consciousness-raising as the ‘feminist method’ (Humm, 1992: 119) – a coming
together by women to describe problems collectively so that the existence of
oppression can be confirmed. The solution can only be separatism, for the
consequence of the fact that the personal is political (and by political is meant the
exercise of repressive power) is that men and women should live their lives as
separately as possible. As Greer puts it rather wittily, ‘both could do without each
other if it were not for the pesky business of sexual reproduction’ (1999: 68).
Indeed, one radical famously argued that the basis of women’s oppression lies
with childbearing, as well as child-rearing, and the conception of love (Bryson, 1992:
204, 201). Others are doubtful that this ‘pesky business’ can be so easily avoided.
But sexuality is seen as an expression of power so that the distinction between rape
and sexual activity is not a meaningful one, and the reason why radical feminists
are so passionately opposed to pornography and prostitution is that they see these
institutions as fundamentally linked to a demeaning view and treatment of women.
Whether men intend to oppress women is beside the point: patriarchy is a structural
system of male oppression which operates, whether men are conscious of oppressing
women or not.
Radical feminists have sometimes advocated lesbianism as a solution to the
problem of oppressive encounters with men. Feminists in general would accept that
lesbianism is a legitimate lifestyle choice, but radicals often go further and argue
that it is a necessary way of preventing male domination. Rich advocates a broader
notion of lesbianism so that it does not have to embrace genital activity, but denotes
a rejection of a compulsory heterosexuality imposed to prevent women from being
individuals in their own right (Humm, 1992: 176–7). Because patriarchy is seen as
a comprehensive system of male domination, even the most intimate of relationships
becomes a matter for political scrutiny.
MacKinnon sees the whole notion of the public/private divide as oppressive and
nothing more than a dangerous myth. The public is the private, just as the personal
is political. Women’s interest lies in overthrowing the distinction itself (1989: 120–1).
Radical feminism is revolutionary. It is averse to differentiating one kind of
patriarchy from another, and it is opposed to the kind of reforms that do not tackle
the problem at its root. Radical feminists tend to identify pornography with sexual
violence, and they regard prostitution as an act of force (Hoffman, 2001: 193).
Women, in the view of radical feminists, do not want equality with men. They
want liberation and liberation is only possible if patriarchy is overthrown.Problems with radical feminism
Liberal feminist critique
Liberal feminists disagree with radical feminists on a range of grounds. The first is
that they see the idea that there is a war between the sexes as unfruitful. Men can
be sympathetic to feminism (as J.S. Mill famously was), and it is wrong to assume
that men cannot become adherents to the feminist cause. The notion of separatism
is pessimistic and self-defeating.Chapter 14 Feminism 323