Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970)

Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Summary of document This article enables the reader to understand the difficulties of gaining equal rights and respect which women faced during the second wave of feminism (1970s). Though it can be possible for females to appear to have a higher class to some men due to the economic, social and educational purposes (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the castelike status of a female within patriarchy is most liable for confusion (Millet, 1970, p36). This is due to the writer suggesting a two-tier caste system which meant despite some females may be born into a higher class then some males, it meant that due to the domination of sexual status, patriarchy society has been formed. There are two examples from the text which backs up the point that the writer was making. These are: a black lawyer has a higher status than a white farmer. However, race itself can be used in a caste system which overrides class. This means the white farmer belongs to a higher order of life just as it oppresses the pro fessional in spirit. Also, much of the literature between 1940s -1970s has shown the caste system towards male triumphs over the social status of wealthy and educated women. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer also suggests that males use bullying and hostile remarks (Millet,1970, p36) as a psychological (Millet, 1970, p36) form of dominant power. Class divisions are not threatened by expressions of enmity or the existence of sexual hierarchy which has been reaffirmed to punish the female quite effectively (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the function of class in patriarchy is dependent on how expressive the masculine supremacy allows itself to become in society. However, the writer states a paradox to this point. She states: while in the lower status strata, the male is more likely to claim authority on the strength of his sex alone, he is actually obliged more often to share power with the women of his class who are economically productive. Whereas in the middle and upper classes, there is less tendency to assert a blunt patriarchal dominance, as men who enjoy such status have more power in any case. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer suggests that Western patriarchy are interested in concepts of romantic love compared to Eastern patriarchy, but this interest could be used to conceal the patriarchal nature of society. She states that it was a Victorian habit, for example, to insist the female assume the function of serving as the males conscience and living the life of goodness he found tedious but felt someone ought to do anyway. (Millet, 1970, p37) She suggests that the concept of romantic love can be used as emotional manipulation which the male is free to exploit (Millet, 1970, p37). This is convenient to both genders due to dominance gained by the male and the concealed realities of the female status and their burden of economic dependency. One of the main effects of class within patriarchy is to set one woman against another, in the past creating a lively antagonism between career woman and housewife. (Millet, 1970, p38) This is means that one envies the other security and prestige, while the envi ed yearns beyond the confines of respectability for what she takes to be the others freedom, adventure, and contact with the great world. (Millet, 1970, p38) Women have less investment in the class system (Millet, 1970, p38). This is due to women having fewer permanent class associations compared to males, also not many women rise above working class in personal prestige and economic power (Millet, 1970, p38) so women do not enjoy the benefits that higher class will offer the males. Usually the white male concedes the female to a higher status than the black male. However, due to white racist ideology being exposed; this has meant these ideological attitudes of racism has now changed to sexism. The writer states the priorities of maintaining supremacy might outweigh even those of white supremacy; sexism may be endemic in our own society than racism. (Millet, 1970, p39) Wider social, economic and political context This book was written during the 1970s which was during the second wave feminism. This second wave of feminism was focused on advocacy of womens rights, in particular equal pay, sex discrimination laws, right to contraception and the legalization of abortion. It can be argued that Radical feminism is opening