{"id":468,"date":"2016-04-16T19:27:24","date_gmt":"2016-04-16T19:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=468"},"modified":"2024-05-20T14:35:29","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T14:35:29","slug":"conflict-theory","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/chapter\/conflict-theory\/","title":{"raw":"Conflict Theory","rendered":"Conflict Theory"},"content":{"raw":"<section>\r\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Summarize conflict theory<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Apply conflict theory<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Sociological Paradigm #2:\u00a0Conflict Theory<\/h2>\r\n<strong>Conflict theory<\/strong> looks at society as a competition for limited resources. This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (1818\u20131883), who saw society as being made up of two classes:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>the <strong>bourgeoisie<\/strong> (capitalist) and the<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>proletariat<\/strong> (workers).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe two must compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing, employment, education, and leisure time. Social institutions like government, education, and religion reflect this competition in their inherent inequalities and help maintain the unequal social structure.\r\n\r\nIn the economic sphere, Marx focused on the \"mode of production\" (e.g., the industrial factory) and \"relations of production\" (e.g., unequal power between workers and factory owners). The bourgeoisie owns and controls the means of production, which leads to\u00a0exploitation due to the profit motive. In this arrangement, proletarians have only their labor to sell, and do not own or control capital.\u00a0<strong>False consciousness <\/strong>is Marx's term for\u00a0the proletarian's inability to see her real position within the class system, a mis-recognition that is complicated by the control that the bourgeoisie often exerts over the media outlets that disseminate and normalize information. These are just some of the structural constrains that prevent workers from joining together in what Marx called\u00a0<strong>class consciousness<\/strong>, or a common group identity as exploited proletarians and potential revolutionaries.\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\r\nWatch this video for an overview of Marx's conflict theory.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gR3igiwaeyc\" width=\"800\" height=\"470\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_479\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"161\"]<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2016\/04\/16194941\/Max_Weber_1894-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"portrait of Max Weber in 1894. He's wearing a suit, has a trimmed, full-beard.\" width=\"161\" height=\"214\" \/> <strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> Max Weber.[\/caption]\r\n<p id=\"eip-id1169308792940\">German sociologist Max Weber agreed with some of Marx's main ideas, but also believed that in addition to economic inequalities, there were inequalities of political power and social structure that caused conflict. Weber noted that different groups were affected differently based on education, race, and gender, and that people\u2019s reactions to inequality were moderated by class differences and rates of social mobility, as well as by perceptions about the legitimacy of those in power.<\/p>\r\nIda B. Wells articulated the conflict perspective when she theorized a connection between an increase in lynching and an increase in Black socio-economic mobility in the United States from the late 1800s into the mid-20th century. She also examined competition within the <strong>feminist<\/strong> movement as women fought for the right to vote, yet the presumably egalitarian mainstream suffragist movements were headed by white women who excluded Black women from suffrage. W.E.B. DuBois also examined race in the U.S. and in U.S. colonies from a conflict perspective, and emphasized the importance of a reserve labor force, made up of Black men. Race conflict paradigms will be examined later in the course in the module devoted to race and ethnicity.\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>Race and Conflict Theory<\/h3>\r\nW.E.B. DuBois is a classic sociologist who, after earning a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895 (the first Black man to do so), went on to an extremely productive career with extensive publication, research, theorizing, and activism.\u00a0<em>The Philadelphia Negro\u00a0<\/em>(1896) is considered one of the first examples of scientifically framed and conducted sociology research. DuBois' study included over 2,500 in-person interviews conducted with African American households in the seventh ward of Philadelphia and even had visual representations of data such as bar graphs to illustrate the realities of racism[footnote]Cole, N.L. updated 2017. How WEB DuBois Made His Mark on Sociology. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/web-dubois-birthday-3026475\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/web-dubois-birthday-3026475<\/a>[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nHe entered the national stage with an article written for\u00a0<em>The Atlantic\u00a0<\/em>in 1897 in which he described\u00a0<strong>double consciousness<\/strong>. Read the following passage from DuBois' article as he articulates double consciousness:\r\n<blockquote>\"It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one\u2019s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one\u2019s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One feels his two-ness, \u2014 an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, \u2014 this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He does not wish to Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa; he does not with to bleach his Negro blood in a flood of white Americanism, for he believes\u2014foolishly, perhaps, but fervently\u2014that Negro blood has yet a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without losing the opportunity of self-development.