Political
Spectrum
• Continuum
• Measures social or
economic issues
• In the USA, these
positions vary by
Range of
Political
Ideas
• Far
Left---Left—Middle—Right—
Far Right
• Extreme Liberal----------------Extreme Conservative
• Political Attitudes Change over
Time
– Mid 1960s, majority of population leaned
left
• Civil Rights
• Women’s Rights
– 1980s, majority shifted to right
Variations in
Ideas
• ByPolitical
time
• By Region
–Massachusetts and Minnesota
• Liberal
–Indiana and Texas
• Conservative
• By Ethnicity and Religion
–Jewish
–Asians
Liberal
Conservative
Social Liberals
• Lean to the left
• Shape their own lifestyles,
Free to Decide on Moral
Questions
• Favor expanding
opportunities for women
• Pro-Choice
Social
Conservatives
• On the right (side of the
continuum)
• Respect the traditional family
–Marriage forever
–Children
–Men at work, women at home
• Criticize too much
individualism
Existing Political
System
• Both Liberal and
Conservatives want
changes to occur within
the current system
• Radicals, those “off the
spectrum,” want change of
Statistical
Breakdown
• Extreme Liberal
• Liberal
• Slightly Liberal
• Middle
• Slightly Conservative
• Conservative
• Extreme Conservative
Decision-Making
• Social
• Economic
Social
–Political debates about moral
judgments about how people should
live
•
•
•
•
Feminism
Abortion
Homosexual Marriages
Death Penalty
–Liberals
• Favor expanding opportunities for women
• Pro-choice
• Greater rights for homosexuals
–Conservatives
• Want women to stick to , embrace, and enjoy traditional roles
• Pro-Life
Econ
• Decisions
about
how
a
society
should
omic
distribute its material resources
– How much control government should have
– How much social inequality there should be
• Liberals favor government regulation of
the economy to reduce inequality
– Free-market, laissez-faire is BAD
– Higher minimum wage and high taxes on rich to pay for social services for the
poor
• Conservatives want limited government
role
– Market sets wage levels
– Want lower tax rates so people keep more of their earnings and take
Politics by
Demographics
• High
Education, Good Wealth
lead to “good” social position
–Tend to be Liberal, more tolerant of
difference in lifestyles
• Little Education, Little Wealth
tend to have “lower” social
position
–Tend to be conservative on social
issues
Feminism,
as the Study of
Gender with Goal of Equality
• History of modern feminist
movement began in the USA
in the 1840s
–“Spin=off” of Anti-slavery
movement
–In 1840s women could not own
property or keep earnings or vote
–1848, Seneca Falls, NY
• National Women’s Suffrage Association
1960s
•
th
19
Amendment did not
equalize men and women
in society
–Workplace equality
–Reproductive rights
Three Types of
Feminism
• To solve the problem of
patriarchy
–Liberal Feminism
–Socialist Feminism
–Radical Feminism
Theories about
Gender
• Biological
• Sex-Role
• Social Constructions
Theories
Continuum (of
Feminism)
• Radical ---Socialist---Liberal--Conservative
Liberal
• M and W who think people
should be able to freely
choose and develop their
talents and ideas
• Reform approach, social
institutions
• Goal: M and W free to enjoy
• Support laws that combat
prejudice and discrimination
• Endorse policies like
maternity/parental leave,
childcare facilities in the
workplace
• Don’t expect the same social
standing
–Believe that different people have
different talents and
Socialist
• Not reformist: Doubt that the
existing institutions can end
patriarchy
• Support a Marxist-style
Class Revolution so we can
have equality for all
• Believe that Capitalism
oppresses women because it
forces them into domestic
• Capitalism forces women to be
dependent upon men (for
economic security)
• Somewhat Important to abolish
capitalism and replace it with
some sort of social collectivity
where all people share
domestic tasks
• If the work is shared there will
be no class difference, no
Radical
• Patriarchy is based on
concept of gender, so the
idea of gender must be
abolished in order to bring
about equality
• The roots of gender
differences are biological. . .
• The family is not an
economic unit but a form
of institutionalized
heterosexuality, limiting
women to home and
childcare
• New technologies give
people power over
reproduction and childcare
All Three Left
Positions
• All agree that patriarchy
must be dealt with, all
agree that change is
needed
• Disagree on how to make
the changes
Conservative
• (Right wing)
• Adhere to Essentialism
–Gender DOES matter—not just a
social construction; it’s biological
and real
–Valorize in the differences
(feminine vs. masculine)
• Women are better nurturers, human relations, so they are
• Core biological difference
between men and women,
and that difference
MATTERS
–Tend to uphold stereotypical
beliefs
–Views have support in brain,
physiological, and
psychological research
• Boys develop gender roles
based on individual
autonomy (independence)
–Independence is more important
than personal connections
–Autonomy and separation matter:
creates masculinity
• Girls develop gender roles
based on social or
community relations
• Men b/c of testosterone
–More aggressive
–Sexually dominant
–More war-like
• Women b/c much less
testosterone
–More peaceful
–Caring and nurturing
1960s
• Essentialism was the 60s
Radical Feminist view
• Family was understood to be
the basic social unit (of
larger family, city, state,
nation)
• Men had authority over women
–Grandpa held authority over in-laws
and women
–Children had no rights, girls less so
than boys
• Essential feminists of the 60s
tried to identify a little world of
democracy inside the traditional
family
–Rationalized that the deepest sense
• Girls and Women are just
as valuable, are equally
important, to the family b/c
of their separate roles
• Culture still says (2002)
that the family is important
to success of society (and
• None of these social
constructions are right or
wrong; they just are.
Abortion
Controversy
• Liberals: Legal access to
abortion is the key to
women having control
over their bodies
(economy, career, etc.)
during childbearing years
and for their entire life.
• Conservatives: Killing of
unborn children; the issue
is a matter of life and
death
–Nothing to do with economics
or independence
Mild Statistics
• A typical woman receiving
an abortion:
–Is in her 20s
–Has already had one
–Is probably white (58%)
–Is unmarried (81%)