CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Background of Feminism
Human civilization is made by and for both the man and woman. They both live here in a coordinated social system. Both the species have their own right and
needs to live with modest admiration. But the history of human society does not tell us the equivalent existence of both man and woman. Man always dominate on
women and women had no way to complaint against it. But in time gradually a change come into women’s brains and they understood that they need to be
conscious about their own right. So women move up their voice against women oppression. To do so they had no way but to take some practical actions. All these
actions are known as women’s movement against oppression. And the scheme to achieve the goal is called feminism.
Women’s position was changed in various times in the history. Their position did not flow in the same current at all the time. Today oppressed, suffered, violated,
ignored. Dominated and so on negative terms are often used to describe women’s position in society. But if we look back to our history, we will get an elegant and
striking story of women when women played as significant role as played by men now. And at time we have to confess that women did not give any pressure on men
and men live a fair and free life like now they do. Probably this kindness let the men to alter the ruling system and to take over the power from women and turn the free
and lively women into their subject. Men put their own made system in such a
way that it seems the women are by nature and from the beginning of the history were in this oppressed and subjugated position.
French philosopher “Rousseau” in his book Social Contract Book I : Chapter II said “Man is born free, but everywhere they are in chains” This comment is
completely true for women in society. By nature women born free, but continue their life as a subject of men in society.
How the free and lively women turn into men’s subject, how their relation to men positioned against nature, how women become inferior to men is some
unanswered questions in society which have no clear and dependable evidence. In almost all the civilizations women gradually lost their power and men took the
power. Men turned all in one in the society. Men did it by a special social system known as patriarchy.
Patriarchy is such a type of society where male control of the public and private worlds and everything done according his will. Patriarchy is the structuring of
society on the basis of family units, where fathers have primary responsibility for the welfare of the family and have the authority of his family. The concept of patriarchy
is often used by extension in anthropology and feminism, for example to refer to the expectation that men take primary responsibility for the welfare of the
community as a whole, acting as representatives via public office. The word patriarchy comes from two Greek words —
patēr father and archē rule. In Greek, the genitive form of patēr is patr-os, which shows the root
form patr, explaining why the word is spelled patr-iarchy. The basic meaning of the Greek word
archē is actually beginning hence arche-ology or men-arche — the
first words of Genesis in Greek are En archē In the beginning. However, archē is
also used metaphorically to refer to ruling, because rulers are perceived to start things.
Different scholars defines Patriarchy from their own point of view. Allan G. Johnson said in his ‘The Gender knot’ 1997, 2005: 14 that - “Patriarchy is an
obsession with control as a core value around which social life is organized. As with any system of privilege that elevates one group by oppressing another, control is an
essential element of patriarchy: men maintain their privilege by controlling women and anyone else who might threaten it.” Elizabeth Cady station said in her ‘The
Women’s Bible’ 1895 that - “Women was made after man, of man and, for man, an inferior being, subject to man.” Sylvia Walby said in her ‘Theorizing Patriarchy’
1990 : 19 that -“A system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women.”
Patriarchy create such a social environment where all manly behavior e.g. – assertiveness, aggressiveness, hardiness, rationality or ability to think analytically
and abstractly, ability to control emotion, high ambition, independence are considered as positive for social development, beneficial and control. On the other
hand all feminine traits e.g. – gently, modesty, humanity, sportiness, sympathy, compassionateness, tenderness, naturalness, sensitivity, intuitiveness, emotionality,
dependence are considered as negative, faulty and against social development, control and stability. Developing a gender difference in society and putting men in
higher position than women patriarchy established a false concept that, men should be the leader in society and women should stay under men’s subjugation, this system
is good for society as its definitely defined by nature and the natural relationship between men and women.
2.2 First-Wave Feminism
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