\" [footnote]Dubois, W.E.Burghardt. 1897. Strivings of the Negro People. The Atlantic. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/1897\/08\/strivings-of-the-negro-people\/305446\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/1897\/08\/strivings-of-the-negro-people\/305446\/<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>\r\nC. Wright Mills, who coined\u00a0the term\u00a0<strong>sociological imagination<\/strong>, also used conflict theory to examine systems of power and the ways in which government, military, and corporations formed a\u00a0<strong>power elite\u00a0<\/strong>(1956) in the United States in the 1950s. Bernie Sanders raised these issues in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by pointing out that both Republican and Democrat candidates were accepting campaign contributions from banks and investment firms on Wall Street, which he argued would make them subject to corporate influence.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/c7577f36-deba-428b-8dc1-5b96f103c4f4\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Criticism<\/h2>\r\nJust as structural functionalism was criticized for focusing too much on the stability of societies, conflict theory has been criticized because it tends to focus on conflict to the exclusion of recognizing stability. Many social structures are extremely stable or have gradually progressed over time rather than changing abruptly, as conflict theory would suggest.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/5d0501f9-0ce2-4e34-b3c7-f2b23dbe6385\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>Gender and conflict Theory<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2858\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\"]<img class=\"wp-image-2858 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2034\/2016\/05\/12162105\/Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_Pankhurst-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photograph of two female suffragettes holding a poster saying &quot;Votes for Women&quot;\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/> <strong>Figure 2.<\/strong> Over the years, feminist demands have changed. First-wave feminists fought for basic citizenship rights, such as the right to vote, while third wave feminists are concerned with more complex social movements, like post-structuralism.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<strong>Feminist theory<\/strong> was developed to fill a void in Marxism and neo-Marxism that examined class, but not gender as a distinct category. Feminist theory examines gender and gender inequality and also points out the male-centric aspects of conflict theory. It\u00a0focuses on analyzing the limitations faced by women when they claim the right to equality with men.\u00a0Additionally, feminist scholars examine the gendered nature of human interactions, which makes it a microsociological as opposed to a macrosociological theory.\r\n\r\nFeminist scholars study a range of topics, including sexual orientation, race, economic status, and nationality. However, at the core of feminist sociology is the idea that, in most societies, women have been systematically oppressed, and that men have been historically dominant. This system of seemingly \"natural\" male control is referred to as <strong>patriarchy<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nFrom the early work of women sociologists like Harriet Martineau, feminist sociology has focused on the power relationships and inequalities between women and men. How can the conditions of inequality faced by women be addressed?\r\n\r\nFeminist theory has been criticized for its early focus on the lived experiences of white, educated women\u2014which represent just a small subset within American society.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\r\n<h3>Connecting It: conflict Theory, Feminism, and Intersectionality<\/h3>\r\n<strong>Intersectional theory <\/strong>examines multiple, overlapping identities that include Black, Latina, Asian, gay, trans, working class, poor, single parent, working, stay-at-home, immigrant, and undocumented women, among others. This synthesis of analytical categories takes into consideration the various lived experiences of a more diverse range of women.\r\n\r\nIntersectionality is rooted in Black Feminism and Critical Race Theory. Throughout history, Black women and other women of color have used race, class, and gender-based approaches to navigate a world dominated by White, middle-class, male perspectives. For example, in her 1851 address to the Women\u2019s Convention in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth spoke on race and gender-based domination. She openly expressed concern that the civil rights movement would fizzle out after achieving victories for Black men without taking time to focus on Black women\u2019s issues.\r\n\r\nKimberl\u00e9 Crenshaw introduced the term intersectionality in her 1989 landmark essay, \u201cDemarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.\u201d She used the term to focus on how race and gender intersect in shaping political, structural, and representational aspects of violence against women of color. In 1991, Crenshaw elaborated on this framework and explained that the experiences of Black women are frequently the product of intersecting patterns of racism and sexism and how these experiences tend not to be represented in the discourses of antiracism or feminism (Crenshaw 1991).\r\n\r\nTo take a contemporary example, the #MeToo movement began when White actress Ashley Judd came forward in 2017 and claimed that film producer Harvey Weinstein invited her to his hotel room, greeted her in a bathrobe, and asked her to massage him or watch him shower. The phrase \"me too\" had actually been coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, a Black activist who sought to bring attention to women who had been sexually assaulted. Many other wealthy, White, powerful women came forward and said or tweeted #MeToo. Within one year, the #MeToo movement had become intersectional, stretching across industries, racial and ethnic backgrounds, age, sexual orientation, and gender identities.