out the revolutionary struggle in new areas we want control not only over the means of production but over reproduction. (London Feminist Movement, 2010) It is hard to imagine that these women were seen as sexual objects as well not even allowed a view. One of the campaigns was the personal is political. This is where women spoke out about constant sexual harassment, major crimes like rape, as well as being seen as inferior to men. Some important events happened during the 1970s. The Miss World protest in 1970 was significant due to women protesting against the objectification of women as judging women only on their looks is insulting. (British Library, 2014) In 1973, the first R ape Crisis centre was formed in England and Wales to provide co-ordination and support to affiliated member groups and campaigns and lobbies to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence in the wider community and with local, regional and national government. (British Library, 2014) In 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act was made to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage and establish a commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination. (British Library, 2014) Also in 1975, the Employment Protection Act made maternity pay a requirement for employers and stopped employers dismissing when women get pregnant. (British Library, 2014) The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act in 1976 allowed women to obtain a court order against violent husbands without divorce proceedings. (British Library, 2014) One of the positives that came from 1970s especially for feminists was that Margare t Thatcher becomes Prime Minister in 1979. (British Library, 2014) Authors motives Kate Millett book was one of the first second wave texts to use the term patriarchy to describe the different structures of male power. She believed that patriarchy controlled every aspect of womens lives from sexuality, family, etc.   She suggests patriarchy has the power to shape how women thought as well as how they lived their lives. (Hannam, 2006) Millet suggests that personal lives were affected by the state and by patriarchy, so this enabled the opportunity for feminists to challenge the divisions between the public and the private that was central to liberal political thought. (Hannam, 2006) However, Millett was criticised for being anti-male and maybe seen as radical feminist. Target audience The target audience of this document would be feminists. This is because the document supports feminist ideals even though to some feminists it can seem anti-male. This document allows feminists but any reader to understand her opinions and beliefs during the second wave of feminism as well as using the term patriarchy to describe different structures of male power which was not seen til Kate Millett wrote her book. Usefulness of document This document is useful because this book inspired a new wave of feminism which was revolutionary and radical enough to create change for the women who lived in this period. Without vocal writers like Kate Millett, women may have gained as many rights as they did during this period. It can be argued her book was controversial however, her opinion is praised and attacked but her text is used in women studies which means her aim to get more female literature into education succeeded. Though it can be argued that other feminist wrote the same ideals before Kate Millett, but no one was a bold as her when writing their opinions onto paper. Conclusion Sexual Politics still remains to be one of the founding pieces of the second wave of feminism. Many Feminists have continued Milletts criticism with their own opinions to feminism and society. This book will always inspire another generation of feminists due to passionate and boldness she puts into her book. Bibliography British Library. (2014) Timeline of the womens liberation movement. The British Library. Available from: https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/timeline# [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Hannam, J. (2006). Feminism. 6th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson/Longman. London Feminist Network (2010). Womens liberation and radical feminism 1970-early 1980s. Available from: http://londonfeministnetwork.org.uk/what-weve-done/what-we-did-in-2010/womens-liberation-and-radical-feminism-1970-early-l980s [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Millett, K. (1970) Sexual Politics. Urbana, IL, United States: University of Illinois Press.

