Feminist Theoretical Framework

The aim of this paper is to draw out the implications of liberal feminist framework for the analysis of education. Doing this paper will discuss its conceptual basis, its typical educational objectives, strategies for change and criticism of the approach. Feminist theoretical framework addresses the question of women’s subordination to men: how this arose, how and why it is perpetuated, how it might be changed and (sometimes) what life would be without it. Middle range theories may be less dramatic and consider particular aspect of gender relation and specific sectors of life such as education, the family or politics. Feminist theories serve a dual purpose, as guides to understanding gender inequality and as a guide to action.

What is liberal

Liberal feminists were so obsessed with the ‘equality’ that they oppose the protective legislation for women (based on this position they have been severely criticized, it will be discussed later in the paper). Jagger (cited in Acker, 1987) discussed liberal feminism’s opposition to protective legislation, based on its desire to overcome sex based laws and establish formal equality. Liberal feminists seek the repeal of all laws that ascribe different rights, responsibilities and opportunities to women and men. They oppose protective legislation for women, believing that the same standards of health and safety should apply to everyone.

Feminists such as Marry Wollstonecraft, Johnstuart Mill, Jagger and Struhl, Eisentein and Scheman rejects the major component of tradional liberalism, and asserted that the value of women as human being is not instrumental to the welfare of men and children and that it is equal to the value of men, and demanded various forms of public and private recognition of it, including respect for women and privacy.

Liberal Feminist perspective on

Thus liberal feminists were aware of the fact that education and communication in the hands of few leads to the control of many, which again leads to subjugation and hierarchical relation (particularly with respect to women). ‘The intent of liberal feminism in education is to remove barriers that prevent girls reaching their full potential, whether such barriers are located in the school, the individual psyche or discriminatory labor practices (Aker, 1994). Liberal feminists work under broadly three themes with respect to education and these are: ‘equal opportunities’, ‘socialization and sex stereotype’, and sex discrimination (Aker, 1994).

Liberal Feminism approaches equal opportunities in terms of ‘equal means the same’ (Byrne cited in Acker, 1994) and argued that ‘separate educational provisions for girls has usually meant inferior facilities and restricted features. Thus they demanded for the co-educational schools, where both sexes get equal opportunities to develop their