Feminist Theory and the Evolution of Citizenship

Posted on Dec 10, 2024 in Philosophy and ethics

The Exclusion of Women in Traditional Political Thought

The concept of man is invariably associated with reason and culture, which characterize the public sphere. Moreover, the concept of woman is linked with emotion and nature, which defines the private scope. Feminist theory proposes a political philosophy that addresses the concepts designed for the private sphere. However, the public sphere cannot be automatically applied to the private sphere. To this end, feminist theory analyzes and revises the concepts that might be named attributes of people or subjects and show male content. It also analyzes the categories or concepts relative to political theory, such as citizenship, democracy, or oppression.

Different Branches of Feminist Theory

  • The Liberal Feminist Theory: This theory argues that human nature is unique, independent of sex, and has an opinion formed about how safe this will be in the future. It is unclear what the differences between the sexes would be in a society where they were equal. Subordination is called unfair discrimination to which women are subjected. Therefore, their proposal is to be equal to men. This is also called the feminism of equality. Equality can only be achieved when men and women share responsibilities far beyond those adjudicated by sex.
  • Marxist and Socialist Feminist Theories: They share the very notion of human nature: an idea created by the dialectical interrelationship between biology and human society, an interrelationship mediated by the physical environment and human labor practice. The differences in subordination arise from analyzing its causes. For the Socialists, it is due to two combining factors: capitalism and patriarchy. The Marxists focus more on class exploitation.
  • Radical Feminist Theory: Three views on the concept of human nature remain:
    1. Thoughts on the political relevance of systematic reproductive human biology.
    2. The view that female biology is basic to the sexual division of labor.
    3. Given the important role of culture and socialization, women are made, not born.
    Radical feminists consider that subordination is the basic cause of patriarchy, considered a necessary social reconstruction of society, which makes the difference with the other movements:
    1. Compared to the liberal position: The oppression of women cannot be removed by reforming laws, making men and women share responsibilities formerly distributed according to sex.
    2. Compared to Marxist or socialist positions: It will not end by sharing political and economic institutions.
    Separation is proposed. This implies that the proposed action, political organizations, etc., must be separated from men, at least temporarily until certain changes are achieved.

Citizenship and Identity

Citizenship denotes a particular form of collective identity, adherence to which can be more or less wide, including more or fewer requirements. The requirements to be a full member may be more stringent in one country or another, from one time to another, but always have a record of exclusion. A citizen is defined in opposition to who is not a citizen. Criteria conferring membership have external conditions, not political ones. They are based on pre-existing ties to the political community.

There are two defining details of the relevant membership in the philosophical debate today:

  • Identity: Citizenship goes beyond the set of rights granted; it involves a consciousness of identity. The citizen feels bound by links of affection and loyalty.
  • The community is a pre-political pact: Citizenship is not conventional; in modern societies, it is part of a national identity that has a pre-political character.

The notion of ownership involves conflicts that are difficult to solve:

  • First conflict: The tension between the universalist and particularist notion of citizenship. This tension has been reflected frequently in conflicts in many countries.
  • Loyalty conflict: Another voltage is always present between homogeneity and difference. It is the problem of minorities that are part of the minority group.

Finally, the full integration of women as citizens in all dimensions, which calls for modern citizenship, remains an issue to be further developed.

A Citizen as a Subject of Rights

A citizen is a subject of rights. The dominant political discourse equates development with the progressive extension of citizenship rights. Citizens will have guaranteed enjoyment of certain rights. T.H. Marshall distinguishes three rights:

  • Civil: Ensuring individual freedom.
  • Political: Guaranteeing control of power and participation in social decision-making.
  • Social: The right to minimum safety and welfare.

From this perspective, freedom is the distinctive and essential detail of citizenship. The key issue is determining the rights of human beings to be protected. The positions vary but are between two extremes:

  • The radical liberal position: Reduces policy mechanisms that guarantee the exercise of rights. The state must be enclosed to facilitate the relations of civil society.
  • Republicanism: It holds that rights emanate from the law established by the common will of the people associated.

Nevertheless, citizenship causes conflicts, such as the problem of universal rights.

Feminist Contributions to the Concept of Citizenship

Contributions to the feminist concept of citizenship can be grouped into two blocks:

  1. Revision of classical political philosophy, which obtained three conclusions:
    1. The tradition of Western thought is based on a political conception that excludes women.
    2. Although many scholars suggest neutrality with regard to gender, in fact, their arguments are only applicable to men.