Vieraitis et al, 2008).
Feminist theory influences violent behavior and interactions between men and women, particularly intimate partner violence and rape and sexual assault crimes. Vieraitis et al (2008) note that “several feminist theories predict that women’s socioeconomic status, both absolute status and their status relative to men, influences the prevalence of violence against women”. For more than 40 years, gender inequality has been linked to violence against women according to feminist theories (Jaggar, 1983). Women have felt powerless against men and have experienced violence as a result. According to the US Department of Justice (2001) they are also more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than a stranger. Bailey and Peterson (1995) conducted a study that tested feminist hypotheses and the relationship between gender inequality and female homicide rates. Their research suggests that “female homicide victimization by intimate partners may be more subject to the influences of women’s status and gender inequality” (Bailey & Peterson, 1995). Rape is a crime of power, a power that males feel they have over women and creates a sense of entitlement. In a patriarchal society where men feel they are superior to women, violence is more likely to occur. Until society is able to view men and women as equal, violent behavior towards women cannot be reduced according to feminist theory.
Section 2
An example of violent behavior in relation to feminist theory would be any sexual assault crime or intimate partner violence. The attitude of male dominance is quite prevalent in society which is why these crimes are committed daily. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2007), a forcible rape is committed every 5.7 minutes. While all rapes and sexual assaults need to be taken seriously, a particular area of concern is the rape that women experience in the war torn country of Congo. In this third world country, countless girls and women are raped and tortured daily (Ensler, 2009). According to Ensler (2009), babies, young girls, adolescents, women, and elderly women endure the most horrific sex crimes, shame, and humiliation in Congo. They are dehumanized and treated as if they are worthless. The men in this country are not just looking to rape women and children, but actually conduct femicide, “the systematic and planned destruction of the female population, which is being used as a tactic of war to clear villages, pillage mines and destroy the fabric of the Congolese society” (Ensler, 2009). The violence women experience in Congo is a concrete example of how a patriarchal society devalues women and how they become victims of violence just for being a woman. While women in the United States do not endure the same horrific atrocities committed on their counterparts in other countries, they share in the experience of feeling helpless and being dehumanized as they too are victims of rape and sexual assault.
Section 3
Feminist theory explains the violence in Congo because rape is a crime of power, a power that the men in a patriarchal society feel they possess and have the need to execute over women. Women are helpless in that country and do not receive any support from the government for protection and safety. They fall victim to men and their wants and needs as a result of gender inequality. Marxist feminism can apply to the issue in Congo because the men feel oppressed by the government and therefore feel that they need to maintain their power by committing acts of violence against women. They take out their frustration on females who share in their oppression. Liberal, radical, and social feminism theories relate to the violence in Congo as they emphasize that gender inequality and women’s status relevant to men results in violence.
According to feminist theory, violent interactions between men and women cannot be reduced until men and women are viewed as equals. As long as gender inequality continues to exist and societies continue to be patriarchal, women will be victims of violence. Men will continue to exert their power over women and women will feel powerless against men.
Section 4
Feminist theory and the school shooting at Columbine have something in common. The perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed innocent people at their school in one of the most well known shootings in U.S. history. The inequality experienced by women in feminist theory and the inequality felt by the perpetrators in the Columbine incident are related. The shooters felt inferior to their peers and were bullied to the point where they felt violence was the only answer and the only way that they could be heard. The murders they carried out were justifiable according to them. The perpetrators at Columbine probably felt the same way that women who are victims of violence do, helpless and dehumanized. The power that their peers had over them is similar to the power that men feel they have over women. The inequality they experienced as a result of being at the bottom of the school’s hierarchy is what drove the two boys over the edge.
Elliot Aronson (2004) investigated the Columbine shooting, and reports that: “The teenagers near the top of the hierarchy are constantly rejecting, taunting, and ridiculing those near the bottom. Those in the middle join in the taunting as a way of differentiating themselves from those at the bottom—and showing those at the top that they are different from the geeks and the loners. My interviews with high school students indicate that almost all of them know the rank ordering of the hierarchy and are well aware of their own place in that hierarchy.”
Aronson (2004) maintains that when humans are able to see through the perspective of others, empathy increases and makes maltreatment more difficult to occur. Thus, had the bullies that humiliated the perpetrators been able to see through the eyes of Eric and Dylan, the shooting most likely would not have occurred. The two boys did not have good relationships with their peers so it was less likely for empathy to be felt for both victims and perpetrators.
In conclusion, feminist theory and the Columbine incident are related in that they both result from inequality. If men in a patriarchal society could learn to see through the perspective that women have, they would be less likely to treat women as less than equals. Had the peers of Eric and Dylan put themselves in the shoes of the two that they bullied, the Columbine shooting may not have taken place. It is important to treat everybody with kindness and respect so that everyone feels equal to each other. Less violence would occur in a world where everyone is equal and feels the need to depend on others.
References
Ali, A. & Toner, B. B. (2001) Emotional abuse in women, in: J. Worell (Ed.) The Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association and Academic Press.
Aronson, E. (2004).How the columbine high school tragedy could have been prevented. Journal of Individual Psychology. 60, 4, 355-360.
Bailey,W. C., & Peterson, R. D. (1995). Gender inequality and violence against women: the case of murder. In J. Hagan & R. D. Peterson (Eds.), Crime and inequality (pp. 174-205). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Brown, L. M. & Gilligan, C. (1992) Meeting at the Crossroads: Women’s Psychology and Girls’ Development. New York: Ballantine Books.
Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will: men, women and rape. New York: Simon & Schuster. Davis, J. L. (1975). The dialectics of rape. Ms, 3, 106-108.
Eisenstein, Z. R. (1979). Developing a theory of capitalist patriarchy and socialist feminism. In Z. R. Eisenstein (Ed.), Capitalist patriarchy and the case for socialist feminism (pp. 5- 40). New York: Monthly Review Press.
Ensler, E. (2009, May, 18). Commentary: war on women in congo. CNN.com, Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/05/18/ensler.congo/index.html?iref=newssearch
Hines, D. A. & Malley-Morrison, K. (2005). Family violence in the united states: defining, understanding, and combating abuse. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Jaggar, A. M. (1983). Feminist politics and human nature. New Jersey: Rowan and Littlefield.
Steil, J. M. (2001). Marriage: still ‘his’ and ‘hers’, in: J. Worell (Ed.) The Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.
Vieraitis, L.M., Kovandzic, T., & Britto, S. (2008).Women's status and risk of homicide victimization: an analysis disaggregated by victim-offender relationship. Homicide Studies 2008. 12, 2, 163-176.
Worell, J. & Remer, P. (2003). Feminist perspectives in therapy: empowering diverse women. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
◄ Back to How to explain violent behavior? page
