Radical Feminism

sociobiology is not science, just made up stuff like evolutionary psychobabble.

On the test, I had to go neutral on a lot of the questions about WoC because I don't feel able to form a view. I'd like to know where the conservative score comes from. I can't think of a question where I gave what I would consider a conservative position. I'm wondering if it was the question about prostitution.

RadFems often seem to suggest that the differences between men and women are purely or very substantially due to society. Sociobiology shows that this is very unlikely to be true. Women and men have different attitudes to sex and reproduction for very good adaptive reasons. Society may reinforce these differences, but to claim it creates them brackets RadFems with anti-vaxers and flat-earthers.

I am American living in the US. I did wonder about whether it is culturally skewed. But I answered a couple of questions with "neutral" myself because I didn't think my opinion was informed enough.

Perspective Score
Radical feminist 39
Liberal feminist 39
Women of Color 31
Cultural feminist 30
Socialist feminist 24
Conservative 16

Pretty boring score

I really think though that this is so US skewed, unless you know the US well some questions cannot be answered with enough knowledge so it skewed me towards neutrality on the grounds of ignorance

I think Jo should take the test

Many women agree with some radfem ideas. The fact that they don't identify with 'radical feminism' proves this. The idea that women get a worse deal is common to much of feminist thought.

Until radical feminism matures to the point of incorporating mainstream sociobiology, it condemns itself to impotence.

Radical feminist 46
Women of Color 39
Socialist feminist 38
Liberal feminist 34
Cultural feminist 29
Conservative 10

Interesting. I am a bit surprised; I thought I would come out higher on liberal and lower on socialist. But I took it several times to be sure.

Thanks, Flora

I'm going to regret this I think.

Interesting, Thanks Flora

Mine was:

Socialist feminist 55
Radical feminist 45
Women of Color 41
Cultural feminist 28
Liberal feminist 25
Conservative 10

If only I know how the liberal and conservative sneaked in...?

I took this test to find out what type of feminist I am:

personality-testing.info/tests/FPS.php

My result:

Radical feminist 42
Liberal feminist 38
Socialist feminist 36
Women of Color 31
Cultural feminist 18
Conservative 10

The test is US focussed in some respects, I don't know how that changes things.

For those "women in their 40's, 50's and older, who do become lesbians after being married to men" I wonder if they would say they "became" lesbians or "realised they were" lesbians?

I think the christian thing is a red herring also.

People / scientists / whoever should be able to talk about sexuality and how it works and what forms it takes without it being taken as support for the outrageous homophobic views of certain branches of the christian church.

I must admit I always thought that most people were bisexual to some extent, although with plenty of people far enough from the middle to feel strongly het or homo if you get my drift.

I guess it's difficult to do research on it when everything is moulded so much by society. Certainly (and others will know more than me as my history is rubbish!) there have been times where eg male homosexuality was accepted / encouraged and so loads of men were engaging in gay sex far more than in UK society now generally? Plus you have loads of stuff about single sex institutions where same sex relationships become very common - schools prisons etc. So doesn't all of that stuff indicate that lots and lots of people given certain circs will change a stated preference?

All of this is by the by though - for the vast majority of radfems political lesbianism (which involves more than just being in a sexual relationship with a woman AFAIK) is an interesting theory and to talk about but not obtainable or indeed desirable for most.

Is MGTOW akin to political lesbianism, then?

I understood sexuality largely was rather than chosen?

Many men seem to be happier with men, but choose women as partners? Is that patriarchy in action?

Oh, and in passing men often have extremely close friendships with men, sharing things through decades

I don't think political lesbianism is much of a thing nowadays is it? Personally I think the concept behind it (and certainly how it has been explained to me) makes sense and could be very freeing for women who do not want heteronormative lives.

The term itself is probably outdated and certainly is controversial and potentially divisive - which of course is quite the opposite of the intention behind it.

Grennie - I would still consider feminism to be an ideology as well as a movement and I do think my wider point still stands.

I think the bigger question is:

Is it intrinsically better and more feminist for women to only have emotional/romantic/sexual relationships with women?

I know that there is a school of thought within radical feminism that, yes it is.

But I know that plenty of women would disagree, not least because most women are heterosexual or are in heterosexual relationships and would feel affronted by the idea that it is only "false consciousness" or social conditioning that stops them being in a relationship with a women.

So ultimately, I think political lesbianism is an interesting discussion, but one that has the potential to be very alienating and thus, I'm not sure how helpful it is to the feminist movement as a whole.

I often see the differences between radical feminism and more liberal kinds as the difference between a radical and reformist ideology, the former may be aiming for bigger changes, but those changes are often less achievable.

So Scottish, do men (as a class) pigeonhole women? you seem to be implying they do. So if more than one man is involved and more than one woman, might it be necessary to generalise or abstract? Otherwise we can talk about you if you would like, and then we shall just have to...extrapolate from that and generalise!