Radical Feminism

Abstract

Radical feminism arose from the backlash of the 1960s' focus on liberal and Marxist feminism. Radical feminism focuses on male oppression of females both privately and politically. Radical feminists claim that the central issue is the subordination of women by men within the private and political spheres. This subordination is exemplified by the rhetoric surrounding rape and victim blaming. During the 1970s, radical feminists argued that rape was not a biological predisposition among men but the socialization of men that projected women as objects. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, radical feminists, along with liberal feminists, reformed rape statues in all states to reflect the sentiment that rape was not just a crime against virginal women but against all women, through the fear of rape. Radical feminism focuses on the rejection of the patriarchal ideal that the private sphere (for women) focuses on childrearing, marriage, and the maintenance of the household. Due to this private sphere, the political sphere of patriarchy results in women being harmed through rape, domestic violence, and prostitution.