How do feminism and interactionism explain society?
The feminist and interactionist perspectives, including the types of feminism, patriarchy, the work of Oakley, the interactionist focus on meanings and labelling, and the work of Becker.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE Sociology key concepts topic, covering the feminist perspective (patriarchy, types of feminism, Oakley) and the interactionist perspective (meanings, labelling, Becker).
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain the feminist perspective (patriarchy, the types of feminism, the work of Oakley) and the interactionist perspective (the focus on meanings and labelling, the work of Becker), and to show how they differ from the structural theories of functionalism and Marxism. These perspectives supply the "other side" in evaluation questions across every topic.
Feminism
There are different types of feminism, and naming them gains marks:
- Liberal feminism wants gradual change through laws and equal opportunities, and points to progress already made (such as equal pay legislation).
- Marxist feminism links women's oppression to capitalism, which benefits from women's unpaid domestic work and from women as a reserve army of cheap labour.
- Radical feminism sees patriarchy as the deepest and most fundamental cause of inequality, rooted in men's control over women in the family and in society.
Ann Oakley is a key feminist whose research showed that the family exploits women through housework and the dual burden (paid work plus most of the domestic labour), challenging the cosy functionalist picture of the family.
Interactionism
Interactionism is sometimes called interpretivism. It assumes that society is built up from the meanings people create in their everyday encounters, rather than determined by large structures from above. This is why interactionists prefer methods such as observation and unstructured interviews that capture meaning, and why they study processes such as labelling inside the classroom rather than the system as a whole.
How they differ from structural theories
Functionalism and Marxism are structural (macro) theories that look at society as a whole and see individuals as shaped by larger structures. Feminism adds gender as a key division that these earlier theories neglected. Interactionism shifts the focus the other way, to the small-scale, studying meanings and interactions rather than large structures. So feminism broadens the conflict view, while interactionism offers a completely different, bottom-up way of seeing society.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20194 marksIdentify and explain one way the feminist perspective differs from the functionalist perspective.Show worked answer →
A four-mark item: state a clear difference and develop it with named thinkers.
One difference is that feminism is a conflict theory focused on gender, while functionalism is a consensus theory. Feminists argue society is patriarchal (dominated by men) and works in men's interests, whereas functionalists argue institutions benefit everyone.
Develop the point: for example, feminists like Oakley argue the family exploits women through the dual burden, while functionalists like Parsons see the family as positive for all. Markers reward a clear difference, named thinkers and the link to patriarchy.
AQA 20224 marksIdentify and explain one feature of the interactionist perspective.Show worked answer →
A four-mark item: name a feature and develop it.
One feature is that interactionism is a micro (small-scale) perspective: instead of studying the whole social structure, it studies how individuals interact and attach meanings to situations.
Develop the point: a key idea is labelling. Becker argued that the labels people are given (such as "deviant" or "ideal pupil") shape how others treat them and how they see themselves. Markers reward the micro focus, the concept of meanings or labelling, and the named thinker Becker.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Sociology (8192) specification — AQA (2017)