Reading about Feminist Values

Cook, Elizabeth Adell, and Clyde Wilcox. “Feminism and the Gender Gap--A Second Look.” The Journal of Politics, vol. 53, no. 4, 1991, pp. 1111–1122. www.jstor.org/stable/2131869.

Cook and Wilcox state feminist values are created by differences in socialisation and distinctive aspects of the female experience, which are different to men's experience.   This includes caring and nurturance via the motherhood role; low support for violence and war; and leads to higher support for the disadvantaged.  Feminism is a strong predictor of political values and attitudes and policy preferences. Feminism can be supported by men as well as women.  Male feminists support feminine issues and are likely to be politically liberal.  


Conover, Pamela Johnston. “Feminists and the Gender Gap.” The Journal of Politics, vol. 50, no. 4, 1988, pp. 985–1010. www.jstor.org/stable/2131388.  

This article considers:

How and why women's values differ from men's?
How do such values appear in political preferences?
What is the empirical evidence?

Political research in the US in 1988 shows women believes their values are: 

morally superior to men; 
social constructs that are derived from male/female role play in a patriarchal society; 
a perception of female difference comes from pride confidence, hope and superiority rather than inferiority or inadequacy.

Women believe a woman centred female experience gives a unique source of values for society.  Ruddick (1980) focussed on women's focus on their children shaped their view of the world.  This evolved in 1982 by C Gilligan theorising that women were more oriented to interpersonal relationships - by motherhood developing a morality/caring/ responsibility towards others.  It was due to the motherhood role that women were analysed to be more positive towards growth and change, and their decisions being based upon compassion, caring and eco-friendliness.  Men were more concerned with rights and rules, and making their moral decisions by their definition of justice and fairness. 

In political preferences, unless there is a feminist identity and consciousness, a woman's values usually lie dormant beneath a patriarchal culture.  Therefore Women's values should be expressed by feminists and more obviously reflect in feminist politics.  Promoting a woman's values into politics may increase the democratic nature of party politics.  

Feminine values are largely overwhelmed by masculine values in a patriarchal society like the US.  

Feminine values:

Sense of egalitarianism
Lack of symbolic racism
Liberal ideology (open minded)
Tendency to reject moral traditionalism (outside of church rule system)
Modern concept of sex rules (challenges homemaker/breadwinner split0
Sympathy for the disadvantaged.  

Generally women's perspective is characterised by an ethic of caring.  

These values seem to mark me clearly as a feminist!  I think all of these issues came out in my values table!