“BODIES” in Feminist Ideology
“Bodies” in Feminist Ideology By Alicia Hill ABSTRACT Throughout feminist belief systems, different feminists have varying views on the issue of bodies. This article gives an overview of the major feminist tenets surrounding bodies, and provides a discussion on Freud’s theory of psychosexual development. This piece features ideas from radical-cultural, radical-liberal, existentialist, psychoanalytic, women-of-color, liberal, and third-wave feminisms. Through an understanding of different feminist’s ideologies, one can come to better understand their own beliefs.
Feminist scholars across sub-divisions and cultural lines are particularly concerned with the issue of bodies. Feminist issues regarding bodies can cover topics ranging from bodily autonomy/dominance, to healthcare, to reproduction and reproductive rights. In most cultures worldwide, women’s bodies are sexualized, dominated, controlled, belittled, and devalued. To some feminists, issues surrounding bodies are at the core part of their feminist beliefs. Regardless of their specific ideology, practically all feminists are concerned with dominance over and interpretation of women’s bodies. While the definition of feminism may vary widely, feminism, generally, refers to the collection of interdisciplinary movements that advocate for women’s rights based on the assumption of equality of the sexes. This paper will provide an overview of various feminist discipline’s ideologies regarding the broad issue of bodies. This paper first describes feminist beliefs related to bodily dominance, moves into detailing those related to reproduction, and finishes by explaining ideas from different feminist disciplines regarding societal standards for women. With respect to bodies, there are a range of feminist ideas and beliefs. The major feminist standpoints involving bodies consider issues concerning male dominance relating to biological factors, reproductive issues/rights, and societal standards for women. Biological bodily dominance refers to the idea that a woman’s biology allows her male counterparts to maintain societal and personal dominance over her. To radical feminists, biological bodily dominance stems from the expression of femininity. Radical feminists are those that believe that under a patriarchal system, true gender or sex equality is impossible (Tong & Botts, 2018). The authors describe that within radical feminism, two subgroups emerge with conflicting views on the presentation of women’s expression of their gender identity. Radical-libertarian feminists promote the idea of androgyny, while radical-cultural feminists support a strictly feminine gender expression. Androgyny refers to the embodiment of both feminine and masculine characteristics (Tong & Botts, 2018). For most radical-libertarian feminists, androgyny is a way in which women should strive to present themselves, as androgyny promotes the best parts of femininity and masculinity (Tong & Botts, 2018). According to prominent radical-libertarian feminist Kate Millet, “Because male control of the public and private worlds maintains patriarchy, male control must be eliminated if women are to be liberated… To eliminate male control, men and women must eliminate gender... as it has been constructed under patriarchy” (Tong and Botts, 2018, p. 54). For radical-libertarian feminists, male dominance is embedded in biological differences between men and women. In contrast, for radical-cultural feminists, androgyny was a step back for women. To them, androgynous women only inherited the worst parts of masculinity.
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