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/dc30d2f4-c8f1-4a4d-b519-91cd356bb977\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b0b6fa4e-e0b0-4c5b-aa0a-71bc78d25572\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\r\n<h3>glossary<\/h3>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>bourgeoisie:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>those who owned the means of production (i.e. factory owners in the Industrial Revolution)<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>class consciousness:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>awareness that one is a proletarian, a worker, and has an understanding of solidarity in a class struggle against the bourgeoisie<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>conflict theory:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>a theory that examines society as a competition for limited resources<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>double consciousness:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>a term used to describe an individual whose identity is divided into several facets<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>false consciousness:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>proletarians are unable to identify and understand their own class position and exploitation<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>feminist:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>one who believes that females should be equal to males<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>feminist theory:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>the critical analysis of the way gender affects societal structures, power, and inequality<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>intersectional theory:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>utilizes multiple identities (such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic class, etc.) as important to understanding inequality<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>patriarchy:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>a set of institutional structures (like property rights, access to positions of power and sources of income) that are based on the belief that\u00a0males <em>(patri<\/em>\u00a0means \"father\")\u00a0are and should be\u00a0dominant<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>power elite:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>the dominant individuals and groups within the military, business world, governments, and other institutions who are at the top of the power hierarchy<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dt>proletariat:<\/dt>\r\n \t<dd>those who labor in the means of production (workers) and who do not possess or control capital, as the bourgeoisie does<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section>\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Summarize conflict theory<\/li>\n<li>Apply conflict theory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Sociological Paradigm #2:\u00a0Conflict Theory<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Conflict theory<\/strong> looks at society as a competition for limited resources. This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (1818\u20131883), who saw society as being made up of two classes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the <strong>bourgeoisie<\/strong> (capitalist) and the<\/li>\n<li><strong>proletariat<\/strong> (workers).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The two must compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing, employment, education, and leisure time. Social institutions like government, education, and religion reflect this competition in their inherent inequalities and help maintain the unequal social structure.<\/p>\n<p>In the economic sphere, Marx focused on the &#8220;mode of production&#8221; (e.g., the industrial factory) and &#8220;relations of production&#8221; (e.g., unequal power between workers and factory owners). The bourgeoisie owns and controls the means of production, which leads to\u00a0exploitation due to the profit motive. In this arrangement, proletarians have only their labor to sell, and do not own or control capital.\u00a0<strong>False consciousness <\/strong>is Marx&#8217;s term for\u00a0the proletarian&#8217;s inability to see her real position within the class system, a mis-recognition that is complicated by the control that the bourgeoisie often exerts over the media outlets that disseminate and normalize information. These are just some of the structural constrains that prevent workers from joining together in what Marx called\u00a0<strong>class consciousness<\/strong>, or a common group identity as exploited proletarians and potential revolutionaries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Watch It<\/h3>\n<p>Watch this video for an overview of Marx&#8217;s conflict theory.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gR3igiwaeyc\" width=\"800\" height=\"470\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_479\" style=\"width: 171px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-479\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/120\/2016\/04\/16194941\/Max_Weber_1894-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"portrait of Max Weber in 1894. He's wearing a suit, has a trimmed, full-beard.\" width=\"161\" height=\"214\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-479\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1.<\/strong> Max Weber.