CRITICISM OF

RADICAL
FEMINISM
CRITICISM
• Radical feminism has shattered the illusions of male culture.
• Without the change in consciousness affected by radical feminism, no
social revolution will truly liberate women.
• But does radical feminism itself show us the way to women's
liberation?
• According to some scholars, radical feminist ideas and practice are
necessary parts of the revolutionary transformation of society but that,
in themselves, they are insufficient to bring the transformation alone.
CRITICISM
(1) Lack of theoretical basis:
Radical feminism has revealed how men control women's bodies and
enslave them. However, radical feminists have not yet provided an
account of the underlying causes of the patriarchal system.
The theoretical premise is essential because it is not only enough to
demonstrate vividly how men enslave women, but there should also be
a theoretical explanation of why men do so.
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The radical feminist analysis needs to be supplemented by an account
that embraces a deeper level of reality.
The analysis is not theoretically complete or adequate because it does
not provide a causal explanation of the reality that it describes.
For the lack of theory and consequently, better answers, many radical
feminists often tend towards the view that there is simply something
wrong, biologically, with men that impel them to act in cruel and
wanton ways.
CRITICISM
(2) Women’s control over their bodies:
Radical feminists consistently refer to heterosexual relations as rape,
prostitution, “servicing men's needs”, etc.
Women are seen as controlling their bodies when they determine their
own mode of sexual expression and when their decisions about
whether or not to bear children are based on their own desires and
needs.
For radical feminism, the only way in which women can take control
of their bodies under patriarchy seems to be through lesbianism.
CRITICISM
Critics point out:
Women will still not be able to control their bodies since lesbians, like
all women under patriarchy, are still vulnerable to rape.
Radical feminists rarely recognize the fact that lesbianism is not an
alternative that is open to all women. Apart from existing sexual
conditioning and affections, the radical feminists’ own claims that
many women are forced, either physically or economically, to become
mothers and/ or sexual slaves imply that many married women and
prostitutes who might prefer to be exclusively lesbian are unable to
take that option.
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Exclusive lesbianism is a choice available primarily to women
without children and to women who have the marketable skills that
allow them to survive in the patriarchy without direct dependence on
non-marital or sexual relations with men.
Consequently, lesbianism is an alternative that is far more available to
white and middle-class women, although, of course, there do exist
many working-class lesbians and lesbians of colour.
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The point is that there are economic preconditions for women to
achieve the degree of control over their bodies that lesbianism offers.
 No lesbian can insulate herself completely from the impact of a
patriarchal society. A lesbian pays a certain price for the “choice” she
makes; she is better able than most women to refuse motherhood but,
unless she is a mother already, it then becomes very difficult for her to
bear children.
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Also, most lesbians have to work for male bosses in economic
situations that are male-defined; lesbians, like other women, are
exposed to economic discrimination and industrial hazards; even the
relatively few lesbians who support themselves in the women’s culture
are exposed to pollution, radiation, street violence and the threat of
war.
Therefore, there are other problems apart from “forced motherhood
and sexual slavery.” These other problems do not have their solution in
becoming lesbian.
CRITICISM
3. Separatism:
 Separatism is necessary for women to develop new ways of relating
to each other without male disruption. Women must create a women
culture that will challenge the values of patriarchy and pre-figure an
alternative future. But although some forms of separatism must always
be available for women under patriarchy, separatism alone cannot
transform society.
Carol Anne Douglas expresses doubt about whether such a nonviolent
strategy will work. Can force be stopped by force?
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(4) Capitalism as opponent:
Many radical feminist enterprises have experienced that the
economics of capitalism makes it impossible for alternative businesses
to survive.
For instance, women’s publishing houses are unable to survive and
make profits. They have a niche group as readers – they are trying to
reach a female readership whose average earnings are little more than
half those of men. Consequently, their books are often more
expensive.
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Many feminist enterprises have not survived and those which have
survived, have been forced to revise their business practices.
In fact, many radical feminist enterprises are being forced
economically to revert to the politics of liberal feminism.
Thus, radical feminist enterprises will always remain marginal to the
patriarchal capitalist economy and never be able to constitute a real
challenge to it.
CRITICISM
(5) Alternative culture:
The creation of an alternative culture is a vital part of the feminist
revolution. Women’s culture changes women's consciousness and
provides necessary havens of refuge from the psychological and
sometimes physical assaults of patriarchal culture.
However, by itself, separate women's culture can never affect the
changes in the material base or society that are required to bring down
patriarchy.
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To believe that it can do so is a form of idealism. Patriarchy will not
fall to words, spells, or songs.
(6) Political implications of women’s culture are not favourable:
Many radical feminists such as Griffin and Daly have continued to
speak about women in universal terms which suggests that all women
share certain fundamental common experiences, regardless of
differences of class or race.
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Other feminists have attacked says assumption as classist and racist.
They point out that it is an assumption that denies special oppression
of working-class women and women of colour.
 A limited separatism is healthy and necessary. However, it is pointed
out that the politics of total separatism is necessarily classist and racist
because access to women culture is more difficult for poor women and
women of colour, just as it is more difficult for such women to be
exclusively lesbian.
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(7) The politics of total separatism ignore that some groups of women
also have interests in common with some groups of men. For example,
one black lesbian writes: “Although we are feminists and lesbians, we
feel solidarity with progressive black men and do not advocate the
fractionalization that white women who are separatists, demand. We
struggle together with black men against racism, while we also struggle
against black men about sexism.”
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(8) Exclusion of more than half the population:
By definition, female separatism excludes the male half of the
population. It also excludes women with any emotional attachment to or
shared political interests with men.
Also included in this group are non-lesbian women, working-class
lesbians, and lesbians of colour.
Thus, it excludes most of the population.
For these reasons, a women's movement that calls for maximal as
opposed to limited separatism and views separatism as the major
strategy for revolutionary change, is doomed to remain a small minority.
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Consequently, it can never be effective in bringing about far-reaching
social transformation.
CONCLUSION