Expected Transitions

Nursey A child will not really know what is going on when they are first brought to a nursery, however the child will be excited at first until they realise that their parent/carer is leaving and will not be coming back straight away,this could make the child become shy,dismissive upset or even anxious.. A child will not trust any of their carers until they a fully settled and are comfortable about where they are and the routine they are following.High school Starting high school is a big time for a young person it is probably the most scary common transition so far in their life,having to deal with leaving some of their childhood friends, and entering a new school feeling scared and alone. They will have many mixed emotions, all based around the experiences they have felt and dealt with when making new friends and starting a new school.The pressure is a little more intense then when they were in primary or middle school as they know what to expect but as they are older anxiousness w ill kick in and the young person will feel self-conscious or very withdrawn and may even start acting out of character. Puberty This change to the young people’s body affects everything about them, so it is a particulary hard time for them.Knowing they do not have any control over what is happening this will make the child become dismissive or argumentative with parents or carers and even their siblings. During this time they tend to focus more on friends and their relationships outside of the home. Puberty is a complicated and confusing time for most young people. They sometimes worry about whether the changes in their bodies are ‘normal', especially if they develop differently – earlier, or at a different rate – from their friends.

Deviant Behavior / The Social Learning Theory Essay

A person would be considered to be acting in a deviant manner within a social setting if they are violating the established social â€Å"norm† within that particular culture. What causes a human being to act in certain ways is a disputed topic among researchers. There are three types of researchers that have tried to answer this question. There is the psychological, biological, and the sociological approach. With all of the studies that have been performed, not one group has provided an exact reason or explanation as to why people behave in a deviant manner. Although sociologists’ theories have not been disproved as often as the psychologists’ and biologists’ theories because their experiments are too hard to define and no one definition for deviance is agreed upon by all experimenters (Pfuhl, 1980, p. 40), the sociological perspective has provided the most information concerning why people exhibit deviance. The definition of deviant behavior is considered to be broad with multiple viewpoints which makes it complicated and difficult to find an accurate answer (Pfuhl, 1980, p. 18). This is why this topic is so important in the study of sociology. Sociologists have more information, and therefore may be closer to finding the best explanation for the major contributing factors in explaining the development of deviant behavior(s) within a certain culture. For this reason, the main focus of this paper is based on the sociological stand point of deviance based upon the Social Learning Theory and social reaction(s) to deviant behavior(s). According to The Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), one person can learn simply by observing the behavior of another person (DeLamater, 2011, p. 10).  The family is the major link to socialization in one’s environment (Four Categories of Family Functions that Seem to Promote Delinquent Behavior, p. 1). In the family, divorce, conflict within family, neglect, abuse, and deviant parents are the main determinates for the offspring’s actions or behavior. Early researchers first thought parental absence only affected girls and members of the white population. Modern research finds that the lack of supervision or support of the child’s needs is a link to delinquency in any race. It occurs more in single parent homes because they have a more difficult time providing supervision and support. Poverty can be another reason within the family for conflict because it can lead to both family breakups and delinquency. Children need close and supportive relationships with parents. The inability to talk to parents also promotes deviance within the home. The child may feel that they need to obtain attention elsewhere, thus acting in a deviant manner if their parents are not there to provide guidance and support. Parents can prevent this type of behavior by being competent, providing non-aggressive punishment, and by being supportive in order to build the child’s self-confidence. Family conflict has more damaging effects on children than divorce, whereas parental death has less impact than divorce (Four Categories of Family Functions that Seem to Promote Delinquent Behavior, p. 2). When a parent dies a child at least knows that the parent did not want to leave on his own terms and probably did not inflict any abuse to his or her psyche before the parent passes away. Also, if a child still has contact with both parents after a divorce the less likely the child will feel neglected and feel the need to react with deviant behavior. Family size also leaves an adolescent without the necessary attention they need as an individual. Middle children are more likely to exhibit deviant behavior because they go unnoticed more than their younger or older siblings. The legal definition of abuse and neglect varies from state to state but does, in any form, create serious consequences for behavior. This abuse and/or neglect occurs in sustained patterns, which causes stress, poor self-esteem, aggressiveness, lack of empathy, and fewer interactions with peers. Child abuse is defined as any physical or emotional trauma to a child for which no reasonable explanation is found. Neglect refers to the deprivation that children suffer at the hands of parents (Deviance: Behavior that Violates Norms, p. 1). Such components that apply  to these definitions are non-acciden tal physical injury and neglect, emotional abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, and abandonment. Over one million youth in America are subjected to abuse each year. In terms of sexual abuse, one in ten abused are boys, and one in three