Debating the state - Rival theories of the state - The patriarchal state

5 important questions on Debating the state - Rival theories of the state - The patriarchal state

What is the view of liberal feminists of the state?

Pluralist view of the state. Faith in state's basic neutrality. This is reflected in the belief that any bias (in favour of men) can, and will, be overcome by a process of reform. They believe that all groups have potentially equal access to state power.
Seeing state intervention as a means of redressing gender inequality and enhancing the role of women.

What is the view of radical feminists on the state?

Argue that state power reflects a deeper structure of oppression in the form of patriarchy.

What are the similarities between Marxists and radical feminist views of state power?

> both deny that the state is an autonomous entity bent on the pursuit of its own interests. State is understood by reference to a 'deep structure' of power in society at large.
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What is the instrumentalist argument view of the state (developed from the feminist position)?

State is little more than an agent or tool used by men to defend their own interests and uphold the structure of patriarchy (rooted in the division of society in public and private spheres of life).

What is the structuralist argument view of the state (developed from the feminist position)?

Tends to emphasize the degree to which state institutions are embedded in a wider patriarchal system.
Emergence of the welfare state: feminists see it as an expression of a new kind of patriarchal power. Welfare may uphold patriarchy by bringing about a transition from private dependence to a system of public dependence (in which women are increasingly controlled by the institutions of the extended state).

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