In the discourse of feminism, there are several definitions of feminism. According to Weedon (1987) is a feminist schools of political attitudes, a political understanding that will directly change the power relations between women and men in society. This includes all the power structures of life, aspects of life, culture and power. Aspects of life that define who, what and to whom, and what would be women in the community.

Schools of feminism emerged in the late 1960s in the western world, influenced by several important factors, including political aspects, evangelical and socialist.

Furthermore, according to Goefe (1986) feminism is the theory of equality between men and women in the political, economic and social; or organized activities that fight for the rights and interests of women.

Feminism as a movement, at first starting from the assumption that women are basically oppressed and exploited. Feminism was born as a movement to end the oppression and exploitation. The purpose of feminism is to improve the status and degree between women and men are also called equal rights movement.

Viewed from a social angle, feminism emerged from a sense of dissatisfaction with the existing patriarchal system in society. Opinion was expressed by the Millet (1996) who use the term patriarchy (father’s reign) to explain the cause of oppression against women. Patriarchal positioning women as beings who inverior.

Feminism is a general movement to restore the dignity, freedom and equality, not only among men but also among all the creatures on this earth. More broadly, feminism is the awareness of gender inequalities affecting women, both within families and society, and conscious action by women and men to change the situation.

Own gender injustice is caused not only because of gender differences, but as a result of social construction. Gender differences caused by many things, among others, formed, socialized, amplified, and even socially constructed or culturally through the teaching of religion and government regulations.

Flow in Feminism

In subsequent developments, there are some schools of feminism. Broadly speaking there are four major streams of radical feminism, liberal, marxist, socialist.

1. Liberal Feminism

Philosophical basis of this flow is liberalism. This flow of states that all men are created with equal rights. The emphasis is on principles of freedom and equality are based on rationalism and the separation between private and public world. Patriarchal system must be removed by changing the attitude of each individual woman in relation to men. These changes can be accomplished with a psychological approach, with active discussion, talking about the experience of women in patriarchal society, and a renewal of the legitimacy of products that smelled of sex.

2. Radical Feminism

As with this flow appears sexisme response element or social discrimination based on sex. He did not see any difference between personal and political goals, sexual or biological elements. For adherents of this school, the oppression of women is rooted in gender man himself and his ideology of patriarchy. Men politically and biologically is part of the problem. They looked, the basic ideology of patriarchy is oppression which is the system of sexual hierarchy, where men are considered to have superior power and economic previlage.

For the radical feminist movement, a revolution occurs in every woman who has taken action to change the lifestyle, experiences and their relationship to men. Some radical feminists hold that women have been schools of her brain washed by the type of patriarchal ideology, which produces stereotypical image of men are strong and women are weak creatures.

3. Marxist Feminism

For this flow, the suppression of women is part of class oppression in the relations of production. Women’s issues are always placed within the framework of a critique of capitalism, the oppression of women is a continuation of the exploitative system which is structural. They do not think patriarchy or men as problems but as another form of capitalism. So the solution must be structural, ie by changing the class structure and the cutting of ties with the international capitalist system. Changes in class structure that was what they call ‘revolutionary process.’

After the revolution, women are still disadvantaged in domestic responsibilities. Hence, managing the household affairs into a social industry, as well as keeping business and to educate children into public affairs, will be achieved before true equality. From this perspective, it is believed that the emancipation of women will only happen if women are involved in production activities and stop taking care of the household. This process occurs only through industrialization. For the classical Marxist theory, change the status of women going through a socialist revolution, to abolish domestic (household).

4. Socialist Feminism

This flow to the synthesis of the historical methods of Marx and Engels material with the idea of ‘personal is political’ radical feminists. For this flow, the suppression of women occur in any classroom, even a socialist revolution was not necessarily raise the position of women. Increasing women’s participation in the economy resulting in more roles than the status of sexual antagonism. Socialist feminist thought, oppression of women could give birth to revolutionary consciousness, but not a revolution as a model of female gender (women as sex) which was proclaimed radical feminist.

They also see that injustice is not the result of biological differences between men and women, but more because of assessments and assumptions (social construction) of the difference, because the manifestation of gender inequality is a social construction. Construction of socialist feminism combat society’s vision and ideology, as well as structures and systems in the unfair gender bias. Socialist feminism is not just modify the Marxist theory, but also use a universal fact of female subordination as a basis for comparative studies and a new praxis.

The flow of feminism continue to experience growth. Apart from some streams of feminism that has been stated, there are also eco-flow of Feminism, Black Feminism, Muslim Feminism, Protestant Feminism and others.

Understood the concept of feminism as an ideology that departs from an awareness of the oppression and exploitation of women in society, in the workplace and in society, and conscious action by women and men to change the situation.

Regarding the flow difference feminism, the ideology of some streams of feminism that looks different. However, in a practical movement they agreed on some of the same commitment. Namely equation (1) demanding equal pay in work, including recognition of domestic work; (2) equal access to public sector and the professions; (3) equality before the law; (4) women should be given the right to control the lives good sex in marriage or outside marriage, including the right to control the reproductive function; (5) abuse committed against men against women, so as to create a safe atmosphere for women to move in public without fear haunted abused and sexually abused by men; (6) women should be given the right to formulate their own movements drawn from his own aspirations, and (7) require changes in the pattern of relationships of men and women in a pattern of equality in the social sphere.

(from various sources)

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