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"eip-id1169308792940\">German sociologist Max Weber agreed with some of Marx&#8217;s main ideas, but also believed that in addition to economic inequalities, there were inequalities of political power and social structure that caused conflict. Weber noted that different groups were affected differently based on education, race, and gender, and that people\u2019s reactions to inequality were moderated by class differences and rates of social mobility, as well as by perceptions about the legitimacy of those in power.<\/p>\n<p>Ida B. Wells articulated the conflict perspective when she theorized a connection between an increase in lynching and an increase in Black socio-economic mobility in the United States from the late 1800s into the mid-20th century. She also examined competition within the <strong>feminist<\/strong> movement as women fought for the right to vote, yet the presumably egalitarian mainstream suffragist movements were headed by white women who excluded Black women from suffrage. W.E.B. DuBois also examined race in the U.S. and in U.S. colonies from a conflict perspective, and emphasized the importance of a reserve labor force, made up of Black men. Race conflict paradigms will be examined later in the course in the module devoted to race and ethnicity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>Race and Conflict Theory<\/h3>\n<p>W.E.B. DuBois is a classic sociologist who, after earning a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895 (the first Black man to do so), went on to an extremely productive career with extensive publication, research, theorizing, and activism.\u00a0<em>The Philadelphia Negro\u00a0<\/em>(1896) is considered one of the first examples of scientifically framed and conducted sociology research. DuBois&#8217; study included over 2,500 in-person interviews conducted with African American households in the seventh ward of Philadelphia and even had visual representations of data such as bar graphs to illustrate the realities of racism<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Cole, N.L. updated 2017. How WEB DuBois Made His Mark on Sociology. https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/web-dubois-birthday-3026475\" id=\"return-footnote-468-1\" href=\"#footnote-468-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He entered the national stage with an article written for\u00a0<em>The Atlantic\u00a0<\/em>in 1897 in which he described\u00a0<strong>double consciousness<\/strong>. Read the following passage from DuBois&#8217; article as he articulates double consciousness:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one\u2019s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one\u2019s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One feels his two-ness, \u2014 an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, \u2014 this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He does not wish to Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa; he does not with to bleach his Negro blood in a flood of white Americanism, for he believes\u2014foolishly, perhaps, but fervently\u2014that Negro blood has yet a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without losing the opportunity of self-development.&#8221; <a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Dubois, W.E.Burghardt. 1897. Strivings of the Negro People. The Atlantic. https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/1897\/08\/strivings-of-the-negro-people\/305446\/\" id=\"return-footnote-468-2\" href=\"#footnote-468-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>C. Wright Mills, who coined\u00a0the term\u00a0<strong>sociological imagination<\/strong>, also used conflict theory to examine systems of power and the ways in which government, military, and corporations formed a\u00a0<strong>power elite\u00a0<\/strong>(1956) in the United States in the 1950s. Bernie Sanders raised these issues in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by pointing out that both Republican and Democrat candidates were accepting campaign contributions from banks and investment firms on Wall Street, which he argued would make them subject to corporate influence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_c7577f36-deba-428b-8dc1-5b96f103c4f4\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/c7577f36-deba-428b-8dc1-5b96f103c4f4?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_c7577f36-deba-428b-8dc1-5b96f103c4f4\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Criticism<\/h2>\n<p>Just as structural functionalism was criticized for focusing too much on the stability of societies, conflict theory has been criticized because it tends to focus on conflict to the exclusion of recognizing stability. Many social structures are extremely stable or have gradually progressed over time rather than changing abruptly, as conflict theory would suggest.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_5d0501f9-0ce2-4e34-b3c7-f2b23dbe6385\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/5d0501f9-0ce2-4e34-b3c7-f2b23dbe6385?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_5d0501f9-0ce2-4e34-b3c7-f2b23dbe6385\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>Gender and conflict Theory<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_2858\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2858\" class=\"wp-image-2858 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2034\/2016\/05\/12162105\/Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_Pankhurst-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photograph of two female suffragettes holding a poster saying &quot;Votes for Women&quot;\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2858\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2.<\/strong> Over the years, feminist demands have changed. First-wave feminists fought for basic citizenship rights, such as the right to vote, while third wave feminists are concerned with more complex social movements, like post-structuralism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Feminist theory<\/strong> was developed to fill a void in Marxism and neo-Marxism that examined class, but not gender as a distinct category. Feminist theory examines gender and gender inequality and also points out the male-centric aspects of conflict theory. It\u00a0focuses on analyzing the limitations faced by women when they claim the right to equality with men.