of them are girls. It is unknown how many cases go unreported in any area of abuse or neglect each year. From 1980 to 1986, the number of reported cases rose sixty percent. The most common reason for parents abusing their children is due to a learned function they acquired from their parents. This tendency to pass down deviant behavior through generations is a cycle of family violence (Lemert, 1972, p. 48). Parents are unable to separate childhood traumas from the relationships they have with their own kids. Another unhealthy thing to learn from a parent is the feeling of isolation from family and friends. This is more common is single parent families and lower socioeconomic classes. If a person is living in a lower class, single-parent environment, that p erson is at a real disadvantage. It may be because they do not feel they are good enough to belong in the realms of society. Delinquency is when a child acts out their hostility towards the parent or abuser in a deviant manner (Lemert, 1972, p. 59). Parents need to provide adequate guidance and punishment to their child when the child exhibits deviant behavior; however, the problem is that some parents do not see or choose not to see the child’s deviant behavior. Other influences outside of the home can cause a person to act in a deviant manner. Peers, media images, and other people in society establish what the â€Å"norm† should be in a given area or culture. What is considered â€Å"normal† can be relatively different in various areas of the world. What is considered deviant can be changed over time once society as a whole feels more comfortable and accepting of the certain type of deviant behavior. For instance, only certain people once obtained tattoos and now it is a current fad to cover the entire body with them. Media portrays models and famous figures with unusual tattoos, piercings, and certain attitudes as â€Å"normal† and acceptable to teenagers in today’s culture. There are more devil-worshipers, or so they portray, in the music business. This implies to children that it is cool to wear the black clothes and act somewhat gothic. This is just one example. It may depend on the person as to how much their  peers and media influence them to go against the â€Å"norms†. Once a person is labeled deviant, they usually continue to respond to society as if they are deviant. This aspect of deviance is called The Labeling Theory. There are sociologists who seek to find why certain acts are defined as criminal, and others are not. They also question how and why certain people become defined as a criminal or deviant. In this realm of study, the acts that they perform are not significant to the criminals, but it is the social reaction to them that is (Becker, p. 1). The response and label from other individuals in society, such as peers, are how the individuals view themselves. When a person performs a deviant act, they are then labeled by society and separated from the â€Å"normal† people. Such labels in today’s society are whore, abuser, loser, etc. These people are then outsiders and associate with other individuals who have been cast out of the societal â€Å"norm†. When more and more people within the â€Å"norm† of society think of these people as deviant, then these people performing deviant behaviors think they are deviant too. The Labeling Theory states that once they feel this way, they will continue to behave in the way society now expects them to behave. The question is, are humans genetically predisposed to deviant behavior, or do the people around them influence them to act in this way? The sociological perspective is the factor that has been the least questioned explanation even though it does not always give the exact justification for the origin of the deviant behavior. Sociologists learn from cultural influences in lieu of biological or psychological biases. Rather than concern with behavior from certain people, sociologists view deviance as a behavior engaged in a person by having a common sociocultural or the same experiences within a culture. Edwin H. Sutherland explains that deviant and non-deviant behaviors are learned in the same ways through his Differential Association Theory. Sutherland demonstrates that criminal behavior is learned from intimate groups by the means of communication. When they learn how to act in a deviant manner, they know what is involved in, and what drives a person to commit a crime. This does vary in people who have different characteristics and learning abilities. However, one group may view certain behavior as deviant, i.e. shopl ifting, while others may view shoplifting as justified because businesses charge too much money. The  viewpoint of each group develops by observing others and imitating their behavior, otherwise known as The Social Learning Theory (DeLamater, 2011, p. 386). Whatever the cause of deviant behavior, it is a major problem within society. The exact determinates that contribute to a person’s deviant behavior are controversial. It may be from inherited traits, behavior learned from society and family, or even a combination of the two. The social interaction certainly leads to The Labeling Theory and how individuals may strive to meet the expectations of their â€Å"labeled† identity. However, The Social Learning Theory seems to best explain the major environmental influences on children by family members and peers which contribute to the development of deviant behavior and society’s reaction to various behaviors that are considered to be deviant. Bibliography Becker, H. S. (n.d.). Overview of Labeling Theories. Retrieved from http://home.ici.net/~ddemelo/crime/labeling.html DeLamater, J. &. (2011). Social Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Deviance: Behavior that Violates Norms. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.elco.pa.us/Academics/Social_Studies/Care/ITTP_2/Chap.8.html Four Categories of Family Functions that Seem to Promote Delinquent Behavior. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mpcc.cc.ne.us/aseffles/delcrslides/ch.09/tsld012.html Lemert, E. M. (1972). Human Deviance, Social Problems, and Social Control. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Pfuhl, E. H. (1980). The Deviance Process. New York: D. Van Nostrand Company.

The Integration Of Women Into The Service - 1319 Words

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