The feminist perspective (patriarchy, gender inequality, liberal, Marxist and radical feminism) and the interactionist perspective (meanings, labelling and small-scale interaction).

What this dot point is asking

Eduqas wants you to explain the feminist and interactionist perspectives alongside functionalism and Marxism. Feminism adds gender to the analysis of inequality; interactionism shifts the focus from large structures to small-scale interaction and meaning. Knowing all four perspectives lets you build the balanced evaluations the longer questions reward.

Feminism: the gender conflict view

Feminism has several strands the exam may reward:

• Liberal feminism argues gender inequality is gradually being reduced through legal and social reform (such as equal pay and anti-discrimination laws) and wants equal opportunities within the existing system.
• Marxist feminism links women's oppression to capitalism, arguing that women's unpaid work in the home benefits the economy and the ruling class.
• Radical feminism sees patriarchy itself as the deepest cause of inequality and argues that male power must be challenged directly, for example through the way the family is organised.

Feminists such as Ann Oakley apply these ideas to the family, showing that women still do most housework and childcare (the dual burden), which criticises the functionalist picture of a happy, equal family.

Interactionism: the meaning view

Interactionism differs from functionalism and Marxism in scale and focus. Those are macro, structural theories that explain behaviour by the structure of society as a whole. Interactionism is micro: it studies face-to-face interaction, how people interpret situations, and how labels (such as "troublemaker" or "bright pupil") can shape behaviour through a self-fulfilling prophecy. This makes it powerful for explaining processes within schools and the social construction of crime.

Putting the four perspectives together

The four perspectives give you a toolkit for every topic. Functionalism and Marxism explain society from the top down (consensus versus conflict); feminism adds gender as a further line of conflict; interactionism works from the bottom up, through meaning and interaction. A strong extended answer sets these against each other and reaches a judgement, rather than describing just one.