\u00a0Additionally, feminist scholars examine the gendered nature of human interactions, which makes it a microsociological as opposed to a macrosociological theory.<\/p>\n<p>Feminist scholars study a range of topics, including sexual orientation, race, economic status, and nationality. However, at the core of feminist sociology is the idea that, in most societies, women have been systematically oppressed, and that men have been historically dominant. This system of seemingly &#8220;natural&#8221; male control is referred to as <strong>patriarchy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>From the early work of women sociologists like Harriet Martineau, feminist sociology has focused on the power relationships and inequalities between women and men. How can the conditions of inequality faced by women be addressed?<\/p>\n<p>Feminist theory has been criticized for its early focus on the lived experiences of white, educated women\u2014which represent just a small subset within American society.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>Connecting It: conflict Theory, Feminism, and Intersectionality<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Intersectional theory <\/strong>examines multiple, overlapping identities that include Black, Latina, Asian, gay, trans, working class, poor, single parent, working, stay-at-home, immigrant, and undocumented women, among others. This synthesis of analytical categories takes into consideration the various lived experiences of a more diverse range of women.<\/p>\n<p>Intersectionality is rooted in Black Feminism and Critical Race Theory. Throughout history, Black women and other women of color have used race, class, and gender-based approaches to navigate a world dominated by White, middle-class, male perspectives. For example, in her 1851 address to the Women\u2019s Convention in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth spoke on race and gender-based domination. She openly expressed concern that the civil rights movement would fizzle out after achieving victories for Black men without taking time to focus on Black women\u2019s issues.<\/p>\n<p>Kimberl\u00e9 Crenshaw introduced the term intersectionality in her 1989 landmark essay, \u201cDemarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.\u201d She used the term to focus on how race and gender intersect in shaping political, structural, and representational aspects of violence against women of color. In 1991, Crenshaw elaborated on this framework and explained that the experiences of Black women are frequently the product of intersecting patterns of racism and sexism and how these experiences tend not to be represented in the discourses of antiracism or feminism (Crenshaw 1991).<\/p>\n<p>To take a contemporary example, the #MeToo movement began when White actress Ashley Judd came forward in 2017 and claimed that film producer Harvey Weinstein invited her to his hotel room, greeted her in a bathrobe, and asked her to massage him or watch him shower. The phrase &#8220;me too&#8221; had actually been coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, a Black activist who sought to bring attention to women who had been sexually assaulted. Many other wealthy, White, powerful women came forward and said or tweeted #MeToo. Within one year, the #MeToo movement had become intersectional, stretching across industries, racial and ethnic backgrounds, age, sexual orientation, and gender identities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_dc30d2f4-c8f1-4a4d-b519-91cd356bb977\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/dc30d2f4-c8f1-4a4d-b519-91cd356bb977?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_dc30d2f4-c8f1-4a4d-b519-91cd356bb977\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_b0b6fa4e-e0b0-4c5b-aa0a-71bc78d25572\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/b0b6fa4e-e0b0-4c5b-aa0a-71bc78d25572?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_b0b6fa4e-e0b0-4c5b-aa0a-71bc78d25572\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>glossary<\/h3>\n<dl>\n<dt>bourgeoisie:<\/dt>\n<dd>those who owned the means of production (i.e. factory owners in the Industrial Revolution)<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>class consciousness:<\/dt>\n<dd>awareness that one is a proletarian, a worker, and has an understanding of solidarity in a class struggle against the bourgeoisie<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>conflict theory:<\/dt>\n<dd>a theory that examines society as a competition for limited resources<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>double consciousness:<\/dt>\n<dd>a term used to describe an individual whose identity is divided into several facets<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>false consciousness:<\/dt>\n<dd>proletarians are unable to identify and understand their own class position and exploitation<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>feminist:<\/dt>\n<dd>one who believes that females should be equal to males<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>feminist theory:<\/dt>\n<dd>the critical analysis of the way gender affects societal structures, power, and inequality<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>intersectional theory:<\/dt>\n<dd>utilizes multiple identities (such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic class, etc.) as important to understanding inequality<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>patriarchy:<\/dt>\n<dd>a set of institutional structures (like property rights, access to positions of power and sources of income) that are based on the belief that\u00a0males <em>(patri<\/em>\u00a0means &#8220;father&#8221;)\u00a0are and should be\u00a0dominant<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>power elite:<\/dt>\n<dd>the dominant individuals and groups within the military, business world, governments, and other institutions who are at the top of the power hierarchy<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl>\n<dt>proletariat:<\/dt>\n<dd>those who labor in the means of production (workers) and who do not possess or control capital, as the bourgeoisie does<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-468\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Modification, adaptation, and original content. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Sarah Hoiland for Lumen Learning. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Theoretical Perspectives. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: OpenStax. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d\/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e\">http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d\/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49<\/li><li>Karl Marx &amp; Conflict Theory: Crash Course Sociology #6. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Crash Course. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gR3igiwaeyc&#038;index=7&#038;list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMJ-AfB_7J1538YKWkZAnGA\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gR3igiwaeyc&#038;index=7&#038;list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMJ-AfB_7J1538YKWkZAnGA<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em>Other<\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Standard YouTube License<\/li><li>Feminist Theory. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: William Little. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: BC Campus. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/introductiontosociology\/chapter\/chapter1-an-introduction-to-sociology\/\">https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/introductiontosociology\/chapter\/chapter1-an-introduction-to-sociology\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>The Feminist Perspective. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Boundless. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Boundless Sociology. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>WSPU leaders. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Wikipedia. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Suffragette#\/media\/File:Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_Pankhurst.jpg\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Suffragette#\/media\/File:Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_Pankhurst.jpg<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/pdm\">Public Domain: No Known Copyright<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">Public domain content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>image of Max Weber. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Max_Weber#\/media\/File:Max_Weber_1894.jpg\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Max_Weber#\/media\/File:Max_Weber_1894.jpg<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/pdm\">Public Domain: No Known Copyright<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-468-1\">Cole, N.L. updated 2017. How WEB DuBois Made His Mark on Sociology. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/web-dubois-birthday-3026475\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/web-dubois-birthday-3026475<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-468-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-468-2\">Dubois, W.E.Burghardt. 1897. Strivings of the Negro People. The Atlantic. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/1897\/08\/strivings-of-the-negro-people\/305446\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/1897\/08\/strivings-of-the-negro-people\/305446\/<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-468-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":29,"menu_order":11,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Theoretical Perspectives\",\"author\":\"OpenStax\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d\/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49\"},{\"type\":\"pd\",\"description\":\"image of Max Weber\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Max_Weber#\/media\/File:Max_Weber_1894.jpg\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Karl Marx & Conflict Theory: Crash Course Sociology #6\",\"author\":\"Crash Course\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gR3igiwaeyc&index=7&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMJ-AfB_7J1538YKWkZAnGA\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Feminist Theory\",\"author\":\"William Little\",\"organization\":\"BC Campus\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/introductiontosociology\/chapter\/chapter1-an-introduction-to-sociology\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"The Feminist Perspective\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Boundless\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"Boundless Sociology\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"WSPU leaders\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Wikipedia\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Suffragette#\/media\/File:Annie_Kenney_and_Christabel_Pankhurst.jpg\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Modification, adaptation, and original content\",\"author\":\"Sarah Hoiland for Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"f5c2621e-c463-44e9-a311-e1bc0ed141a2, 86aed473-1086-4d86-8d6c-22dd4a1a2d53, a308e80b-59ce-486c-bebf-79ea608dc7f0","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-468","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":20,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9608,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/468\/revisions\/9608"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/20"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/468\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontosociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}